Music Festival

Stagecoach Festival

Three-day country music festival held annually in late April at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. Founded in 2007 as the sister festival to Coachella, it is the highest-grossing country music festival in the world. The 2026 edition ran April 24 to 26, headlined by Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll, and Brothers Osborne.

Indio, CA, USA

April

massive attendance

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Music Genres

countrycountry rockamericanasouthern rock

About Stagecoach Festival

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The Stagecoach Festival is a three-day country music festival held annually in late April at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. Produced by Goldenvoice (a subsidiary of AEG Presents), it is the sister festival to Coachella and runs the weekend after Coachella's second weekend. Stagecoach is the highest-grossing country music festival in the world and is best suited for country, country rock, Americana, and southern rock artists. The 2026 edition ran April 24 to 26, headlined by Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll, and Brothers Osborne.

How Stagecoach Works

Stagecoach takes place on the same site as Coachella, using the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. The festival runs three days (Friday through Sunday) and features three main stages: the Mane Stage (headliners), the Palomino Stage (mid-tier and Americana acts), and the SiriusXM Spotlight Stage (emerging artists). The layout is simpler than Coachella, with fewer stages and a tighter genre focus.

Attendance at Stagecoach has grown significantly. The 2026 edition drew approximately 80,000 attendees per day, up from roughly 75,000 in 2025. The festival has historically sold out in advance. The crowd skews younger than traditional country festivals, reflecting the surge in popularity of artists like Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, and Jelly Roll.

Tickets go on sale through an advance sale system similar to Coachella. Pass types include General Admission, VIP, Corral (pit access), and various camping and parking packages. Prices for 2026 ranged from approximately $429 for a three-day GA pass to over $1,500 for VIP tiers. Camping options include car camping, tent camping, and RV spots, all located on the Empire Polo Grounds.

Goldenvoice announces the lineup each fall, typically in October or November. Headliners are usually country stars who can sell out the Mane Stage on name recognition. The Palomino Stage books Americana, outlaw country, and legacy acts, while the Spotlight Stage features up-and-coming artists.

2026 Edition

The 2026 Stagecoach Festival ran April 24 to 26 at the Empire Polo Field. Zach Bryan headlined Friday, Jelly Roll headlined Saturday, and Brothers Osborne closed out Sunday on the Mane Stage.

The Palomino Stage featured a mix of Americana and legacy country acts. Past Palomino Stage performers include Brandi Carlile, Willie Nelson, Margo Price, and Charley Crockett. The 2026 edition continued this tradition, booking artists who bridge the gap between mainstream country and the Americana/roots scene.

The festival also featured the SiriusXM Spotlight Stage, which programs emerging country artists. This stage has been a launching pad for artists who later moved up to the Palomino or Mane Stage in subsequent years.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Stagecoach is the biggest country music festival in the world by attendance and revenue. A Mane Stage slot puts you in front of 80,000 people per day. Even a Spotlight Stage slot reaches several thousand fans who are actively looking for new country artists to follow.

The festival's streaming impact is significant. Country music fans are among the most loyal streaming audiences, and a Stagecoach performance typically generates a measurable bump on Spotify and Apple Music. The festival also generates substantial social media content, with attendees posting clips across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.

For independent country and Americana artists, the path to a Stagecoach booking runs through Goldenvoice's country booking team. The team monitors streaming growth, social media engagement, radio traction, and touring history. Playing smaller country festivals and venue circuits (especially in Texas, Nashville, and California) can build the track record needed for a Stagecoach offer. Having a booking agent who works the country festival circuit is essential.

If you secure a slot, prepare for the scale. The Mane Stage holds 80,000 people. The Palomino Stage holds approximately 15,000. Even the Spotlight Stage draws several thousand. Use our streaming royalty calculator to project post-festival streaming revenue. Use our tour revenue calculator to plan routing around the festival, since Indio is within driving distance of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Phoenix.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

Stagecoach is a country-only festival. If your music is not country, country rock, Americana, or southern rock, you will not fit the programming. The festival does not book pop, hip-hop, or electronic acts.

The festival shares its site with Coachella, which means you are playing on the same infrastructure that hosted 125,000 people the previous two weekends. The desert heat is intense, with daytime temperatures regularly exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit in late April. Sun exposure and hydration are serious concerns for performers and attendees alike.

Ticket prices are high, and the festival's VIP tiers cater to a wealthier demographic. This means the audience has significant spending power but also expects a polished, professional performance. An under-rehearsed set will stand out negatively.

The festival's proximity to Coachella means some attendees stay for both weekends, but the crowds are different. Stagecoach attendees are predominantly country music fans, not the genre-agnostic Coachella crowd. Tailor your set accordingly.