Festival-goers stuck in “horrendous” 12-hour traffic jam ahead of Coachella 2025

Coachella 2025 kicked off to a rocky start, with attendees reportedly stuck in 12-hour traffic jams before entering the festival.

• READ MORE: Coachella 2025 weekend one: line-up, stage times and how to watch online

This year’s edition of the Californian festival is well underway, with Friday’s headliner Lady Gaga wrapping up her headline set in the early hours this morning (April 12). Despite being hailed by fans as the “best Coachella show of all time”, many were beset by travel issues before getting through the gates.

Fans in attendance have taken to social media to complain about hours-long lines to get to the car camping area on festival grounds, with some comparing it to the disastrous Fyre Festival.

Though some traffic is expected as revellers pile into the event, local media have reported some campers were stuck in their cars for hours on end, without access to bathrooms, water or gas, with one Palm Springs-based station dubbing the gridlock “carmageddon”.

Coachella descends into chaos, and it hasn’t even started yet. These are cars lined up to get through security to enter the car camping area. Attendees are reporting a 12 hour wait, and no porta potties, with some saying it’s “worse than Fyre Festival”. pic.twitter.com/ztjACmd70u

— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) April 11, 2025

Current situation for some people at @coachella. Going on 9 hours on this line, luckily we still half a tank of gas. pic.twitter.com/1396I35zpZ

— Martin (@martindtx108) April 10, 2025

coachella borderline turning into fyre fest this year…… oh i’m sat, people waiting 12-18+ hours to get in for car camping, people shitting & pissing on the sides of the line in bushes, coachella not giving anyone water while they bake in their car in line …. phew omfg? Read More