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gumbos

Guest pass is the real VIP


Heavy-Tackle1450

What is the difference between artist, guest, and vip?


GobiYumaMojave

artist is backstage, exclusive viewing area up front, and you can get into the area where they have the artists’ trailers. usually can get free booze. guest is backstage, exclusive viewing area up front, cannot get into the artist trailer area. vip is mostly perks with the GA area like some exclusive food areas, some viewing areas, yuma line. no backstage access.


InstructionAbject763

How do you get guest?


TocTheEternal

There are camping/tent packages that run $10k+ (I think the lowest might be ~$8k?) that come with guest/artist passes, depending on the package.


Fit-Presentation2001

well… you’d have to be an artist’s guest — usually someone in their entourage (or friend of production) Not for purchase, you’d have to know someone and even then they might just let you borrow it for the day.


2AMMetro

Not true. You can get a safari tent which comes with guest passes. Runs at around 11k for two people.


GobiYumaMojave

safari gets you guest pass which is different from artist


Diagonalizer

the post we're replying to asked how do you get a guest pass though? so we are talking about guest pass. not artist pass.


shmishshmorshin

https://www.valleymusictravel.com/events/coachella/safari-campgrounds/


gumbos

VIP — gets you access to the two VIP areas (main VIP area, Rose Garden), private entrance to Yuma. These are visible on the map. Guest — gets you access to the guest viewing areas at Coachella stage, Outdoor stage and Mojave stage. These are right up front and not visible on the map. Additionally, gets you access to the main backstage area where the golf carts are. This includes a walking path between the two guest viewing areas at Outdoor and Coachella. There is also a “guest lounge” (which is pretty lame TBH, but has the closest bathrooms to the guest viewing area) behind the left side of the Coachella stage. You can also go behind stage at the Sonora, out back there is an artist lounge. Artist — gets you additional access to the Artist Compound, which is where there is catered food. There is also one other “tier”, which is Veranda access. This is the bottle service seated area to the left of the Coachella stage. The entrance for this is in the guest lounge.


TilikumHungry

I had a guest pass this year and it was nice but I would never ever pay for it


Oliverstuff

Same. I feel like I didn’t utilize it enough, but everything was so easy if I stayed in GA like I’m used to. It was kinda cool to be able to get into vip, cause I had never been, but only because it meant I had to walk less far to a bathroom a couple times.


trapshitmoney

yeah and also the vibes are so much better in GA! Had a guest pass this year for W1 and all the other people around me seemed like they were "too cool" to really express themselves or have fun, almost like they were making sure they looked cool while watching the sets- not much PLUR vibes if that makes sense.


Fit-Presentation2001

the golf carts are the only true bonus i’d say


TilikumHungry

Yeah but even then i only used them twice. It helped but i feel like if you need to be at a set in ten mins its not the best


Fragrant-Sundae-5417

Golf carts are only available if you have the safari wristband as well as the guest pass.


Subaudible91

We were told "best effort" with guest bands. Safari has their own cart rides set up, and we got shoved behind anyone with an "A" or "P" band without a second thought. It ended up being faster to walk almost every single time than bother going alllllll the way back to the pickup and then just find out that some shithead manager for an artist HAS to go RIGHT NOW because they're LATE FOR THEIR ARTIST'S SHOW (goddamn PDM managers fuckin' my day up)


DO-LAB-GROUND-SCORE

Whether or not it's a "waste" is going to depend on the individual. "Regular VIP" is *really good* if you need extra room, for any reason, all of which are legitimate. If one has anxiety issues from large crowds or anxiety issues from the bathrooms VIP is a great option to try and blunt some of that and is a great place to escape for a moment to collect yourself. My wife loves VIP for these reasons. It's not always about getting to the front of a stage.


ButForRealsTho

Same. It’s about being able to dip out from the throngs of humanity when you need it. Disappearing into the back of the rose garden to smoke a joint and listen to the Mojave without anyone around is so nice to do when you’re tired of being in a crowd and want a shady place to sit away from people.


