Lainey Wilson didn’t seem too worried about the high winds that temporarily shut down Stagecoach on Saturday night.
Headlining the festival’s main stage after an hour-long delay — during which fans were ordered to evacuate Indio’s Empire Polo Club before being allowed back in — Wilson looked out at the crowd in front of her and said of the unplanned break: “I hope y’all sat in your cars and drank some tequila.”
Lainey Wilson performs.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The whoops across the field suggested that might’ve been what happened.
Only the third woman to headline Stagecoach in the past five years, Wilson offered a tight, punchy showcase of the riff-heavy country-rock that’s made her one of Nashville’s biggest stars (after a decade-long come-up in which she’s said she lived in a camper trailer).
“Can’t Sit Still” and “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” were swaggering and Stones-y; “Country’s Cool Again” rode a funky down-home groove. To fill the big stage — it evoked a kind of desert oasis with a glittering horseshoe and a couple of prop cacti — Wilson brought along a horn section and background singers who turned “Dreamcatcher” into a psychedelic roots-soul fantasia.
Not long into the show, Wilson welcomed Little Big Town and Riley Green for an appealingly sloppy rendition — complete with drinks in plastic cups — of Merle Haggard’s “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink.” Then she let Green, whose scheduled performance was scotched because of the wind, stick around to do his “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.” (Also called off Saturday was Journey’s set on the Mustang stage.)
Wilson’s only other guest was the little girl she ushered onstage and pronounced “cowgirl of the night” during “Things a Man Oughta Know.” After that came the singer’s dreamiest hit, “Somewhere Over Laredo,” and an especially sultry take on “Watermelon Moonshine,” the nostalgia-drunk love song from 2023 that’s probably still her finest moment.
We went back for a second day of Stagecoach and spent most of the day holding on to our hats. Before strong winds resulted in the short-lived nighttime postponement and evacuation of the festival, Day 2 had plenty of gusto that carried us through the afternoon and evening, including sets from Bush and Teddy Swims along with some high-octane cooking with Guy Fieri. When crowds were called back after the wind-related fiasco that pushed everything back for headliner Lainey Wilson and caused Journey and Riley Green to cancel their performances, fans who returned still got to witness Wilson triumph over the elements and get down and dirty with Pitbull at Diplo’s Honky Tonk. Luckily the unexpected havoc didn’t blow away all the good vibes. Here are the best, worst and windiest from Day 2.
Guy Fieri features his latest smokehouse dish during the Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Evan Schaben / For The Times)
Food lessons from the Guy Fieri fever dream
Stagecoach is known for strange bedfellows (see: Emo Nite with Ashlee Simpson Friday) but Guy Fieri with Wynonna Judd, Billy Bob Thornton, Gavin Rossdale and Gavin Adcock is so odd it seems like an AI hallucination. I promise you it happened Saturday afternoon.
“Everybody loves food. That’s the common denominator,” Fieri told the crowd, which included a woman who impressively dressed up as Fieri, fake mustache/goatee and a flame-covered bowling shirt.
“Flavortownnnnn!” Judd said as she walked onto the demonstration stage at Guy’s Stagecoach Smokehouse.
“Just so you know, we could do our own cooking show,” Fieri said as he introduced her.
Each of the stars was paired with a chef, which included Eric Greenspan, Mark Murphy, Aaron May and Hunter Fieri.
Thornton made salmon and fried okra with spicy hummus with Hunter Fieri. The “Landman” star said the key for good fried okra is to use cornmeal. He also shared his favorite chili, which isn’t hot for the sake of being hot.
“Calabrian chili has a flavor,” Thornton said.
He also told the crowd of a new delicacy he discovered: white grapes dipped in spicy Dijon mustard.
“It blew my mind,” Thornton said.
Adcock, meanwhile made a giant prime rib sandwich and beer-battered onion rings.
“I’m a big beef guy,” Adcock said.
