The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an annual event held at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California featuring musical performances by a number of artists on different stages, showings of independent films, and a number of displays of contemporary art. Coachella is a two day event, whose attendance has steadily increased from about 10 to 20 thousand people at the first Coachella in 1999 to a sold-out 160 thousand in 2004.

The Coachella Music Festival is noted for its desert setting (the Mojave Desert is approximately 50 miles north of Indio). Consequently, daytime temperatures frequently rise to over 100&deg F / 38&deg C with little cloud cover or shade, then drops drastically after sunset.

The typical genres of music represented at the festival are alternative rock, rap/hip hop, and electronica.

Lineup of musical performers by year

2005

April 30

Ambulance LTD , Amp Fiddler , Bauhaus, Bloc Party, Boom Bip , Buck 65, Café Tacuba, Coldplay, DJ Marky, DJ Peretz, Doves, Eisley, Fantômas, Four Tet, Gratitude , Hernan Cattaneo , Immortal Technique, Jamie Cullum, Jean Grae , Josh Wink, Katie Melua, Keane, k-os, M83, Mercury Rev, MF Doom, Razorlight, Rilo Kiley, Sage Francis, Shout Out Louds , Snow Patrol, Spoon, Swayzak , The Chemical Brothers, The Kills, The Raveonettes, The Secret Machines , The Sexy Magazines , Tiga, UNKLE, Weezer, Wilco, Zap Mama

May 1

Aesop Rock, Armin Van Buuren, Autolux, Beans , Ben Watt , Black Star, Bright Eyes, British Sea Power, Diplo, DJ Krush, Donavon Frankenreiter, Gang of Four, Gram Rabbit , Jem, Junkie XL, Kasabian, M.I.A., Matmos, Matthew Dear , Miss Kittin, New Order, Nine Inch Nails, Pinback, Radio 4, Roni Size, Roots Manuva, Sixtoo, Sloan, Snow Patrol, Stereophonics, Subtle , Tegan and Sara, The Arcade Fire, The Blood Brothers, The Bravery, The Dresden Dolls, The Faint, The Fiery Furnaces, The Futureheads, The Locust, The Perceptionists, The Prodigy, Thrice, Wolf Eyes, Zion I

2004

May 1

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Boozoo Bajou , Da Lata , Danny Howells , Death Cab for Cutie, dios , DJ Icon DJ Peretz, Electric Six, Erase Errata , Eyedea & Abilities , Hieroglyphics , Howie Day, Juana Molina, Junior Senior, Kinky, Kraftwerk, Laurent Garnier, LCD Soundsystem, Living Legends, Mark Farina, Mindless Self Indulgence, Moving Units , Phantom Planet, Pixies, Q and not U , Radiohead, Sahara Hotnights, Sander Kleinenberg , Savath & Savalas, Seb Fontaine , Sparta, stellastarr, Stereolab, The Black Keys, The Desert Sessions, The Evens , The (International) Noise Conspiracy, The Rapture, The Section Quartet , The Sounds, The Stills,

May 2

The Cure, the Flaming Lips, Air, Belle & Sebastian, Beck, Saul Williams, Basement Jaxx, Paul Van Dyk, Bright Eyes, Atmosphere, Thursday, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Cursive, Le Tigre, the Crystal Method, Dizzee Rascal, Ferry Corsten, Adam Freeland, Mogwai, Ash, 2manydjs , Muse, Sidestepper , DJ Danger Mouse, Donald Glaude, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, the Thrills, Elefant, Broken Social Scene, Thelonious Monster, the Sleepy Jackson, Prefuse 73, !!!, Pretty Girls Make Graves, the Cooper Temple Clause, Sage Francis, Supernatural , T. Raumschmiere , The Killers, Whitestarr , Home Town Hero , the Section Quartet , MF Doom

