Grab your boots and head back to the desert with us for Stagecoach 2026! Follow along for interviews with Stagecoach artists, the best sights and sounds from the Empire Polo Club and the only-in-Indio moments.
The big news Saturday night was that the festival was briefly postponed due to high winds just before 8 p.m. and attendees were forced to evacuate. The festival grounds were reopened around 9 p.m. with changes to the schedule, with Lainey Wilson and Pitbull’s sets moving later. Journey dropped off Saturday’s lineup.
Before the evacuation, the festival was filled with surprises on the stage.
On Friday we saw Cody Johnson bring out Boyz II Men and Jay Buchanan from Rival Sons; Ella Langley team up with Theo Von; and Emo Nite host guest turns from Ashlee Simpson and 3OH!3. We also spotted Sydney Sweeney talking to fans at the BigXthaPlug set.
David Lee Roth returned to the desert for his third consecutive weekend to perform Van Halen’s “Jump” with Teddy Swims at Stagecoach on Saturday after performing the song at the twin Coachella weekends. Pitbull also brought out Lil Jon for his late night set on the Mustang Stage. Sweeney also showed up to throw lingerie at the crowd during the Diplo/Theo Von/Caleb Pressley set, where Shaboozey also made an appearance. Riley Green, whose full set was cut due to the wind, did make an appearance with headliner Lainey Wilson.
The festival wraps up Sunday with Post Malone, Brooks & Dunn, Hootie & the Blowfish. Here’s how to watch the livestream via Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music and Twitch starting at 3 p.m. Pacific.
Don’t miss:
How Third Eye Blind ended up at Stagecoach
Stephan Jenkins performs with Third Eye Blind last year in Chicago.
(Barry Brecheisen / Getty Images)
Third Eye Blind plays Stagecoach’s Mustang Stage at 6:45 p.m. Sunday, April 26.
Stephan Jenkins agrees to bookings for music festivals only if his band Third Eye Blind can perform at a certain time.
Stagecoach organizers tell people to be cognizant of the windy weather
Festival goers frolic in the extreme gusty wind at sunset at Stagecoach on Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Goldenvoice is warning Stagecoach attendees to pay attention today.
An alert went out on the Stagecoach app just before 2 p.m. that read “Hold on to your hats. We will experience winds throughout the day. Stay tuned on the app and stage screens for updates. Thank you for your attention and enjoy the festival.”
Hopefully the winds won’t be so bad that we are evacuated again.
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Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Sunday’s livestream with Post Malone, Hootie & the Blowfish, Brooks & Dunn
Post Malone will headline the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival on Sunday night. He headlined sister festival Coachella in 2025.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
As the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival rides off into the sunset, enjoy the last day of the performances from the comfort of your home. The festival will be livestreaming most of the performances, so you’ll be able to watch Post Malone and Warren Zeiders from the couch. You can also take a trip down memory lane with Hootie & the Blowfish, Brooks & Dunn and Third Eye Blind. Close out the festival by watching Loud Luxury, DJ Pauly D and Ludacris onstage.
The festival will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Prime Video and Twitch. On Sirius XM’s The Highway (Channel 56), you can listen in to exclusive interviews and live performances. Their station Y’Allternative will also be covering the festival on Sunday.
10 minutes backstage with Gavin Rossdale at Stagecoach
Gavin Rossdale performs with Bush on Saturday at the Stagecoach festival in Indio.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Gavin Rossdale brought his band Bush to Stagecoach on Saturday — one of several groups at the festival this weekend with indelible rock hits from the 1990s. The 60-year-old, who recently premiered a television cooking show, also put in an appearance alongside Billy Bob Thornton, Wynonna Judd and Gavin Adcock at the fever dream that is Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse. I caught up with him between the two engagements.
This has gotta be your first Stagecoach.
