Coachella is an annual April music and arts festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, bringing together major and emerging performers across multiple genres alongside large art installations. It grew from a 1993 Pearl Jam concert that proved the site could host a major event, then launched as a two-day festival in 1999 under Goldenvoice’s Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen. After early financial losses and a brief pause, it expanded through camping, three-day scheduling, and a second weekend. By the mid-2000s it had become a sellout and national draw, and it is now among the United States’ largest and most prominent music festivals.