97 arrested at Coachella

Police arrested 97 people during Coachella’s first weekend in Indio, with drug possession accounting for most of the cases. (kesq.com) The Indio Police Department said 59 of the 97 arrests were for drug possession during the April 10-12 festival weekend. The total was up from 95 arrests during Weekend 1 in 2025. (desertsun.com) Police also reported 16 arrests tied to fake identification, 12 for public intoxication and four for disorderly conduct. The remaining arrests included theft, assault with a deadly weapon and probation violations. (kesq.com) Coachella runs over two weekends at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, and the first weekend often serves as the clearest early measure of crowd-control and enforcement pressures. This year’s second weekend is scheduled for April 17-19. (patch.com) The arrest mix shifted more than the headline number did. KESQ reported drug-possession arrests jumped by more than 30 from 2025, while handicap parking citations fell from 82 last year to 32 this year. (kesq.com) The Indio Police Department’s figures track a pattern of heavy festival enforcement in the city. KTLA reported that Coachella drew 223 arrests across both weekends in 2025. (ktla.com) CBS Los Angeles reported the 2026 total came from an Indio Police Department news release issued Tuesday, April 14. That puts the count in public view before the festival returns for its second weekend in the same city. (cbsnews.com)