How Coachella Became America’s Biggest Music Festival w/ Katie Bain

Billboard On The Record

Coachella has become the biggest festival in America — and it rewrote the live music playbook in the process. Katie Bain, Billboard's senior music correspondent, director of Billboard Dance, joins Billboard On The Record to break down how a scrappy desert show founded by then-local promoter Goldenvoice turned into a global cultural force, from the early Pearl Jam experiment to era-defining performances by Beyoncé, Daft Punk and Frank Ocean. She dives into the high-stakes gamble of booking a lineup, the business behind ticketing, sponsorships and livestreams.


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To purchase a copy of 'Desert Dreams: The Music, Style and Allure of Coachella' by Katie Bain, click here.


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2026-04-08 52 min

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