If you’re attending the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, you know that one of the perks of walking around the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio is checking out all of the brand booths in between music sets. However, as the days go on, and weekend one turns into weekend two, word gets around about what each activation offers and with it a rise in popularity.
So how does one decipher which ones to visit? And are they actually worth the wait times to get in?
Here’s some tips to help you determine which activations to visit to make the most of your festival-going experience.
Plan ahead
Listen, you’re likely not going to completely know what each brand is offering at their booth, but you will be able to know which companies will be there. When the Coachella map drops ahead of weekend one, festival goers can virtually scan the grounds to see which brands will be onsite. They’re typically note with a white square tent icon and the company name next to it.
Many of these groups also tease what will be available either on their social media or through press releases, so if you’re someone who likes to do their research in advance so you can be more effective with time management, this is the way to go.
As has been the trend in recent years, every day festival goers as well as content creators turn Coachella into the “influencer Olympics,” meaning that plenty of people are posting their experiences on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Threads and more social media platforms. This includes recaps of brand activations, so come day two you’ll start to see some videos of what’s what. But be warned, if the experience looks cool to you, it probably looks cool to others, meaning its going to be more popular.
Get there early on day one
Especially if you’re attending the festival during weekend one, word hasn’t gotten around yet about what’s the lowdown, so if there’s a booth that’s just as much of a top priority to visit as an artist on the lineup, make that an early stop of the day.
GAP’s Hoodie House proved to be one of the most popular booth to visit, and had a line from the installation to the Do LaB on most days.
Brand activations typically close earlier in the evening while the rest of the late night sets continue in the desert.
Take advantage of short lines
While booths are spread out throughout the festival grounds, you can typically spot a popular one based on the long line. But what you’re not going to see is besides the line to get in, there’s typically additional lines inside the booth.
This could be things like the photobooth inside the Coca-Cola activation, or the wait to get a handmade recycled material carabiner clip from Rivian.
Some activations’ wait time is so short you can walk in and out, like Electrolit that’s providing some samples of their beverages to help festival goers stay hydrated with a DJ set if you need some shade.
Use the Coachella app to find opportunities in your schedule
There are so many incredible artists to see throughout the three-day music festival, but sadly, there’s no way to see them all. And honestly, sometimes it helps to pace yourself between musical acts by giving yourself an hour or two gap to do something else. This could be prioritizing food, free Red Bull slushies during happy hour, or an activation you know is going to take some time.
For instance, Wavytalk’s installation fit in perfectly with my Friday schedule. After watching Teddy Swims’ main stage performance, I made my way over to their booth by the Indio Central Market. In addition to having the option to test out some of their hair products and use their photobooth, they also have bookable 30-minute appointments with a hair stylist to give your hair a much needed refresh from the tole the desert takes on it.
And anyone who’s been going to their hair stylist for years will tell you, it also doubles as a good chit-chat session. My stylist, Ale, not only took my hair from frizzy central to cute waves with the Power Wave Hair Crimping Iron, but he also inspired me and gave me the confidence to try a bolder look with my hair with some gold clips that might have otherwise been out of my comfort zone, but was a perfect festival look.
Follow the company on social for optimal times to visit
A good number of the booths are providing a unique experience depending on the day or time you visit. For instance, during day one of weekend one, Love Island USA star Olandria Carthen was at the Barbie booth, helping fans discover their own inner Barbie persona.
After surprising fans on the main stage to perform “When You Look Me in the Eyes,” Joe Jonas stopped by the Aperol Spritz activation and played bartender to festival goers.
Some of these activations also use their booth as an opportunity to have DJs and artists put on surprise or bonus performances.
Other brands have an extra bonus if you visit from a certain time, like Coca-Cola, which provided Coke Floats to festival goers during happy hour.
Bonus tip:
Bring a backpack or rent a locker to store the goodies you get. Some of the activations, like Coca-Cola, will give out beverage samples that you’ll consume as soon as you receive them, so you won’t have to worry about lugging the additional gear around all day.
Companies like Wavytalk have also figured out a new approach where after playing for a chance to win a hair brush, merch and other items, they’ll ship you the prize for free.
But if you’re going to somewhere like Miniverse, which is giving out mini records and Coachella posters or e.l.f. Cosmetics, which are giving out a few of their makeup goodies, those items fill up space quickly in a fanny pack or small bag, so come prepared with a game plan of where to keep your collection of goodies.