Meanwhile, Bush frontman Rossdale was doing what Fieri said was a first for Stagecoach — he made an Asian dish of smoked chicken dredged and flash-fried and shared with two sauces: one a Japanese rice wine and the other a sweet sauce.
Speaking of strange things, here’s my pitch for an “Odd Couple” reboot: Rossdale and Adcock with Fieri as the wacky neighbor. Someone point me to the Paramount+ tent so I can pitch it. (Vanessa Franko)
Teddy Swims performs Saturday on the Mane Stage during the second day of Stagecoach in Indio.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Does Teddy Swims just live here now?
Has anyone checked on Teddy Swims’ house in whatever city he lives in besides Indio? The tattooed soul-rock singer played Stagecoach on Saturday night after doing both weekends of Coachella, and once again he brought out David Lee Roth to sing Van Halen’s “Jump” — an indelible ‘80s staple these guys are double-handedly willing into a Gen Z anthem. (Mikael Wood)
Diplo introduces Sydney Sweeney, who gave out her Syrn lingerie to the crowd at Diplo’s Honkey Tonk on the second day of Stagecoach.
(Evan Schaben / For The Times)
Theo Von crowd surfs, Sydney Sweeney tosses out lingerie and Shaboozey parties in Diplo’s Honky Tonk
If the first Stagecoach fever dream of Saturday was the unlikely cast of Billy Bob Thornton, Wynonna Judd, Gavin Rossdale and Gavin Adcock cooking and chopping it up with Guy Fieri at the Stagecoach Smokehouse, a close second was Diplo’s early evening set in the Honky Tonk.
Already billed as Diplo with podcaster-comedian-Ella Langley duet partner Theo Von and Barstool Sports media personality Caleb Pressley, it also attracted some special guests. Actor Sydney Sweeney showed up to toss panties from her Syrn lingerie brand into the crowd. (She has a pop-up Syrn saloon on the festival grounds).
The “Euphoria” star wasn’t the only surprise during the set — “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hitmaker Shaboozey also made an appearance. Even though they played some of his songs, he didn’t perform. Like Sweeney, Shaboozey also has a pop-up saloon at the festival, his promoting upcoming record “The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.”
And when you think things couldn’t get any weirder, Von went crowd-surfing. Stay weird, Stagecoach. (VF)
Singer and guitarist Gavin Rossdale and drummer Nik Hughes of Bush perform on the Mustang Stage at sunset as extreme weather begins to move in during the second day of Stagecoach.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Catching up with Bush’s blustery Saturday evening set
Just before we were told to evacuate Friday night, I was about to write about Bush’s Stagecoach debut on the Mustang Stage.
Even as the weather turned colder and the winds turned gnarlier, Gavin Rossdale seemed to be having a great time as the band ripped through a 50-minute set packed with hits including opener “Machinehead,” “Everything Zen,” “Swallowed,” “Glycerine” and set-closing sing-along “Comedown.”
Stagecoach festivalgoers evacuate the Mane Stage after announcements were broadcasted to evacuate the area due to extreme high wind gusts during the second day of Stagecoach.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The wind advisory and short-lived postponement nearly blew the fest away
Due to high winds, Stagecoach promoter Goldenvoice postponed the festival Saturday night until further notice and crowds were evacuated. An “emergency evacuation” message showed up on screens on the festival’s Mane Stage saying “the festival has been postponed until further notice. Please move quickly and calmly to the nearest exit.”
At 8:42 p.m., the festival advised via its mobile app that Stagecoach would resume momentarily. “We are working to open doors and prep the site for your safety,” the alert said. Just before 9 p.m. the gates were reopened. Stagecoach updated its schedule for Saturday night after a temporary evacuation due to high winds. Journey, which had been scheduled to play the Mustang Stage, did not perform; Riley Green, set to play the Mane Stage, also didn’t perform. Lainey Wilson, who was set to headline the Mane Stage, played an hour later than originally scheduled at 10:30 p.m. (VF/MW)
Lainey Wilson performs on the Mane Stage during the second day of Stagecoach.
