Coachella Chaos: Festivalgoers Endure 12-Hour Waits in Scorching Heat
The 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival got off to a rocky start Thursday as thousands of eager attendees faced gruelling wait times to enter the event’s car camping grounds in Indio, California. Many fans reported being stuck in line for up to 12 hours with little to no access to food, water, or bathrooms—all while enduring scorching desert temperatures.
Social media quickly lit up with frustrated posts and videos as car after car sat idle in the festival’s gridlocked entry system. Some attendees who arrived as early as 2 a.m. reported still being in line well into the afternoon, sparking comparisons to the notorious Fyre Festival debacle of 2017.
“I wouldn’t wish this line on my worst enemy,” one TikTok user wrote, advising those still en route to “use the bathroom, fill your gas tank, and pack snacks before even getting close to the gates.”
The long delays and lack of basic amenities prompted warnings from veterans of the festival to reconsider car camping altogether. “If you ever go to Coachella, don’t car camp,” another user cautioned in a widely shared post. “This is absolutely brutal.”
By Friday, traffic flow had improved, and many had successfully set up camp. Still, with Weekend Two of the festival on the horizon, concerns remain about whether organizers will resolve the logistical mess in time. Organizers have not yet issued a public statement about the delays or what may have caused them.
Photos from local media, including The Desert Sun, showed endless lines of cars snaking down Madison Street and backed up at multiple security checkpoints. Hundreds of vehicles stretched for miles, inching forward in the dusty heat under the blazing Coachella Valley sun.
“I’ve done Coachella camping before, but never anything like this,” one festivalgoer posted. “There was no water, no food trucks, and barely any staff giving updates. It was just chaos.”
The rough start comes despite Coachella’s longstanding reputation as a well-oiled machine when it comes to handling massive crowds. Expectations were high with over 125,000 attendees expected per day and some of music’s biggest names on the bill—including Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone, Charli XCX, and Megan Thee Stallion.
Now, some fans say they’re questioning whether the camping experience is worth the hassle. “The lineup is great,” one person posted. “But I’m starting to think staying at a hotel might be the smarter move next year.”
As music lovers settle in for the weekend’s festivities, eyes are on Coachella’s organizers to see whether they can restore order—and trust—before the second wave of fans descends on Indio next weekend.
The music plays on for now, but the sour note of Thursday’s car camping chaos continues to echo throughout festivalgoers’ social feeds.
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