Indio to install Coachella Music Fest sculptures In downtown area

The Indio City Council has approved the long-term loan of the Colossal Cacti installation from the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival to be displayed in downtown Indio, city officials announced today.

Goldenvoice, the festival organizers, offered Indio the art installation, which will be displayed next to the Indio Visitors Center, in the area of Smurr Street and Miles Avenue.

The three pieces by architectural designer Andrew Kovacs range from nearly 14 feet to nearly 20 feet in height.

"The three cacti in downtown Indio are slightly set back from Smurr Street, loosely arranged along a concave arc to create a welcoming place," explained Kovacs. "The arrangement of the sculptures turns the open and empty grassy plot into a space for the community to gather and meet."

The long-term loan for Colossal Cacti is similar to an agreement with Goldenvoice in 2019 to acquire the towering Sarbale Ke sculptures. Sarbale Ke was installed in October 2021 at Doctor Carreon Park in Indio, according to officials.

"I think it's a great project, and part of the whole formula for us to realize our vision for downtown Indio," said Mayor Pro Tem Waymond Fermon. "It is another great mechanism we can use to bring folks to our city and make
memories here."