(Evan Schaben / For The Times)
Lainey Wilson takes the stage after the wind After an hourlong delay due to high winds, Lainey Wilson kicked off her headlining set at Stagecoach on Saturday night with a one-two punch of “Can’t Sit Still” and “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” — each a solid example of the riff-heavy country-rock that’s made Wilson one of the biggest stars to come out of Nashville in the last 10 years.
“Y’all ready to sing it loud tonight?” she asked the crowd, which was maybe a bit thinner than it might’ve been thanks to fans who left before the festival announced it was reopening. Those who stuck around seemed plenty willing to bellow along. (MW)
The one item on Pitbull’s Stagecoach agenda
Pitbull hit the Mustang Stage an hour later than expected Saturday night after gusty winds forced Stagecoach to evacuate attendees for more than an hour, but Mr. Worldwide didn’t let a delay stop the fun.
“We came here to do one thing and one thing only,” he said from the stage early in the set.
The one thing? Party.
After an intro featuring his DJ and full band that included Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Beastie Boys’ “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!),” Mr. Worldwide appeared, flanked by a half dozen dancers in revealing costumes, to open the raucous set with “Don’t Stop the Party.”
After the song he thanked everyone at Stagecoach for staying and also name-checked some Goldenvoice employees, including Stagecoach booker Stacy Vee, as well as Lainey Wilson, who had just wrapped her headlining set on the Mane Stage.
He followed up the moment of gratitude with “Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)” and “Hotel Room Service.”
Later on in the set, Lil Jon joined Pitbull for “Jumpin” before being showered with more gratitude from Pitbull and the crowd. Then the pair performed “Damn I Love Miami.”
I’d like to start a petition for Stagecoach to book Pitbull every year — and bring him to Coachella too! (VF)
Ready to sing along from your couch? The Amazon Music Stagecoach Saturday livestream has you covered. For a heartfelt ballad, you’ll be able to tune in as Teddy Swims and Lainey Wilson take the Stagecoach stage. Take a trip back in time to watch Bush perform, then end the night tuning into Mr. Worldwide taking over the desert as Pitbull closes out the Saturday performances.
The festival will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Prime Video and Twitch. On Sirius XM’s the Highway (channel 56), you can listen to exclusive interviews and live performances. Their station Y’allternative will also be covering the festival on Saturday.
Here are updated set times for the Stagecoach livestream Saturday performances (times presented in PDT):
Channel 1
3:10 p.m. Kevin Smiley; 3:30 p.m. Braxton Keith; 4:05 p.m. Redferrin; 4:40 p.m. Corey Kent; 5:35 p.m. Teddy Swims; 6:20 p.m. Treaty Oak Revival; 7:20 p.m. Little Big Town; 8:20 p.m. Riley Green; 9:30 p.m. Lainey Wilson; 11 p.m. Pitbull
Channel 2
3:10 p.m. S.G. Goodman; 3:30 p.m. Lane Pittman; 4:05 p.m. Benjamin Tod; 4:40 p.m. Michael Marcagi; 5:20 p.m. Willow Avalon; 5:55 p.m. Billy Bob Thornton & the Boxmasters; 6:40 p.m. Chase Matthew; 7:20 p.m. Charles Wesley Godwin; 8:10 p.m. Bush; 9:10 p.m. Gavin Adcock; 10:20 p.m. Two Friends
Sirius XM The Highway
4 p.m. Corey Kent; 6:30 p.m. Little Big Town; 7:50 p.m. Riley Green; 9 p.m. Lainey Wilson
Sirius XM Y’allternative
9 a.m. the Red Clay Strays; 11 a.m. Larkin Poe; 12 p.m. Ole 60; 1 p.m. Sam Barber; 2 p.m. the Marcus King Band; 6 p.m. S.G. Goodman; 8 p.m. Treaty Oak Revival
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Trade the flower crowns and sneakers for a cowboy hat and some boots, because Coachella has moved out of the Empire Polo Club in Indio and the Stagecoach Festival is moving in, April 24 to 26.
