These puppets from LA may be the next stars to rise out of Coachella

Yo Gabba Gabba, the colorfully-suited cast of characters from the kids’ TV show, was a hit at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival last year, but this year may be the year of the puppets.

Founded in 1963 and with the title of being the longest continuously running puppet theater in the United States, the Bob Baker Marionettes are preparing for the biggest show in the troupe’s history when they perform at both weekends of the festival.

“We think that our joyful energy and the creativity we bring will be appealing to everyone,”  said MJ Thompson, director of communications for the Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

Coachella has always stood out for unusual and surprising acts, including the unforgettable Tupac Shakur hologram set in 2012 with projections of the late rapper appearing with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, as well as Kanye West’s “Sunday Service” performance on Easter morning in 2019 and Danny Elfman’s 2022 Coachella set when he  performed re-imagined versions of music from “Batman,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Nightmare Before Christmas,” and “The Simpsons.”

So for Thompson, getting the call to perform at the festival seems like a perfect fit.

“We were invited to perform and we’re super excited. We’ve done festivals before and we often perform with musicians so it seemed like a totally natural fit and a great stage to share the joy that the Bob Baker Marionettes theater brings,” she said.

The 63-year-old theater puts on marionette shows from its Highland Park home every weekend featuring thousands of puppets who perform skits, variety shows, musicals and holiday specials. The puppets often interact with the audience.

At Coachella Thompson said people can expect a very hands-on show with more than 100 puppets performing at both weekends.

“I think Coachella has always been about interesting acts and exciting new things so I think we fit right into that,” she said.

The troupe has been rehearsing daily and creating a new stage with special guests for the show with more than 10 puppeteers on stage.

“We are always rehearsing here,” Thompson said. “We’ve been picking some fan favorite numbers plus some Coachella-only numbers that they will see,” she added.