The Empire Polo Club is the Heartbeat of Coachella

The Coachella music festival has been held regularly since 1999 on the grounds of the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, owned by Alex Haagen III.The Empire Polo Club was founded in 1987, and its thousand-acre property features a total of twelve fields where polo matches and tournaments are played.

Goldenvoice, the company behind Coachella, began using the club’s grounds in 1993 when they hosted a concert by the band Pearl Jam, which was attended by 25,000 people.The venue appealed to the company, so when they started considering organizing a music festival in 1997, inviting interesting artists whose songs might not yet dominate the charts, after visiting several other locations, they ultimately chose the Empire Polo Club.

In addition to polo matches and Coachella, other events are also held at the Empire Polo Club. Notable examples include the Phish Festival 8 (2009), the six-day Desert Trip(2016) festival where artists like The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Paul McCartney performed, and the Power Trip festival featuring bands like Judas Priest and Metallica, among others.

So, whether you head to the Empire Polo Club for Coachella, to play or watch polo , or to honor another cultural event with your presence, you’ll definitely have a great time there.