From what to know about the festival to how you can watch from home, here’s your guide to Stagecoach.
When is Stagecoach? Where is the venue?
Stagecoach 2026 runs April 24 to 26 at the Empire Polo Club at 81-800 Ave. 51 in Indio.
Who is performing at Stagecoach 2026?
This year’s main stage headliners are Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Post Malone.
You can also expect big sets from Brooks & Dunn, Bailey Zimmerman and more rock-centric acts like Journey, Counting Crows, Third Eye Blind and Bush. Then there’s Ludacris, Pitbull and Diplo, who is bringing back his HonkyTonk dance area as well as performing.
Fun fact: Mane Stage performer Teddy Swims played the main stage at Coachella the last two weekends, but we haven’t heard if he’s bringing out David Lee Roth again. And Diplo was also at Coachella with Major Lazer.
What’s new at Stagecoach this year?
The big thing is the new Mustang Stage. Back in the early years of Stagecoach, there was a tent with the same name that featured a lot of cowboy poets and bluegrass. It was much smaller than what we’re expecting of this new one, which is set up where the massive Sahara Tent is during Coachella.
Anyone who has tried to see one of the big artists over at the Palomino Stage during Stagecoach in recent years knows how it can easily overflow, so this should ease some of that congestion for artists like Journey, Hootie & the Blowfish and the Red Clay Strays.
It’s also taking over the late-night sets with Diplo, Pitbull and Ludacris that had previously been done at the Palomino.
Can I still get tickets to Stagecoach? How much are passes?
Yes, there are still passes available for Stagecoach 2026. A general admission three-day pass is $619. (There’s also a deal if you buy a six-pack of GA passes that comes out to $569 per pass.) You can get a GA combo pass that includes shuttle transportation starting at $699. There’s also a GA pass that gets you access to the Rhinestone Saloon adjacent to the Mane Stage and the Rose Garden Saloon next to the Palomino Stage for $974.
If you want to get close to the Mane Stage, a Corral Standing Pit pass is $1,899. Corral reserved seating runs from $1,199 to $2,299. The chairs are folding camping chairs, and the highest tier option has drink holders. If you purchase any of the seating options, you can take the chair home as a souvenir Sunday night. Corral passes (standing or seated) come with access to the more exclusive Corral Saloon as well as the Rhinestone and Rose Garden Saloons.
What’s the difference between general admission and Corral passes?
Stagecoach is different from Coachella in that if you want to be close to the largest stage, you will need to pay for a Corral pass. Those in the Corral Standing Pit will be the closest.
If you have a GA pass, be prepared to just see the biggest acts on a screen. For Stagecoach, there are multiple screens set up in the field for the general admission areas — and usually a feed with a screen over by the Beer Barn, too.
GA passholders who are willing to stand typically have access to an area closer to the Mane Stage than those with blankets or low-backed lawn chairs.
That being said, GA passholders have traditionally been able to get up close at all of the other stages.
When do gates open at Stagecoach? How late does the music go?
The parking lots open at noon daily and the gates open at 1. Everything ends at midnight or earlier.
As the venue opened, country music fans made a run across the field to secure good concert-viewing positions on the first day of Stagecoach in 2022.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
What’s the deal with parking? What about the shuttles? Can I take a rideshare? How’s traffic?
Who says you can’t get anything for free anymore? Day parking is free at Stagecoach.
Like I recommended for Coachella, drop a pin in your phone as soon as you park so you can find your car at the end of the night.
There is a rideshare lot. You can also purchase a shuttle pass for $130. There’s also preferred parking for $299.
Stagecoach doesn’t have as many people as Coachella, so the traffic usually isn’t as bad, but Monday can get congested as people head home from the desert.