2003

April 22

the Beastie Boys, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Queens of the Stone Age, Blur, Groove Armada, Blue Man Group, the Donnas, N.E.R.D, Ladytron, Felix Da Housecat, Little Louie Vega and Kenny Dope Gonzales , Kinky, Roger Sanchez, Darren Emerson , Talib Kweli, Peanut Butter Wolf , Jaylib , Badly Drawn Boy, the Libertines, Gomez, the Music, Dillinja and Lemon D , Hot Hot Heat, Idlewild, Amon Tobin, Ben Kweller, Joseph Arthur, Particle, Christopher Lawrence, Division of Laura Lee , South, Stereo Total, the Mooney Suzuki, Nightmares on Wax , Hernan Cattaneo , , Spymob

April 23

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the White Stripes, Underworld, Jack Johnson, Primal Scream, Blue Man Group, Sonic Youth, Thievery Corporation, Café Tacuba, Fischerspooner, Dirty Vegas, Deep Dish, Richie Hawtin, Timo Maas, the Mars Volta, MARS , Johnny Marr and the Healers, G. Love & Special Sauce, Rooney, Ben Folds, Tortoise, the Soundtrack of Our Lives , the Polyphonic Spree, Mouse on Mars, El-P, Aesop Rock, RJD2, Mr. Lif, MURS, Black Eyed Peas, Whirlwind Heat, the Kinison , DJ Irene , 22-20's , DB , Eisley

2002

April 27

Björk, the Chemical Brothers, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Sasha & John Digweed, Groove Armada, Cake, Jack Johnson, Pete Yorn, Jurassic 5, the Beta Band, Queens of the Stone Age, G. Love & Special Sauce, Charlatans UK, KRS-One, Cornershop, Jimmy Van M. , Lee Burridge , the (International) Noise Conspiracy, Z-Trip , Pharcyde, Folk Implosion, the Vines, Citizen Cope, Kosheen, Forest for the Trees , Princess Superstar, Saul Williams

April 28

Oasis, the Strokes, Foo Fighters, the Prodigy, Belle & Sebastian, DJ Tiesto, Mos Def, BT, Dilated Peoples, Ozomatli, Saves the Day, Galactic, Sandra Collins, Christopher Lawrence, DJ Dan , Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Pete Tong, Zero 7, Blonde Redhead, the Mars Volta, DJ Peretz, Elbow, Triple Threat , Sound Tribe Sector 9, Fairview , Ping Pong Bitches , Rock Steady Crew, Medusa and Cut Chemist

2001

April 28

Jane's Addiction, Paul Oakenfold, Weezer, the Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, the Orb, the Roots, Roni Size and Reprazent, Gangstarr, Ozomatli, Mos Def, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Iggy Pop, Tricky, Sigur Rós, Saint Germain, Christopher Lawrence, the Dandy Warhols, Photek, Squarepusher, Plaid, Doc Martin, Überzone , Blonde Redhead, Jason Bentley , Ian Pooley , Adam Freeland, Pedro The Lion, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Souls of Mischief, Bad Company, Raymond Roker , Jason Blakemore , Z-Trip , Supernatural , Medusa , Aceyalone , Smith & Mighty , Andrea Parker, Nikka Costa , The New Deal , DJ Rinse & Flux , Detroit Grand Pubahs , AK1200, DJ Dara, Dieselboy, the Nortec Collective

1999

October 9

Beck, the Chemical Brothers, Morrissey, Perry Farrell, Jurassic 5, DJ Rap, Underworld, Super Furry Animals, Spiritualized, Cornelius, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Richie Hawtin, Mr. Scruff, Nightmares On Wax , Amon Tobin, DJ Food, Ming & FS , Kid Koala, Breakbeat Era, Medeski Martin & Wood

October 10

Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Moby, Cibo Matto, Pavement, Autechre, Banco de Gaia, Thievery Corporation, GusGus, DJ Cam , Mixmaster Mike , Scratch Perverts , LTJ Bukem and Blame , MC Conrad , Neotropic , Luke Vibert

External links

• Official Coachella Valley Music Festival website