As winter comes to an end, not only is spring coming, but also music, fashion, and food lovers’ favorite time of the year; festival season. Lucky Californians live only 3 hours away from two of the biggest music festivals in the world, Stagecoach and Coachella. In Indio, California in April this year, Coachella and Stagecoach will be having festivals that thousands of people flock to attend. But what is the difference between the two and ultimately, which one is better?

Billboard ranks Coachella as the best music overall festival in the world. The festival consists of two back-to-back weekends of performances. Coachella is a massive event that brands, celebrities, and even ordinary people spend tons of money to experience. The headliners are usually big-name artists in the genres of rap and pop. You can expect to see anything from Harry Styles to Beyonce to Megan the Stallion. While music is the festival’s main draw, fashion at Coachella is a close second. You can find people wearing see-through shirts, designer outfits, bright colors, and always tons of face and body glitter. At this festival, what you are wearing is a big deal. Coachella also has tons of food options to choose from. L.A. hotspots love to have booths at Coachella to highlight their cuisine, and there are always tons of beverages. While the food usually skews towards healthy and expensive, it is delicious if you know where to go and what to order. One thing you have to consider before attending this world-famous festival is the price. General admission for the 3-day weekend is usually around $550 dollars. Additional costs include hotel stays, transportation, and maybe even plane tickets. It adds up pretty quickly. It is definitely not a cheap experience, but if you do it right, many say it is one of the best experiences of their lives.

Stagecoach, ranked by Billboard as the best country music festival, has one weekend of amazing performances Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. While Stagecoach is on the similar side compared to Coachella, it is just as fun for country music and southern food lovers. The festival has your favorite country performers performing every night. The event is filled with people excited to have a rowdy good time. While Stagecoach has its musical performers, they also have tons of amazing food such as Guy Fieri’s Stagecoach Smokehouse, and cute places to shop such as Niki Lane’s Stage Stop Market Place. The entire weekend is filled with music, barbeque, and cowboy hats. The fashion at Stagecoach is a little different compared to Coachella’s trendy fashion goers. At Stagecoach, everyone is wearing denim, plaid, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and bandanas. I don’t think you could find a single person there not wearing something western. Continuing with the western theme, the food consists of barbecue, chili, corn on the cob, and hot dogs, so if you are a vegetarian or vegan, it might not be the place for you. All jokes aside, the food is amazing and there are other options if you have dietary restrictions, also you can easily leave the festival to grab a quick bite and come back later. Stagecoach’s attendance also consists of more families than Coachella. It is very uncommon to see a family at Coachella due to it mainly having young adults in attendance while it is not uncommon to see a family at Stagecoach. Another difference between Stagecoach and Coachella is Stagecoach has setting sections at the Main Stage. You can buy tickets to have front-row seats and there is a standing pit. While it is much cheaper than Coachella, it can still cost a pretty penny to attend. General admission tickets for the 3-day festival are around $350 dollars. Including all other trip expenses, it adds up, so it is something to consider before attending Stagecoach. 

Both festivals have a few similarities and a lot of differences. Coachella is a large, flashy, expensive festival usually for a young person and their friends, while Stagecoach is a casual, country, western festival good for people of all ages including families. After a lot of thinking, I have decided trying to pick a favorite between the two is impossible. They are so different, it depends on what you like better. If country music and southern food are your things, Stagecoach is for you. However, if you like an L.A. scene festival with pop music Coachella is for you. Whatever you decide, both festivals are amazing experiences. I recommend you at least attend these festivals once in your life.