You've finally made it. The Indio desert sun is beating down, your hydration pack is filled with lukewarm water, and you're standing at the entrance of the Empire Polo Club. But then it hits you. The crushing realization that three of your favorite artists are playing at the exact same time on different ends of the field.
Coachella set times 2025 are basically a giant puzzle designed to make you choose between your childhood nostalgia and the latest TikTok sensation. Honestly, if you didn't spend at least twenty minutes frantically refreshing the app on Tuesday afternoon, did you even go?
This year was particularly brutal. When Goldenvoice dropped the schedule, the "clash" conversations exploded. You had Lady Gaga closing out Friday night while the Yuma tent was turning into a literal sweatbox with Chris Stussy. It’s a lot to process.
The Headliner Breakdown: Who Closed What?
Friday belonged to Lady Gaga. She didn’t hit the Coachella Stage until 11:10 PM, which is pretty standard for the big name of the night. Before her, Missy Elliott turned the main stage into a massive 90s dance party starting at 9:00 PM. If you were trying to see both, you basically had a twenty-minute window to sprint for a bathroom break and a $17 lemonade.
Saturday felt like a fever dream. You had Green Day at 9:05 PM, followed by a "special guest" slot for Travis Scott at 11:40 PM. People were camping out at the rail for six hours just to keep their spot. Meanwhile, over at the Outdoor Theatre, The Original Misfits were proving that punk never actually dies, starting their set at 11:20 PM.
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Sunday was the "Posty" show. Post Malone took over the main stage at 10:25 PM. He followed Megan Thee Stallion, who started her "Hot Girl Summer" early at 8:35 PM. It was a marathon, not a sprint.
That Saturday Mojave Mystery
Remember the rumors about the Saturday afternoon "Surprise Guest" in the Mojave Tent?
It turned out to be Weezer for Weekend 1 and Ed Sheeran for Weekend 2. Seeing Ed Sheeran in a tent at 3:00 PM felt kinda surreal for most people used to seeing him in stadiums. The crowd was so thick it spilled out past the tech booths and halfway to the Gobi tent.
Navigating the Tent Chaos
If you spent all your time at the main stage, you basically missed the soul of the festival. The Sahara tent—which is now a massive aircraft-hangar-sized structure at the far end of the grounds—was a non-stop light show.
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- LISA (from BLACKPINK) absolutely crushed her Friday night set at 7:45 PM.
- ENHYPEN brought the K-pop energy on Saturday at 8:35 PM.
- Keinemusik closed out Saturday with a massive "Kloud" set starting at 11:30 PM.
The Yuma tent remained the home for the "black tee" crowd. If you wanted to see Vintage Culture on Friday at 11:15 PM or Amelie Lens on Saturday at 11:30 PM, you had to get in line at least 45 minutes early. The "one-in-one-out" policy there is no joke.
Why the Outdoor Theatre is Secretly the Best Stage
There's something about the Outdoor Theatre at sunset. On Friday, The Marías played at 8:20 PM as the sky turned that perfect desert purple. It’s a vibes-only situation. Then on Saturday, Gustavo Dudamel & the LA Phil did something nobody expected at 6:25 PM. Seeing a full orchestra in the middle of a desert rave shouldn't work, but it really did.
The Logistics of the Coachella Set Times 2025
The gates opened at 1:00 PM every day. Most of the "early" acts start around 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM. If you’re arriving at 5:00 PM, you’ve already missed half the lineup.
Parking is its own beast. Day parking opens at 11:00 AM. If you aren't in the lot by noon, expect to spend an hour crawling through Indio traffic. The shuttles are better, but even they have "peak" times. If you leave your hotel at 3:00 PM, you’re hitting the peak of the rush.
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Dealing with the "Crossover" Conflicts
The biggest heartbreak of the Coachella set times 2025 was the Sunday night overlap. You had Zedd at 9:10 PM on the Outdoor Theatre while Megan Thee Stallion was still going on the main stage.
How do you choose?
Most veterans do the "half-set" move. You watch 30 minutes of Megan, then do the "Coachella Shuffle" (a fast-paced walk-run) across the grass to catch the end of Zedd. Just don't expect to get a good spot for the second half.
Pro-Tips for Managing Your Day
- Screenshots are life. The cell service at the Empire Polo Club is notoriously spotty once 100,000 people show up. Don't rely on the app to load. Take a screenshot of the set times and set it as your lock screen.
- The "Hidden" Stages. Don't forget the Do LaB and the Heineken House. They release their own separate set times. Often, a big artist will do a "surprise" DJ set at the Do LaB in the late afternoon.
- Water is the real headliner. It sounds cliché, but the 4:00 PM heat is when most people give up. If you want to make it to the 11:00 PM headliners, you need to be drinking water every single hour.
Coachella isn't just about who is playing; it's about the gaps in between. It's the moment you're walking between the Mojave and the Gobi and you hear a sound you've never heard before, so you stop and discover your new favorite band. That's the real magic of the desert.
To get the most out of your experience, download the official app and use the "Lineup" feature to heart your must-see acts. This will generate a personalized schedule that sends you a notification 15 minutes before they take the stage. Also, keep an eye on the official Coachella social media accounts for those last-minute "surprise" additions that usually happen around Thursday evening.