Coachella: plan for heat

Coachella Weekend 2 is shaping up as a hot, dry desert weekend, with highs forecast from the low 80s to low 90s from Friday, April 17, through Sunday, April 19. (weather.gov; djmag.com) The National Weather Service forecast for the Coachella Valley shows Friday at 82 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, Saturday at 86 to 89, and Sunday at 89 to 92, with clear to partly cloudy skies. Current humidity in the valley was 21 percent on Monday, a sign of the dry air attendees can expect. (weather.gov) DJ Mag, citing The Weather Channel, reported a high ultraviolet index of 9 out of 11 across all three festival days, along with light winds after Weekend 1 weather disrupted Anyma’s set. Coachella’s own wellness guidance tells attendees to drink water, rest, eat and use refill stations throughout the grounds. (djmag.com; coachella.com; coachella.com) Weekend 2 opens Thursday-facing travel plans now because the festival itself runs Friday, April 17, to Sunday, April 19, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio. Coachella’s schedule page lists the two 2026 weekends as April 10 to 12 and April 17 to 19. (coachella.com) Coachella says both weekends feature the same lineup, art, food and activities, but it also warns that lineup and set times are subject to change without notice. The festival’s “Know Before You Go” page tells fans to keep checking for updates in the days before arrival. (coachella.com; coachella.com) TravelPirates reported that gates open at 1 p.m. each day and that music is scheduled to run until about 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and midnight on Sunday. Its Weekend 2 guide also flagged recent lineup shifts, including Foster the People moving to Sunday and Worship moving to Saturday. (travelpirates.com) For people staying home, Coachella says its official YouTube livestream will run April 17 to 19, with seven stages streaming live. The festival’s YouTube playlist says Weekend 2 streams start Friday at 4 p.m. Pacific time. (coachella.com; youtube.com) The practical advice is simple and specific: expect afternoon heat, cooler nights in the 50s and low 60s, and a schedule that can shift after you arrive. In Indio this weekend, planning around water, shade, sunscreen and app updates is part of getting to the set on time. (weather.gov; coachella.com; coachella.com)