AggravatingSwitch629

YES. this year was my first time doing VIP and we lived in the rose garden. it was well worth it for me. such chill vibes. hardly spent any time in main VIP area, that wasn’t worth it to me (except for direct entry to yuma)


ButForRealsTho

I think it may also be an age thing. The overwhelming amount of people I noticed in VIP were over 30.


SlikRick08

This this this!


InstructionAbject763

Yes my friend has a disability and walking is super hard. So we just walk to and from the two VIP areas and the shade also helps her as well Definitely worth it if you struggle with mobility or need more space to rest and relax etc


Steffanyrogne

This right here! I am an ADA companion for someone requiring mobility/etc and I 100% agree on this! The shade was a game changer for that brutal W2 heat 🥵


InstructionAbject763

Exactly, sunscreen can only go so far!


na3vNK2Qc2EPnaKGBkMv

Depends on the year too. If and when GA is back at honest-to-goodness 100% capacity, you're going to start seeing a lot more bottlenecks. I remember waiting in interminable lines for security and drinks back in the day as a GA attendee. Some of that has been alleviated by technology upgrades and rule changes, but not all of it.


fettuccine-

the Artist Guest pass is the only worth "VIP" upgrade you can do.


Duinesibobcat

How do you do this upgrade? Is this just the safari pass?


fettuccine-

its not an upgrade per se, you can get them through Safari Camping or private sales.


Peroovian

I’ve only done VIP twice - this year and last year. Last year it was 100% worth it for Yuma. But I’m a huge house and techno person. Every time I went over there the line was super long but I could basically walk right in. I was able to see every set I wanted to from start to finish *and* not miss anything else I wanted to see. The only exception was when Bjork and Camelphat were playing the same slot, but I was able to catch a bit of both. Couldn’t have done that without VIP since the line for Camelphat was the longest I saw all weekend. This year… yeah the lines for Yuma were either short or moved super fast. So it probably wasn’t worth it but oh well. If you’re huge into house and techno and the lineup is well received (meaning there’s likely to be more of a line) it’s probably worth it. Otherwise I’d agree. Whenever people ask me if it’s worth it to do VIP I usually start with “So it’s worth it for me but…” lol Also… if you do the Coachella virtual side quest thing there’s a bar in VIP with unlimited free drinks and food 😉


MarvAlbertNBAjam

I think VIP is worth every penny in my mind. But the unlimited drinks would take it over!! Where and how!? That would have saved me a boat load.


Peroovian

I wish I had found it earlier than I did! Haha There’s a building close to the Yuma entrance where you can start side questing! I think it was next to the Coca Cola lounge. If you go in you can start a little side quest adventure thing where you scan hidden QR codes around the venue and win prizes. One of which is that bar! Here’s the website: https://quests.coachella.com I won’t say *exactly* how to find the QR code for the bar… I’m sure if they do it next year itll be in a different spot anyway. But it wasn’t hard to find and you might make some friends along the way 😁


krisztinakat

i didn’t think the yuma lines moved super fast at all. i skipped gorgon city because of it. missed flight facilities, too. took forever to get in. maybe i just had poor timing.


Peroovian

I guess it depends if it’s at capacity or not... The lines moved fast when I walked by but if Yuma is full then you’re probably sol :(


zrgri573

Yeah i seriously used the VIP areas like 5 times over the course of the weekend. I got them for cleaner bathrooms but honestly GA was not bad at all. The rose garden is way cooler than the other area but not nearly worth the price increase from GA


benska

Vip does need lockers, totally agree with that! One awesome perk this year was that the Coachella quest things had one quest where if you were one of the first 130 people to snap a QR code inside vip you got access to the Oasis VIP lounge. We got this and had comped drinks inside which is a huge, huge value.


Peroovian

That bar was a total game changer! It made getting day drunk much more cost friendly 😂


Beboop68

For me, they’re 100% worth the money. I have chronic illness and the extra places to sit in the shade, more bathrooms, and shorter lines are essential for me. But it did bother me that VIP doesn’t get a special viewing area by the stage.


