Part of the experience at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival happens outside of the gates, where thousands of cars and tents fill the campgrounds.
Camping at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a vibe of its own. Some groups of friends have been coming for years. Others adopt new friends who happen to be parked next to them.
Take a look at what it’s like to be in the campground at Coachella during the first weekend of 2022, from contributing photographer Rodrigo Peña.
Concert goers find spots of shade at the campground area during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Jonathan “Utah” Clemson, 31, of Sherman Oaks, gets doused by concert goers in the camping area during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. Jumping in the air is Rachel Jones, 30, of Truckee, CA. “Utah” is the emcee of the camping activites and hit his assailant with a water ballon, who got his revenge.(Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Alberto Marban, 26, of Madrid, Spain, rests in an area that supplies hammocks to concert goers during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Thomas Dixon, left, 33, of San Diego and Marie Caesar, 29, of San Diego, do handstands on top of a grass hill in the camping area at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Halie Crom, middle, 29, of Irine, and Sonali Patel, right, 27, of Costa Mesa, do a chest bump after scoring during a game of Sticks and Blocks in the camping area of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (At left is Jessica Haines, 31, of Yorba Linda. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Sarah Gonzales, top, 28, of Ontario and Ryan Reyes, 32, of Lake Perris say their tent on top of their car is very solid and offers a bit of privacy compared to the other tents that they have used. It is Day three during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Nikieva Perry, left, 34, and Devin McDowell, 26, both of Washington D.C., stretch on a hilltop overlooking the camping area during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
(From left) Amanda Wray, 27, of San Diego, Austin Haiines, 28, of Irvine and Jessica Haines, 31, of Yorba Linda, hold their Easter eggs in the campground area during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Concert goers participate in an Easter egg toss in the camping area during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Tom Gorman, 31, of London, England, gets egg splatter on his shirt as an egg breaks in his hands during an Easter Egg toss at the camping area of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Concert goers play a game of Sticks and Blocks also known at the Viking game of Koup at the camping area of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
(From left) Paige Ielati, 30, of Anaheim, Jessica Jimenez, 28, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Rodrigo Padilla, 27, of San Juan Puerto Rico, Andres Padilla, 29, of Anaheim, and Ivan Padilla, 23, of Irvine, dress up as Tina from Bob’s Burgers, a television show, during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
(From left) Halie Crom, 29, of Irvine, Juliano Hodges, 25, of North Hollywood and Sonali Patel, 27, of Costa Mesa, celebrate a point during a game of Sticks and Blocks at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival camping area in Indio on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Tom Gorman, left, 31, of London, England, wears a blindfold and shoots through his legs while playing a game of Sticks and Blocks in the camping area of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 16, 2022. At right, is Sean Cull, 31, also of London, England. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Halie Crom, right, 29, of Irvine, plays a game of Sticks and Blocks while camping at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 16, 2022. At left is Juliano Hodges, 25, of North Hollywood. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
San Bennett, 22, of Denver, CO., takes a shower with his battery operated device that he got online for about $20, during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Arlene Baysa, left, 48 and Regin Baysa, 49, both of San Diego, make a Philipino dish called pork sinigang for breakfast at the camp area during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Lydia Serrano, left, 35, of Fontana, and Ryan Reyes, 32, of Lake Perris, make breakfast during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
(Clockwise from lower left) Arlene Baysa, 48, Geornest Pamelar, 26, Angel Cadavos, 21, Damian Bermudez, 24, Regin Baysa, 49, and Chaosia Yang, 23, all of San Diego, toast each other while camping during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Concert goers play drinking games in the camping area during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Concert goers play drinking games in the camping area during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
Rodrigo Padilla, second from right, 27, of San Juan Puerto Rico, bends down to give a kiss to Jessica Jimenez, 28, of San Juan Puerto Rico while camping at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
(From left Front row: Brady, Stephanie Feliciano, 24, of San Francisco, Jovan Soghoian, 24, of Oakley, (back row) Cesar Delgado, 26, of San Franciso, and Carlos Martinez, 29, of San Francisco, enjoy the hilltop view in the campground area of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 17, 2022. (Photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer)