The best, worst and windiest moments of Stagecoach Day 2
Lainey Wilson performs Saturday on the Mane Stage during the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
We went back for a second day of Stagecoach and spent most of the day holding on to our hats. Before strong winds resulted in the short-lived nighttime postponement and evacuation of the festival, Day 2 had plenty of gusto that carried us through the afternoon and evening, including sets from Bush and Teddy Swims along with some high-octane cooking with Guy Fieri. When crowds were called back after the wind-related fiasco that pushed everything back for headliner Lainey Wilson and caused Journey and Riley Green to cancel their performances, fans who returned still got to witness Wilson triumph over the elements and get down and dirty with Pitbull at Diplo’s Honky Tonk. Luckily the unexpected havoc didn’t blow away all the good vibes. Here are the best, worst and windiest from Day 2.
Guy Fieri features his latest smokehouse dish during the Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Evan Schaben / For The Times)
Stagecoach kicks off its final day after a minor earthquake near Cabazon
Thony Deanda, of Newport Beach, drinks beer out of a beer bong shaped like an eagle in the RV Resort during the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
After yesterday’s excitement with the festival evacuating attendees due to wind, I am hoping things are a little calmer to wrap up Stagecoach 2026.
The morning started with a rumble when a magnitude 3.4 earthquake happened 10 miles from Cabazon at 8:44 a.m.
A wind advisory is still in effect until 5 p.m., so a mask/bandanna is a must. Winds are expected to be 20-30 mph with gusts of up to 45 mph. The temperatures are also cooler today, with a high of 76, but it is very sunny.
Tonight we have Post Malone headlining and judging by all of the guests he brought out when he did Stagecoach two years ago, we are gearing up for a surprise today.
The livestream kicks off on Amazon Music at 3 p.m. Pacific and you can watch Posty, Brooks & Dunn, Hootide & the Blowfish and more.
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What Lainey Wilson did after the wind briefly shut down Stagecoach
Lainey Wilson performs Saturday night at the Stagecoach festival in Indio.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Lainey Wilson didn’t seem too worried about the high winds that temporarily shut down Stagecoach on Saturday night.
Headlining the festival’s main stage after an hour-long delay — during which fans were ordered to evacuate Indio’s Empire Polo Club before being allowed back in — Wilson looked out at the crowd in front of her and said of the unplanned break: “I hope y’all sat in your cars and drank some tequila.”
Bush’s Gavin Rossdale on cooking, his ‘90s rock beefs and why he’s playing Stagecoach
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Photos: A front row seat to the 2026 Stagecoach Music Festival
Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters performs on the Palomino Stage.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
With another Coachella in the books, Indio’s Empire Polo Club turns to country music this weekend for the annual Stagecoach festival. The Times will be on-site from Friday to Sunday to bring you an up-close view of what’s happening in the desert.
Marshmello performs at Diplo’s Honky Tonk.
5 minutes backstage with Treaty Oak Revival
From sun-baked Odessa, Texas, Treaty Oak Revival brought its blistering, punk-edged country-rock to Stagecoach on Saturday afternoon. Before the band’s set, I talked with the five members, whose latest album is “West Texas Degenerate.”
What defines a West Texas degenerate?
Sam Canty: They’re hard-working people from those areas where there’s not a lot of stuff to do, and they like to get a little rowdy on the weekends or maybe even during the week.
That’s a nice answer.
Canty: The nasty answer is: It’s a bunch of booze-drinking, strip-club-going, big-truck-driving motherf—.
What’s an East Texas degenerate?
Canty: Everything a West Texas degenerate is but with trees.
Country music is having a band moment. Why?
Canty: We started before bands were a big deal, so I don’t know. We’re just a group of guys who wanted to be a band because we’re best friends and we all wanted to get out of our jobs and experience life.
What’s the last job you had before the band took off?
Canty: I was a field manager building gas plants in the desert.
Dakota Hernandez: I worked for a tree service as a climber.
Cody Holloway: I was a water well technician and electrician.
Lance Vanley: I was an IT consultant managing networks and servers.
Jeremiah Vanley: Director of accounting and finance. I’m the softy.
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David Lee Roth, honorary citizen of Indio
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Theo Von crowd surfs, Sydney Sweeney tosses out lingerie and Shaboozey parties in Diplo’s Honky Tonk
Sydney Sweeney came on stage at Diplo’s Honky Tonk on Saturday at Stagecoach to throw out lingerie from her Syrn line.