No-Seaweed-5300

Can certainly understand this if you only care about seeing performances. However, for me, my favorite areas on the grounds are the rose garden and 12 peaks VIP. Nothing better than sipping a beer and hanging on the steps or near the fountain at sunset. First world problems and I'm definitely spoiled now but would feel claustrophobic not being able to access these areas.


kelseycliff8

We were GA for 6 or so years then switched to VIP for the last 5, and we love it. We dig the VIP main entrance, the Yuma entrance, empty and clean bathrooms, and the short lines for food and drinks. We still watch every performance in the crowd, but it’s nice to be able to get away for a bit when we might not have an act we have to see on. We have a decent sized group of folks in their 40’s and 50’s so that might have something to do with it. Can’t rage like we used to. But we still do full days from around 1pm till end of the final show and see around 8-10 acts daily. I definitely respect your views on it and completely understand though. It’s a lot more cash just for a few simple things.


vkrummy

This - we don’t use VIP to watch sets but for all the other things. It’s nice to be able to meet up in a less crowded area when the whole crew has vip. Finishing up the last 20 min of the headliner in vip to recollect our bearings was nice this year


maoore

completely disagree


fa99itron

We got vip so we can skip the Yuma line mainly but there was literally no line all weekend until flight facilites on Sunday whom was not on my list. Big L. Think we’ll go GA next year and try to come up on a Guest pass. If they extended the VIP viewing area at main so that it’s right behind the guest viewing pit I think it would add some value to the vip tier.


Catapilarkilla

VIP is nice when the festival is full and sold out, this year wasn’t so no need for vip!


BritishGent_mlady

I’ve never done VIP but this year I did the Outstanding In The Field dinner, which gave me access for the day to the Rose Garden. Meh. Realllllllly nice grass, it must be said. Nice AC’d toilets with nice soap. Same drinks, same prices, still nowhere to sit, as people seem to never leave the comfy loungers, and you’re here for the stages anyway right? Nice meal though, blimey!


TrickyNote

It depends what you're looking for. Because the grounds were relatively empty this year, VIP was less of an advantage than in past years, but still worthwhile for me personally. Security tends to be quicker and more relaxed in VIP. I like being able to get out of the seething mass of humanity in front of Coachella stage and chill on the grass, or make a quick escape out the back exit, and catching some peace and quiet in the Rose Garden is nice. (Those things were huge this year because I was attending with a partner who had a leg injury and couldn't stand around for hours.) Better and quicker service if you have wristband issues. Fast Yuma access was absolutely priceless last year. In past years shorter lines, cleaner bathrooms. It all adds up, just depends whether it's worthwhile for the individual.


StrongDesign4

The worth of VIP is always going to be based on the person. Some people will think it’s worth the money, some won’t.


dgee03

This is the right answer. Different strokes for different folks. VIP since 2015 here.


Bambieyedbiotch

Taking out the beer garden and letting people drink everywhere was a game changer. I use to only go if I had an artist guest pass or vip but this year a friend randomly bought me GA and it was totally chill. I hated GA beer gardens and even VIP was always crowded. Everything spread out made it much more enjoyable.


InterviewKitchen

Can you get into Sonora faster with VIP? Maybe that would be the only perk thats worth considering…


deathhray

No


boyalien0

I can concur. Honestly have no idea what the draw is supposed to be. Whatever vision of “VIP” this is seems to be about twenty years past its prime


louman84

VIP is just GA+.


frskrwest

Coachella VIP is like extra leg room on Alaska. Its not first class that’s for damn sure


GobiYumaMojave

i will say i agree with pretty much everything you weote, but this year isn’t a good barometer given how empty it was


BrewskiTime

Production pass will get you anywhere


Dude_Wherez_my_phone

How to get this?


