Coachella Chaos: Attendees Endure Epic Waits for Campground Access

Attendees of this year’s Coachella festival faced unprecedented delays as they attempted to enter the campgrounds on Thursday, reporting wait times of up to 12 hours, a marked contrast to the usual two-hour entrance process in previous years. Frustrated festivalgoers noted the absence of communication from Coachella officials and recounted tales of running out of fuel and resorting to roadside peeing.

Kicking off with a rough start, Coachella 2025 is already making headlines for the wrong reasons. Attendees eager to set up camp in Indio, California, found themselves stuck in traffic for hours, with some still waiting to gain entry. “Jokingly, I said I didn’t realize a ticket to Fyre Festival was part of the package this year, but that’s exactly how this feels,” Adam Roberts expressed to Business Insider from his car, feeling cheated by the experience.

Despite keeping festivalgoers in the loop with updates through their official app and social media partnerships, including collaborations with American Express and Nobu, Coachella representatives have yet to address the delays, leaving attendees anxious for information.

Seasoned festival attendees, who are no strangers to the annual event, shared their disbelief with Business Insider over the extended waits that have never occurred in prior years. Hailey Maxwell, on her fifth Coachella visit, arrived in Indio at around 3 a.m. PT, expecting the gates to open earlier than the official 9 a.m. start. Instead, she found herself still waiting at the security checkpoint after nine hours.

“Historically, they open up between 3:15 and 3:30 a.m.,” Maxwell explained. “But this year, the directions were completely different, leading to confusion and a standstill. We covered merely half a mile in four hours due to zero traffic management.”

Oliver and Kayla Standring, another duo in the thick of it, realized upon arrival at 8 a.m. PT that the situation was far worse than in their previous four visits, where processing never exceeded two hours.

Among the significant concerns voiced by festivalgoers was the shortage of accessible bathrooms during the agonizing wait. “In the sprawling desert, there’s not even a bush to duck behind,” Kayla Standring remarked. “I resorted to opening car doors for privacy, and soon others copied my method, igniting a movement for women.”

With no other options, people had to resort to creative solutions, like peeing in cups, according to Roberts, who checked in around 4:30 a.m. PT. The relentless hours without proper hydration posed potential health risks in the harsh desert climate.

Maxwell noted, “While I’m grateful for the air conditioning in my car, others aren’t as lucky, with overheated vehicles and depleted gas tanks being common.”

Some, like Kayla Standring, took unconventional approaches, like trekking a mile to a nearby Rite Aid or utilizing delivery services like DoorDash for sustenance, while Zoe Bush and her friends bypassed the challenges by having food brought to them.

The silence from Coachella stretched beyond personal communication; even public updates were lacking. When Kayla Standring inquired with security, the suggestion was merely to download the Coachella app. Attendees expressed their frustrations on Instagram, while others sought solutions through community platforms like Reddit or by alerting local authorities.

“We even called the police to understand the situation better, given the potential health dangers,” Maxwell said. “While promotional posts for experiences like the Nobu omakase continued, we received no clarity on the issues plaguing us and our experience.”

“While festival hiccups are part and parcel of large events, it’s the utter lack of communication that amplifies the frustration,” Roberts explained.

Despite the bumpy start, an exciting lineup awaits with artists like Lady Gaga, Green Day, and Post Malone headlining. However, the experience has left one part of the festival crowd exhausted and another doing their best to remain optimistic ahead of the official weekend kickoff.

Having endured the chaotic entry process, Kelly Jensen managed finally to make it to the campsite but labeled it as utter “hell,” especially after an exhausting stretch from 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. The toll of this ordeal was compounded by the financial investment and personal anticipation for an event they cherish.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Roberts remarked, “Camping has always been an integral part of Coachella for me, but after this experience, I may have to reassess. I’m hopeful the festival itself will uplift our spirits, but this is certainly not the introduction any of us hoped for.”