(Evan Schaben/For The Times)
If the first Stagecoach fever dream of Saturday was the unlikely cast of Billy Bob Thornton, Wynonna Judd, Gavin Rossdale and Gavin Adcock cooking and chopping it up with Guy Fieri at the Stagecoach Smokehouse, a close second was Diplo’s early evening set in the Honky Tonk.
Already billed as Diplo with podcaster/comedian/Ella Langley duet partner Theo Von and Barstool Sports media personality Caleb Pressley, it also attracted some special guests. Actor Sydney Sweeney showed up to toss panties from her Syrn lingerie brand into the crowd. (She has a pop-up Syrn saloon on the festival grounds).
Shaboozey joins the crowd as they vibe to beats during Diplo’s set featuring Theo Von and Caleb Pressley at Diplo’s Honky Tonk at Stagecoach on Saturday.
(Evan Schaben/For The Times)
The “Euphoria” star wasn’t the only surprise during the set — “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hitmaker Shaboozey also made an appearance. Even though they played some of his songs, he didn’t perform. Like Sweeney, Shaboozey also has a pop-up saloon at the festival, his promoting upcoming record “The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.”
And when you think things couldn’t get any weirder, Von went crowdsurfing. Stay weird, Stagecoach.
Theo Von crowd surfs during his DJ set with Diplo and Caleb Pressley at Stagecoach on Saturday.
(Evan Schaben/For The Times)
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Catching up with Bush’s blustery Saturday evening set
Singer and guitarist Gavin Rossdale and drummer Nik Hughes, of Bush, perform on the Mustang Stage at sunset as extreme weather begins to move in during the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival on Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Just before we were told to evacuate last night, I was about to write about Bush’s Stagecoach debut on the Mustang Stage.
Even as the weather turned colder and the winds turned gnarlier, Gavin Rossdale seemed to be having a great time as the band ripped through a 50-minute set packed with hits including opener “Machinehead,” “Everything Zen,” “Swallowed,” “Glycerine” and set-closing sing-along “Comedown.”
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The one item on Pitbull’s Stagecoach agenda
Pitbull hit the Mustang Stage an hour later than expected Saturday night after gusty winds forced Stagecoach to evacuate attendees for more than an hour, but Mr. Worldwide didn’t let a delay stop the fun.
“We came here to do one thing and one thing only,” he said from the stage early in the set.
The one thing? Party.
After an intro featuring his DJ and full band that included Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Beastie Boys’ “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!),” Mr. Worldwide appeared, flanked by a half dozen dancers in revealing costumes, to open the raucous set with “Don’t Stop the Party.”
After the song he thanked everyone at Stagecoach for staying and also name-checked some Goldenvoice employees, including Stagecoach booker Stacy Vee, as well as Lainey Wilson, who had just wrapped her headlining set on the Mane Stage.
He followed up the moment of gratitude with “Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)” and “Hotel Room Service.”
Later on in the set, Lil Jon joined Pitbull for “Jumpin” before being showered with more gratitude from Pitbull and the crowd. Then the pair performed “Damn I Love Miami.”
I’d like to start a petition for Stagecoach to book Pitbull every year — and bring him to Coachella, too!
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Lainey Wilson takes the stage after the wind
Lainey Wilson performs on the Mane Stage Saturday night.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
After an hourlong delay due to high winds, Lainey Wilson kicked off her headlining set at Stagecoach on Saturday night with a one-two punch of “Can’t Sit Still” and “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” — each a solid example of the riff-heavy country-rock that’s made Wilson one of the biggest stars to come out Nashville in the last 10 years.
“Y’all ready to sing it loud tonight?” she asked the crowd, which was maybe a bit thinner than it might’ve been thanks to fans who left before the festival announced it was reopening. Those who stuck around seemed plenty willing to bellow along.
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Journey is off Saturday night’s bill for Stagecoach
Stagecoach updated its schedule for Saturday night after a temporary evacuation due to high winds. Journey, which had been scheduled to play the Mustang stage, will no longer perform; Lainey Wilson, who was set to headline the show’s main stage, will play an hour later than originally scheduled at 10:30 p.m.
