Music lovers share Coachella survival tips

As the saying goes, there ain’t no rest for the wicked, and that’s certainly the case for festivalgoers.

“I got about four hours of sleep last night so talk to me at around 6 p.m. tonight might be a different story but that’s what you do, you get dirty, you don’t get any sleep and you have a great time,” Coachella camper Erika Elmore said.

People were up bright and early, stocking up and refueling for the long day ahead.

“We take the shuttle, we get some coffee. Just did my hair in the Ralph’s bathroom, which is awesome, very clean,” Elmore said.

Many were recovering with the “hair of the dog” strategy, sipping bloody marys at breakfast.

“We’re all pretty hungover, we’ve been drinking all day, not today yet, that’s why we’re all here trying to recover and eat some food,” festivalgoer Gabriel Lapuz said.

Music lovers should remember the three-day long festival is a marathon not a sprint.

“Strategies for surviving the weekend, definitely wear a lot of sunscreen,” festivalgoer Peter Chau said.

“We’ve got a lot of Emergen C, these little vitamin C packages we put in our drinks, we have a lot of Advil, other than that just drink a lot of water,” Lapuz said.

Others are choosing a more zen way to make it through.

“It’s really about grounding yourself in there, and so I’ve been meditating in the mornings and that’s kept me centered enough to make it throughout the weekend,” festival attendee Forrest Iverson said.

Coachella veterans came prepared in case they got caught in something like last year’s sandstorm.

“We brought goggles this year so we’re ready, everyone’s got their snorkel masks just in case,” festivalgoer Carlyn Eisenegger said.

After months of preparation for the event, Indio police said everything is running smoothly.

But with two more weekends of festivals, let’s hope it stays that way.