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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSD chapter.

Hello everyone! I am so glad to have attended Coachella Weekend 1, and I now present to my Her Campus audience all of the tips and tricks and things I wished I had done during the weekend! 

First of all, Coachella has been a big bucket list destination for me for as long as I could remember. In my first year of college, a whole group of us decided to buy tickets for 2022 when Coachella was back and better. We had no idea who the lineup was, but I could not have been more excited when it came out and I saw who was performing. Harry Styles! Billie Eilish! Megan Thee Stallion! Daniel Ceasar! Doja Cat! Huge huge heart eyes for everyone! 

  1. The first practical tip I have is to make sure you are stocked on the water! You are in the desert, and if you are planning to go all day into the night, you absolutely need to stay hydrated! I recommend bringing in a hard plastic water bottle. There are refilling stations there where you can refill easily. Otherwise, plastic water bottles are $2, which isn’t terrible!
  2. Second, my group stayed at a hotel and used our shuttle pass to get to the festival. The shuttle was such a nice way of transportation, however, make sure to be planful with the line for the shuttle there depending on when the artists you want to watch are performing. Account for a couple of hours to get back at night after the last set because everyone is racing to be first on the shuttle.
  3. Because it is hot, I would have wished I brought a small electric hand-held fan for staying cool in the large crowds and desert heat.
  4. Another helpful note is to bring masks and bandanas for the dust, especially at night and by the end of the 3-day festival, there is dust and dirt everywhere that can mess with your senses.
  5. The last practical packing item is portable chargers: there are charging stations, but it is so much easier to have one conveniently on you!
  6. I did not realize the desert got so cold at night, so by the second day, I was packing a sweatshirt and pants to put over my outfit when it got chilly!
  7. Having a blanket for your group would also be a nice thing to have that we didn’t, so if you are chilling waiting for a set, or eating there is a nice picnic blanket to sit on.
  8. If you want merch, get merch at the campground not at the main tent because that merch line is about 2-3 hours long! You will still get access to the same cute stuff!
  9. OK, my #1 favorite food of the weekend (and I ate a lot of food) was Monty’s, which is a vegan burger/sandwich vendor. I was vegetarian for the first 2 days of Coachella, but by day 3 I was not vegetarian anymore, and I still was craving one of their yummy sandwiches!
  10. Last but not least, explore the festival Ferris wheel, rainbow tower, and immersive projector dome! One thing I did not realize Coachella would have were these fun exhibits, so in between running from set to set, check them out!

Thanks for reading, and I hope this gave y’all insight into the experience! I definitely would go again and 1000/10 recommend going! 

Maya Ordoñez from Cerritos, CA. She is a second-year at UC San Diego majoring in Communications and double minoring in Business and Dance. She is currently on campus and is involved in Greek life and the UCSD dance team. She loves the San Diego area because of the nature, beach, food, and adventure!