Riley Green, who was supposed to play from 7:50-8:50 p.m. on the Mane Stage, has also been taken off the lineup for Saturday.
Pitbull’s late night set at the Mustang Stage was supposed to go from 11-11:55 p.m. He is now on from midnight to 1 a.m.
Gavin Adcock is now joining the Whiskey Jam All Star Sing-Along in the Palomino Tent from 11-11:45 p.m. instead of his solo set.
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Wind forces Stagecoach to briefly evacuate
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Wind forces Stagecoach to evacuate
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Stagecoach re-opens its doors after brief wind-related shutdown
As of 8:42 p.m., the festival advised via its mobile app that Stagecoach will resume momentarily. “We are working to open doorsand prep the site for your safety,” the alert said. “Stay tuned for updates.” By 9 p.m. the gates were reopened and fans began returning.
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High winds postpone Stagecoach until further notice
Festival goers frolic in the gusty wind at sunset during the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at Empire Polo Club.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Due to high winds, festival promoter Goldenvoice has postponed Stagecoach until further notice and crowds are currently being evacuated. The city of Indio where the fest is located is under a strong wind advisory until 11 a.m. Sunday morning. More to come…
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Does Teddy Swims just live here now?
Teddy Swims performs on the Mane Stage during the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at Empire Polo Club, in Indio, CA on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Has anyone checked on Teddy Swims’ house in whatever city he lives in besides Indio? The tattooed soul-rock singer played Stagecoach on Saturday night after doing both weekends of Coachella, and once again he brought out David Lee Roth to sing Van Halen’s “Jump” — an indelible ‘80s staple these guys are double-handedly willing into a Gen Z anthem.
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The winds have arrived
A fan holds on to their hat during gusty winds and dances to Teddy Swims performance on the Mane Stage during the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
That wind advisory for Stagecoach wasn’t blowing smoke.
The gusts have arrived at the Empire Polo Club and it’s time for my favorite annual game of watching the cowboys chase after their hats.
Hopefully it won’t be as bad as Coachella Weekend 1, when someone was reportedly injured at the Do Lab by a falling object and Anyma had to cancel the debut of the “Æden” production.
We’ve still got Journey and Bush on the Mustang Stage tonight, which isn’t as protected from the elements.
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Food lessons from the Guy Fieri fever dream
Guy Fieri features his latest smokehouse dish during the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Evan Schaben/For The Times)
Stagecoach is known for strange bedfellows (see: Emo Nite with Ashlee Simpson yesterday) but Guy Fieri with Wynonna Judd, Billy Bob Thornton, Gavin Rossdale and Gavin Adcock is so odd it seems like an AI hallucination. I promise you it happened Saturday afternoon.
“Everybody loves food. That’s the common denominator,” Fieri told the crowd, which included a woman who impressively dressed up as Fieri, fake mustache/goatee and a flame-covered bowling shirt.
“Flavortownnnnn!” Judd said as she walked onto the demonstration stage at Guy’s Stagecoach Smokehouse.
“Just so you know, we could do our own cooking show,” Fieri said as he introduced her.
Each of the stars was paired with a chef, which included Eric Greenspan, Mark Murphy, Aaron May and Hunter Fieri.
Thornton made salmon and fried okra with spicy hummus with Hunter Fieri. The “Landman” star said the key for good fried okra is to use cornmeal. He also shared his favorite chili, which isn’t hot for the sake of being hot.
“Calabrian chili has a flavor,” Thornton said.
He also told the crowd of a new delicacy he discovered: white grapes and dipped it in spicy Dijon mustard.
“It blew my mind,” Thornton said.
Adcock, meanwhile made a giant prime rib sandwich and beer battered onion rings.
“I’m a big beef guy,” Adcock said.
Meanwhile, Bush frontman Rossdale was doing what Fieri said was a first for Stagecoach — he made an Asian dish of smoked chicken dredged and flash-fried and shared with two sauces: one a Japanese rice wine and the other a sweet sauce.