If you want to avoid traffic or you’re looking for some off-site adventures during Stagecoach, check out these 14 fun desert side quests.
Where do I put my stuff? Are there lockers? Is there a place to charge my phone?
Stagecoach still has medium-sized lockers available to rent. They are $84 for the weekend and you can reserve them in advance. Small charging lockers for devices are $74 for the weekend.
Backpacks 18” x 13” x 8.5” or smaller are allowed inside the venue.
Beyond the charging lockers, there are places around the grounds where you can charge your own devices. Bring your own cable/plug.
A man drinks a beer from a woman’s boot while watching Willie Nelson & Family perform on the Mane Stage on the second day of Stagecoach 2024.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
What’s the weather going to be like for Stagecoach and how can I prepare for it?
It’s looking like we’ll hit a high of 90 degrees on Friday, 81 on Saturday and 78 on Sunday, according to Accuweather. The lows will dip into the 50s, though, so you might want to throw in a long-sleeved flannel shirt or hoodie for when the sun goes down and Brooks & Dunn sing about dancing under a neon moon. Since blankets and towels (50” x 70” max) are also allowed, you could also roll yourself up into a Stagecoach burrito, I suppose.
You can also bring in handheld fans (paper or battery-powered).
Plastic personal-sized water misters are allowed in, too, but they have to be empty when you get there.
The wind doesn’t look too bad right now, but it will inevitably kick up. Don’t bring a cough home as a souvenir. Bring a face covering like a bandanna or a PPE mask.
The desert is hot. Are there water stations?
I know lots of people enjoy the beer at Stagecoach, but it’s not the same as water. My mantra in April is dehydration is serious business. And if you’re drinking beer, you definitely want to keep drinking water.
The good news is that there are multiple refill stations around the grounds, and if you need to buy a bottle of water, it’s only $2.
Like Coachella, you can bring in an empty refillable container, but it needs to be plastic (no metal or glass) and 64 ounces or less. Empty hydration backpacks are allowed, too.
For a free boost of electrolytes, the Electrolit booth is back with free samples between the Mane Stage and Diplo’s HonkyTonk. (Pro tip: I stopped there every day on my way in during Coachella. Hydrate early, hydrate often.)
What’s the deal with food at Stagecoach?
If you like barbecue, you’re in the right place. There’s a whole lot of it at Stagecoach. Flavortown also comes to Stagecoach with cooking demos throughout the weekend courtesy of Guy Fieri and friends.
There are a fair number of vendors that were also at Coachella, including Prince St. Pizza, Irv’s Burgers, Love Hour and Oh My Burger, the latter two of which impressed Danielle Dorsey, one of our food editors, at Coachella this year.
If you’re buying food on site, plan on $20 and up for most entrees, with a few deals to be had.
If you’re looking for freebies, the Electrolit and Coca-Cola installations are still there from Coachella and Monster Energy also has a space where it’s giving out samples. (Monster Energy also has a meet and greet with Redferrin after his performance on Saturday and a surprise DJ set on Sunday.) As for free food, sometimes they pass out samples to the crowd after the Guy Fieri demonstrations.
What else can I do while I’m in the desert? Is there time to do anything outside of the festival?
I’m glad you asked. Earlier this month, we put together a collection of side quests around the desert. Some, like snapping a photo of the Forever Marilyn statue in Palm Springs or seeing the former Coachella festival art installation “Sarbalé Ke,” are easy to do before entering Stagecoach for the day. Others are more involved and can be a great way to miss that traffic coming back on Monday.
The streams start each day at 3 p.m. Pacific. There are two channels set up.
A specific schedule hasn’t yet been announced, but a press release from Amazon says the stream will include sets from Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, Post Malone, Third Eye Blind, Avery Anna, Ludacris, Michael Marcagi, Pitbull, the Red Clay Strays, Wynonna Judd and Diplo.