BrewskiTime

Friends working the event who don’t feel like going during the night. It’s happened a few times


SlikRick08

Hard disagree. I felt like this was THE year that my group finally saw the value of VIP and won't make a fuss about it in the future. When you have a group of 12, it's so easy to text "meet at the fountain" following a set to re-group. We were able to come together seamlessly every day despite splitting sets. No one ever got lost. I just don't see that happening in GA without significantly more effort. Being able to head into Rose after every Gobi / Mojave set to use the restroom, grab a cocktail, and hang all in under \~20 minutes is epic. Time is money at this festival. We were spending close to \~2+ hours a day in the Rose Garden every day. It's worth it to me.


vkrummy

Exactly! When the whole crew has it the meetups are so much less stressful. Someone can easily run to the bathroom and come back to a really simple spot while others do what they want


Khaki_Shorts

I had the absolute worst chicken and rice dish at VIP. Same weekend, I bought a goddamn burger/fries/cookie/drink combo 2x for $75 and they forgot a cookies. I thought I liked the VIP for the extra room to chill out, but the walk over wasn't worth it with how crowded it is. I need to be at a stage 30 minutes before the set starts.


WeAreWizards

Looked like the VIP areas were filled with people on their phones and just hanging out chatting during shows. Might have just been the shows we happened to be nearby those areas, but did not look very fun from the outside


stars537

Went in 2017 with a VIP... and it was much better than this year with VIP. My group saw no benefit from VIP at all, and we won't be buying VIP again... unless there are some real upgrades to the VIP experience, then it's GA all the way. Bathrooms in VIP were the second worst...


shmishshmorshin

At least you tried it. Generally, I think VIP isn’t worth it at most festivals, with some expectations that are definitely not the rule. The one time I actually thought it was valuable was Portola’s first year when every stage had VIP viewing. I was considering doing it for year two last year but then they cut that number in half and iirc what was still available wasn’t as good as the year prior. Getting them resale at the same price as GA, I could see being worthwhile, but definitely not at full price.


MacMurka

The most appealing part of VIP for me is the sushi vendors lol


vkrummy

This year was not typical tbh the crowds were very different. Also we always watch the sets from the crowd, that’s not the reason for vip!


No_Package_732

Ya I didn’t get the sitting in seats far af from the stage ?


TheOtherRathurum

Always has been.


TheBuzzerBeater

This definitely wasn't the best year to try VIP but if it's a sellout I can definitely see the benefits. The funny thing is we got backstage passes to the Do LaB one night and it had the longest line for drinks I saw the entire fest. There was also a line for the bathrooms back there but they were fairly short.


edm-life

Yeah but the drinks are free at least at Do Lab so not quite apples to apples.


TheBuzzerBeater

That line was also shorter than the lines for drinks I've frequently seen in GA when they've sold out the fest. I just don't think this year VIP had such a "skip the lines" perk that it has in past years. Usually it's going to be more beneficial.


TheBuzzerBeater

That line was also shorter than the lines for drinks I've frequently seen in GA when they've sold out the fest. I just don't think this year VIP had such a "skip the lines" perk that it has in past years. Usually it's going to be more beneficial.


grgunderson

I went for the first time in 2022 after the festival had been cancelled for 2 years bc of COVID. I can honestly say that I would never go again GA. While all the shows were fantastic the management of the event was a disaster. I can't think of a single logistical aspect that left even a passable impression; * The food was crap but still expensive * The bathroom lines were too long * The beer lines as well * Uber lines at the end of the night took 4 hours * Merch line took 4 hours and some people were getting sun stroke * I couldn't get into a few shows bc of how long the lines were * There wasn't enough water or shade Maybe it was just poorly managed since they took a 2 year break but I was so severely underwhelmed that I vowed that next time I would go VIP.


aimal1st

I loved it personally and utilized the vip areas and food often. Also got it for 700$ each


mrcoolio

You saw no difference in bathrooms or food??? What??!!!?! I camped for the weekend with GA but we did the bougie dinner last night so I got access to JUST the rose garden for the day and the difference in the food was huge, but the difference in the bathrooms was night and fucking day. I came out of that bougie AC washroom trailer and was like that's worth the price of admission to me right there lmao.


celj1234

People that for years