Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

A Quick History

By
Bill Lamb
Music Expert
  • M.L.S, Library Science, Indiana University
Bill Lamb is a music and arts writer with two decades of experience covering the world of entertainment and culture.
our editorial process
Bill Lamb
Updated May 24, 2019

The event that indicated Indio, California would be a quality concert location was a 1993 Pearl Jam concert for 25,000 fans that was part of a regional boycott of Ticketmaster. In October of 1999 the first Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was held. The next year no festival took place, but, in 2001, Coachella was held in April to avoid problems with summer heat. The event has taken place each year since and is one of the largest music festivals in North America. Look for top alternative artists, mega headliners, and reunions of classic bands from the past. A selection of 10 artists from each year is listed.

2015 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

The 2015 Coachella Festival takes place April 10-12 and April 17-19. General admission tickets sold out in less than 20 minutes.

  • AC/DC
  • Clean Bandit
  • Drake
  • Fitz and the Tantrums
  • Florence and the Machine
  • David Guetta
  • Hozier
  • Kiesza
  • Milky Chance
  • Steely Dan 

2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

The 2014 Coachella Festival took place April 11-13 and April 18-20, 2014. General admission tickets sold out in less than 20 minutes and the VIP passes were gone in less than three hours.

  • Arcade Fire
  • Beck
  • Lana Del Rey
  • Foster the People
  • Ellie Goulding
  • Calvin Harris
  • Lorde
  • Nas
  • OutKast
  • Pharrell Williams

2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

The 2011 Coachella Festival took place April 12-14 and April 19-21, 2014. 

  • Biffy Clyro
  • James Blake
  • Jake Bugg
  • Grimes
  • The Lumineers
  • Janelle Monae
  • New Order
  • Passion Pit
  • Tegan and Sara
  • The xx

2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

The 2011 Coachella Festival took place April 13-15 and April 20-22, 2014. 

  • Arctic Monkeys
  • The Black Keys
  • Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
  • Florence and the Machine
  • David Guetta
  • Calvin Harris
  • Nero
  • Radiohead
  • The Shins
  • Wallpaper

Related link:

  • Top 10 Pop Artists At Coachella 2012

2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

The 2011 Coachella Festival takes place April 15-17, 2011. The event sold out in just five days. A live webcast is made available via YouTube.

2010 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

The 2010 Coachella Festival was held April 16-18, 2010. For the first time no single day tickets will be sold. Those who attended were required to purchase tickets for the entire festival.

  • Faith No More
  • Gorillaz
  • Jay-Z
  • LCD Soundsystem
  • Muse
  • Pavement
  • David Guetta
  • Florence and the Machine
  • Imogen Heap
  • Matt and Kim

Related links:

2009 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Paul McCartney - Coachella 2009
Paul McCartney - Coachella 2009. Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images

The 2009 Coachella Festival was moved a week earlier than normal. The dates were April 17-19, 2009. The country music Stagecoach Festival was held the following week.

Watch Leonard Cohen sing "Hallelujah"

2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Prince - Coachella 2008
Prince - Coachella 2008. Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images

In 2008 the Coachella Festival failed to sell out for the first time since 2003. It took place April 25-27, 2008.

Watch Jack Johnson sing "If I Had Eyes"

2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Regina Spektor - Coachella 2007
Regina Spektor - Coachella 2007. Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images

The Coachella Festival was expanded to three days for the first time in 2007 and took place April 27-29, 2007. DJ sets in the dance dome gained in popularity.

Watch Amy Winehouse sing "Back to Black"

2006 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Madonna at Coachella 2006
Madonna at Coachella 2006. Photo by Karl Walter / Getty Images

The 2006 Coachella Festival took place April 29-30, 2006. Electropop legends Depeche Mode were headliners.

Watch Daft Punk perform "Around the World"

2005 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Chris Martin of Coldplay - Coachella 2005
Chris Martin of Coldplay - Coachella 2005. Photo by Karl Walter / Getty Images

In 2005 Arcade Fire made a memorable stage appearance at Coachella. The festival took place April 30 - May 1, 2005.

Watch Bright Eyes perform "Lua"

2004 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

A reunion of alt-rock legends the Pixies helped Coachella sell out both days of the event for the first time in 2004. Held May 1-2, 2004, the festival drew 50,000 music fans each day.

Watch Radiohead perform "Planet Telex"

2003 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Iggy Pop - Coachella 2003
Iggy Pop - Coachella 2003. Photo by Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images

The Coachella Festival continued to grow in 2003 and gain worldwide recognition for its strong lineup and headlining acts. This was also the year camping was first allowed. The festival took place April 26-27, 2003.

Watch the White Stripes perform "Hardest Button to Button"

2002 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

In 2002 Coachella expanded back to a two day event April 27-28, 2002. This was the year the event began generating widespread interest and convinced the local community it was a strong positive for the economy of Indio, California.

Watch Oasis perform "She's Electric"

2001 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

After a one year hiatus, the Coachella Festival returned in 2001 for a one day event April 28, 2001. The promoters had difficulty securing a headlining act and Perry Farrell and his group Jane's Addiction came to the rescue.

1999 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Liam Gallagher of Oasis - Coachella 2002
Liam Gallagher of Oasis - Coachella 2002. Photo by Sebastian Artz / Getty Images

The inaugural Coachella Festival was held October 9-10, 1999. Approximately 25,000 fans attended the event, but reports indicated the festival did not make a profit.

  • Beck
  • Rage Against the Machine
  • Tool
  • Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
  • Chemical Brothers
  • Moby
  • Modest Mouse
  • Morrissey
  • Pavement
  • Thievery Corporation

Watch Morrissey sing "November Spawned a Monster"