Stagecoach Festival

The Stagecoach Festival is an annual country music festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. Organized by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents, it is a sister event to the Coachella festival, and held on the weekend immediately following the conclusion of Coachella.

First held in 2007, the event has attracted country musicians ranging from mainstream and pop, to folk, bluegrass, roots rock, americana, and alternative country, with a focus on veteran performers and up and coming acts. It is the largest and highest-grossing country music festival in the world.

History
Stagecoach was held for the first time in 2007, as a sister event to the Coachella festival. In 2012, the festival's 55,000 attendees marked its first sell-out crowd. In 2018, Stagecoach set a new attendance record with 75,000 attendees; this was surpassed the following year with a peak of 80,000. Stagecoach was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.

Notable performers have included Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Sugarland, The Charlie Daniels Band, Alabama. George Strait, Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson, Eagles, Roger McGuinn, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Martina McBride, Don Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis, Shania Twain, Luke Bryan, Garth Brooks, Eric Church, and Post Malone.

In recent years, Stagecoach has become somewhat of a hotspot for fans and contestants of the reality dating show The Bachelor, with numerous contestants from Bachelor Nation being invited to attend the festival and post pictures on Instagram. It was revealed that initial drama on Season 6 of the Bachelor spinoff Bachelor in Paradise resulted from romantic relationships that took place at the music festival earlier in the year. Sections of the 2018 film A Star Is Born, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, were filmed at Stagecoach.

Camping
The facilities provide on-site camping for some festival-goers. The Desert Sun published an article on the camping, reporting that some attendees think that it, as a standalone event, is almost on par with the concerts. The 2013 festival's tent/car camping policy was eliminated and the RV camping rules altered due to the overwhelming 55,000 person sellout crowd at the 2012 festival. The new rules were to stand until Goldenvoice decided on a different approach.

Festival cuisine
The festival showcases a variety of food and beverages to enjoy over the course of the weekend. Some of the restaurants expected for the 2013 festival were Jackelope Ranch, Las Casuelas, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Fisherman's Market & Grill, and vendors like Spicy Pie, Pink's Hot Dogs, and Waffleman Ice Cream Sandwiches. There are also full bars, a Cantina Restaurant, BBQ contest, and a pancake breakfast supporting the local Lions Club.

Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS) sanctioned the Stagecoach Invitational BBQ Championship encompassing teams from across the nation competing for the KCBS California State championship.

Grand champions

 * 2008 - Sug's Shack BBQ & BLQUE Cuttin Edge Que
 * 2009 - Rhythm N' Que & Lotta Bull
 * 2010 - Lotta Bull West
 * 2011 - All Sauced Up
 * 2012 - El Fuego Fiasco