The 2026 Stagecoach Festival took place from April 24 to April 26 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The festival featured over 100 artists across seven stages. Approximately 80,000 fans attended daily for performances by headliners like Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and Post Malone.
On April 25, high winds led to a temporary evacuation of the festival. Wind gusts reached 60-65 mph during this time. This evacuation marked the first full evacuation in the history of the Stagecoach Festival, which began in 2007.
The evacuation was announced via loudspeakers and push alerts on the Stagecoach app. Indio police worked closely with Goldenvoice to implement evacuation procedures. Sgt. Abe Plata noted that the evacuation went smoothly from a law-enforcement perspective, aided by the time of night.
The festival resumed about an hour after the evacuation was ordered. However, Journey’s performance was canceled due to these circumstances. Despite this disruption, the event concluded successfully on April 26.
Key statistics:
- Approximately 80,000 fans attended daily.
- Wind gusts reached between 60-65 mph during the evacuation.
- More than 100 artists performed across seven stages.
This sequence of events highlights the importance of music festival safety and effective evacuation procedures in extreme weather conditions. Elika Dadsetan emphasized that deserts are sensitive ecosystems that can be impacted by such events.
Krystine Malins expressed concern for attendees caught in the wind, saying she felt bad for those walking around half-naked in such conditions. The concert industry must consider these factors when planning large outdoor events in vulnerable environments.
