Festival Pass is a newsletter that lands in your inbox weekly. But during prime festival season you get bonus editions, too! Subscribe now.

We’re two weeks out from the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which truly kicks off festival season in Southern California.

This year is going to be a busy one. We’ve got lots of fun things planned to share with Coachella, Stagecoach, Desert Hearts, BeachLife, Cruel World and Just Like Heaven all happening in the next two months.

And this week, we marked our calendar for even more new festivals on the calendar, but they feature some old friends.

On Monday, Goldenvoice announced the Palomino Festival coming to Pasadena this summer. Wait, Palomino, like the alt-country/Americana stage at Stagecoach? Exactly.  If you’ve ever hung out at the coolest stage at Stagecoach, this is the festival for you, with Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson topping the bill, plus Jason Isbell, Orville Peck and more.

Then we found out the beloved Viva! Pomona festival was getting a big-time upgrade and moving west to Dodger Stadium to become Viva! L.A. with Daddy Yankee, J Balvin and the one, the only, Paquita la del Barrio.

Oh, and this is on top of the Do Lab announcing its Coachella 2022 lineup and Wonderfront in San Diego releasing its initial list of acts.

And if you’re not into festivals, well, there were approximately 543 concert announcements this week, including a Roxy Music reunion at the Forum, Elton John’s Dodger Stadium farewell, Weird Al all over Southern California, Brad Paisley in Temecula and Irvine, the new Kaskade and Deadmau5 Kx5 project at the Coliseum, Twice at Banc of California Stadium and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ intimate show at Amoeba.

Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson & Family will headline Goldenvoice’s first-ever Palomino Festival at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on July 9. (Photo by Matt Masin, Contributing Photographer)

Ridin’ into the Rose Bowl

The new Palomino Festival is coming to Brookside at the Rose Bowl this summer with an impeccable lineup of alt-country and Americana. See the full lineup and find out how to get tickets.

In this April 2019 file photo, J Balvin performs on the Coachella stage during weekend one of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio. J Balvin is among the performers headlining the Viva! LA Music Festival on Saturday, June 25. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Go west, young fest

Viva! Pomona is becoming Viva! L.A. for a special event at Dodger Stadium with J Balvin, Daddy Yankee, Becky G, Ivy Queen and more. Find out how to get tickets and see the full lineup.

An aerialist descends to the crowd at the Do Lab stage during Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Sunday, April 14, 2019. Do Lab just announced its lineup for the 2022 edition of the festival. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Do Lab is back

The Do Lab is one of the cornerstones of the Coachella experience. Find out who you can hear play when you’re cooling off with the water cannons. (Hint: One performer had a viral hit 11 years ago.)

Can’t Feel the Heat is an unofficial Coachella podcast (Courtesy Can’t Feel the Heat)

Tune in

Our latest episode of the Can’t Feel the Heat podcast is plotting out our days at Coachella, from the early can’t-miss acts to who to catch at the end of the night. Tune in on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher.

Gwen Stefani will perform at the Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival in San Diego which is taking place Nov. 18-20. The three-day event also features Zac Brown Band, Kings of Leon, Young the Giant, Noah Cyrus, Fitz & the Tantrums and more. (Photo by Rich Fury, Getty Images for Spotify)

A musical wonder

Wonderfront is coming back to the San Diego waterfront in November with Gwen Stefani, Kings of Leon, Zac Brown Band and more. See the initial lineup.

Musician, songwriter Taylor Hawkins’ new solo album KOTA will be released Nov. 11. Hawkins is best known for his work as the drummer for the band the Foo Fighters. KOTA features Hawkins on lead vocals and nearly every instrument. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

In your honor

The music world was rocked by the death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins last week. I wrote a bit about Hawkins’ musicianship and his pure love of rock ‘n’ roll.

Get Festival Pass delivered to your inbox weekly.

Related Articles