Coachella makes highly requested change to alcohol consumption rules

The festival has reportedly relaxed rules around alcohol consumption on the festival site

Coachella has reportedly made a major change to its alcohol regulations this year, with the removal of the beer gardens that prevented attendees from carrying beverages around the grounds.

Follow live updates from Coachella 2024 here.

In previous years, alcohol consumption was only allowed in certain fenced-off areas.

But this year footage shows bars spread around the festival site, accessible to anyone with a 21+ wristband.

On X/Twitter, dance music publication GDE wrote: “One of the things the 21+ crowd absolutely HATED about Coachella was the fact you couldn’t walk around with a drink in hand, but it looks like that has changed this year as they’ve added bars throughout the festival.”

The message was accompanied with a video showing the new bar layout, captioned: “Finally!! No more 21+ beer gardens at Coachella”.

Coachella 2024 got underway today (12 April) with performances from the likes of Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Skepta and Deftones.

Rising Mexican singer Peso Pluma, rapper Lil Uzi Vert, French dance act Justice and K-pop boyband Ateez are also set to perform tonight ahead of a highly-anticipated headline set from Lana Del Rey.

The double weekender will also see headline performances from Tyler the Creator and Doja Cat. The second weekend takes place from Friday 19 April to Sunday 21 April, with the same artists performing at both weekends.

Organisers and fans will be hoping for a steady ship this year after Frank Ocean pulled out of performing at the festival’s second weekend last year following a “chaotic” performance.

Aside from its reputation for drawing influencers, many celebrities have been known to attend the event over the years, with Vanessa Hudgens being unofficially dubbed the Queen of Coachella.

The festival will also include some must-see art installations, food and drink, and immersive experiences for ticket holders, which you can read about here.

For music lovers who weren’t able to secure tickets to the 2024 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, don’t fret because, for the second year in a row, you can catch a majority of the concerts via the Coachella livestream.

To tune in, visit the official Coachella YouTube channel, where you’ll be able to choose between six different channels. If you’re watching on your TV or on the YouTube app, you’ll be able to watch four stages at once. However, only one audio stream will come through.