Coachella Fans Slam Festival As Pure 'Chaos' Before Gates Even Open

Coachella hasn’t even officially opened its gates yet, but the 2025 edition of the iconic California music festival is already facing major backlash.

Dozens of frustrated attendees have taken to social media, branding Coachella "the worst in history" and even drawing comparisons to the infamous Fyre Festival, all before the first beat drops.

The trouble began for car campers, who began arriving in the early hours in hopes of securing prime spots at the festival’s on-site camping areas. But instead of being greeted by the usual excitement and pre-festival buzz, many found themselves stuck in gridlocked traffic for hours with no clear end in sight.

"Hearing lots of reports of Coachella getting off to a rough start for campers today — some have waited as long as 12+ hours to reach a campsite," one user wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, alongside a DM from a festivalgoer who claimed they arrived at 2 a.m. and were still waiting at 3 p.m.

“No porta potties in sight… We were forced to pee on the side of the roads," they added. "A lot of people [are] running out of gas and not restrooms.”

"And it's hot AF on top of it," someone else wrote on an Instagram Reel showing the car chaos.

Terms like “chaos,” “bonkers,” and “insane” were used repeatedly by campers struggling to understand the long delays.

One user fumed, “Whoever is responsible for planning and logistics should be fired and forced to give us all a personal apology. Joking… but not really.”

Another simply asked, “This has to be the worst day zero in history, right?”

Meanwhile, one frustrated attendee claimed, "I didn't know we were going to Fyre Fest."

Someone else echoed, "This feels worse than Fyre Festival."

In the official Coachella subreddit, an attendee sparked heated discussion with a post calling for partial or full refunds.

“We’ve waited nine hours to get inside this festival. No bathroom, no food. Likely won’t be returning,” they wrote.

Others echoed similar frustrations, with one seasoned attendee writing, “This is my fifth Coachella, and I’ve never seen such horrible organization. I’ve been here hours, just crossed the security check, and literally no one is moving.”

Even those who aren't attending Coachella but just live locally are complaining. "I spent an hour in traffic trying to drop my daughter off at CDA, which is where my daughter goes to school," one parent said. "Please do something. It's horrible not being able to get to school."

However, while many took to social media to complain, several others admitted they "don't feel sorry" for them because they "knew what you were getting yourselves into."

"Oh well..don't feel sorry for any of you," one Instagram user said.

"Then go back home lmaooo," another wrote.

On its website, Coachella advertises car camping as its “most popular overnight option,” giving guests a chance to “build an oasis” for themselves and their crew. For Weekend One, car camping passes start at $160, but many campers are now questioning whether that experience is worth the hype.

As of now, Coachella has not issued an official response to the growing wave of complaints, but officer David Torres said that with the surge in visitors, enforcement efforts are being increased not just around the festival, but across the entire Valley.

“We do have more officers on the road but are also more hyper-aware looking for violations, making sure that everyone can make it to the festival safely," he told KESQ News. "We just see that people are so excited for the festival so sometimes they may be speeding, or distracted, or might want to be celebrating early.”

Weekend One of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival officially kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday, with headliners including Lady Gaga, Green Day, Travis Scott, and Post Malone. Rumors are also swirling that Justin Bieber, who has performed surprise sets at Coachella four times before, may make an unexpected appearance in Palm Springs this weekend.

Whether or not the music will redeem the rocky start remains to be seen, but for many festivalgoers, this year’s Coachella experience is already off to a less-than-magical start.