“This guy is a real foodie,” Fieri said about Rossdale, who has his own cooking show. “I’m gonna put a chef with him but he doesn’t need it.”
Speaking of strange things, here’s my pitch for an “Odd Couple” reboot: Rossdale and Adcock with Fieri as the wacky neighbor. Someone point me to the Paramount+ tent so I can pitch it.
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How Lainey Wilson, an ‘11-year overnight sensation,’ became country music’s brightest new star
“Where was TikTok when I needed it?” Lainey Wilson asks with a laugh. “Would’ve saved me a lot of damn time.”
(Libby Danforth / For The Times)
NASHVILLE — Lainey Wilson headlines the Mane Stage at Stagecoach at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Read Mikael Wood’s 2022 interview with Wilson from our archives.
Lainey Wilson’s first paying gig as a singer was the grand opening of a convenience store in her tiny hometown of Baskin, La. She was 9 years old, and the job paid 20 bucks.
Getting into the groove at Stagecoach
A person grooves high above the crowd while watching Emo Nite DJs inside Diplo’s Honkytonk during the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
See more photos from Stagecoach 2026.
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Gavin Rossdale on his new cooking show and the burden of being beautiful
“I’m not a professional chef who can tell you what to do,” says Gavin Rossdale of Bush. “And I don’t want to be that guy.”
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Bush plays the Mustang Stage at 6:45 p.m. We caught up with frontman Gavin Rossdale in 2025.
Three decades after he found alternative-rock stardom as the frontman of Bush, Gavin Rossdale has a new job: TV chef. In each episode of “Dinner With Gavin Rossdale,” which premiered Thursday on Vizio’s WatchFree+ platform, the 59-year-old singer and guitarist welcomes a different celebrity guest — first up is Serena Williams, followed by the likes of Selma Blair, Tom Jones and Jack McBrayer — into his Studio City abode for a home-cooked meal and an intimate conversation. Rossdale, who shares three sons with ex-wife Gwen Stefani, spoke on a recent morning about the show and his life in Los Angeles and about Bush, which will resume touring later this year behind the band’s 10th studio album, “I Beat Loneliness.”
10 minutes backstage with Bailey Zimmerman at Stagecoach
Bailey Zimmerman performs Friday night at the Stagecoach festival in Indio.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Bailey Zimmerman performed Friday night at Stagecoach, where his set mixed post-grunge country hits like “Religiously” and “Where It Ends” with a cover of Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” and an appearance by BigXthaPlug on their duet “All the Way.” Before Zimmerman’s set, I met with the 26-year-old singer inside a denim-bedecked pop-up presented by American Eagle, for whom Zimmerman serves as an official spokesbro.
Did you only agree to become an American Eagle ambassador because you thought you might be able to meet Sydney Sweeney?
I would understand why you would think that. But honestly, no — it was a full circle moment in my life. Before my American Eagle deal, I had all the American Eagle underwear. They couldn’t send me new ones — I had ’em all.
Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Saturday’s livestream with Lainey Wilson, Bush, Teddy Swims, Pitbull and more
Lainey Wilson will headline Saturday night at the Stagecoach Festival. You can watch her set on the livestream.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Ready to sing along from your couch? The Amazon Music Stagecoach Saturday livestream has you covered. For a heartfelt ballad, you’ll be able to tune in as Teddy Swims and Lainey Wilson take the Stagecoach stage. Take a trip back in time to watch Bush perform, then end the night tuning into Mr. Worldwide taking over the desert as Pitbull closes out the Saturday performances.
The festival will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Prime Video and Twitch. On Sirius XM’s the Highway (channel 56), you can listen to exclusive interviews and live performances. Their station Y’allternative will also be covering the festival on Saturday.
Howdy from Day 2 of Stagecoach
Michelle Barron, Stacey Schafer, Taylor gill, Sarah McKinnon, all of Ladera Ranch, take photos in the Rhinestone Saloon area during the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
We’re back for a second day of Stagecoach and you’re going to want to hold on to your hat.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory starting at 2 p.m. and lasting until 11 a.m. