🇺🇸 Indio, California, USA
What to Pack for Coachella 2026
Built from about 15 years of weather records at the site: typical highs of 30°C, overnight lows of 17°C and around 0.3mm of rain per day.
The weather you're packing for
| Day | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 10 Apr | 30°C | 17°C | 1.8 mm |
| Sat 11 Apr | 30°C | 17°C | 0.1 mm |
| Sun 12 Apr | 29°C | 16°C | 0.1 mm |
| Fri 17 Apr | 31°C | 17°C | 0.0 mm |
| Sat 18 Apr | 31°C | 19°C | 0.0 mm |
| Sun 19 Apr | 32°C | 18°C | 0.0 mm |
Long-run averages for each festival day, not a forecast. Check the Coachella forecast page in the week before you travel.
Always in the bag
- Refillable water bottle — sealed or empty so it gets through the gate.
- Sunscreen SPF 50 — even a cloudy festival day is six hours outdoors.
- Power bank — your phone is your ticket, your map and your group chat.
- Earplugs — for the front rail and for the campsite at 4am.
- More socks than days.
Heat kit — this one matters here
Typical highs of 30°C, peaking around 32°C on the warmest festival day, put heat near the top of the list at Coachella.
- A wide-brim hat and sunglasses beat a cap for full-day sets.
- Loose, light-coloured long sleeves cover more skin and feel cooler than a vest.
- Electrolyte tablets — water alone won't keep up with a day of dancing.
- Shade at camp: a tent in direct sun is unusable by 9am.
Rain kit (lightweight)
Rain falls on roughly 17% of Coachella days, averaging 0.3mm a day and about 2.0mm across the main days.
- A packable rain shell — it weighs nothing and one shower is still likely.
- A bin bag or dry bag for the tent floor if a storm does roll in.
- Broken-in trainers rather than boots; the ground usually stays firm.
Sleeping and night layers
Overnight lows average 17°C, with the coldest festival night typically near 16°C (Sun 12 Apr). A 1-season bag or even a duvet-style liner is enough — most nights you'll sleep on top of it, not in it.
- An insulated mat — the ground takes more heat than the air.
- A hoodie you don't mind losing.
Why the Coachella site matters
Heat is the dominant factor — sunburn, dehydration and queues at water-refill stations shape how people pace the day. Dust storms occasionally shut stages early, and the sharp temperature drop after sunset catches first-timers in shorts and crop tops off-guard. A hat, electrolytes and a layer for the night ride home are the real essentials.