If you’re making the journey to the desert for Coachella 2024, get ready to be blasted by a barrage of eye-catching billboards lining Interstate 10. The roughly 50-mile stretch of highway from Riverside to Indio has become a prime advertising battleground as brands and artists aim to capture the attention of festivalgoers before they even arrive.
This year, the billboards are showcasing an eclectic mix of acts from Coachella‘s lineup. British grime pioneer Skepta has a major presence, no doubt promoting his eagerly anticipated new album. Rising Nigerian singer Tems will also be ubiquitous, coming off her breakthrough success in 2023. Expect to see plenty of posters hyping Sabrina Carpenter, BLXST, Peso Pluma, and K-pop sensations LE SSERAFIM as you cruise toward Indio.
The electronic dance music world is represented too, with billboards for veterans like Steve Angello and genre-mashers Purple Disco Machine. Even record labels are getting in on the action, with RCA using the I-10 to push some of their emerging artists.
The Coachella billboard blitz has become an event in itself over the last several years. Brands and musicians know the audience of trendsetting festivalgoers is a valuable one to market to directly. And what better way to make an impression than with bold, eye-catching visuals as they’re en route and eagerly anticipating the festival?
Sam Keywanfar, CEO of MilkMoney which provides content for many of the billboards, emphasized the importance of this targeted advertising. “The festivalgoer is a very hard-to-reach demographic — the tastemakers, the trend-setters, the content creators, the most coveted demographic,” he said. “We’re getting them in the early part of the journey.”
In addition to billboards from specific artists, you’ll likely see some artistic, cryptic advertisements from brands trying to make a splash. Prior years have featured bizarre slogans and visuals meant to go viral and get people talking.
The Coachella billboards have become as synonymous with the festival experience as flower crowns and surprise guest appearances.
