Coachella begins . . . now
The welcome mat is out in the desert for the population-doubling influx of music fans attending the Coachella Valley Music and ArtsFestival, which starts today and pumps millions of dollars into the localeconomy.
About 80,000 people are expected at the Empire Polo Club for each day ofthe two-weekend festival, which runs through Sunday, then reprises itselfApril 19-21. Both weekends are sold out.
During the 2012 festival, the first time it was expanded to two weekendswith identical lineups, about 158,000 people came to the Coachella Valley,and the festival took in $47 million, according to Billboard.
“We were happy with the outcome of the music festival last year and hada meeting (Wednesday) morning and said, `OK, let’s make this one better,”‘said Jim Curtis, Indio’s community services manager.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blur and the Stone Roses are today’s headliners.Phoenix will be among the top acts on Saturday, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers,who have played the festival twice before, will be the main draw on Sunday.
Coachella and the Stagecoach country music festival — which is heldover the final weekend in April — have a “huge” economic impact on theCoachella Valley, Curtis said.
“It’s a big number for the entire valley, these three weekends. It’sthe music capital of the world right now,” he said.
According to an economic impact analysis done last October byDevelopment Management Group in Palm Desert, the economic impact in theCoachella Valley last year for both festivals was $254.4 million — $89.21million to Indio alone.
Indio got about $1.4 million for its general fund “above and beyond anyexpense incurred by the city,” the analysis stated.
Past Coachella headliners include Paul McCartney, Jay-Z, Madonna,Prince, Kanye West, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.
The Stone Roses, who are from Manchester, England, will open thefestival about 11:40 this morning on the Coachella Stage — one of six.
Afternoon highs are forecast to be in the upper 80s through Sunday, withwinds generally less than 10 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron urged people unused to hot weather todress lightly and drink plenty of water.
For public safety, Indio police officers, along with others from locallaw enforcement agencies, will work with private security guards paid byGoldenvoice.
“We obviously look for people to obey the rules,” Guitron said.
People caught with illegal drugs or who have had too much to drink willbe dealt with just as they would be any other day in Indio, he said.
“They need to come and enjoy themselves, rather than spend time withthe Indio Police Department and time in the county jail,” Guitron said.
Paramedics will be standing by to handle any medical emergencies.
“It’s a constant adjustment, a never-ending plan,” Guitron said,referring to the logistics of managing big crowds.Recently widened Monroe Street and other street improvements should help keeptraffic flowing, he said.
“We’re really excited because of street improvements, so as far astraffic we had minimal issues last year. They’ve done more this year, so we’reexcited to see how that’s going to work out,” Guitron said.
Here’s a rundown on road closings in Indio:
— Avenue 49 between Hjorth and Monroe streets;
— Avenue 50 between Madison and Jackson streets; and
— Hjorth between avenues 49 and 50 and Madison between avenues 49 and52 will be closed today through Sunday and April 19-21.
Delays are expected on Washington, Jefferson, and Monroe streets andHighway 111 on those days.
The festival’s website is www.coachella.com. Indio’s non-emergencyconcert hotline number is (760) 541-7800.
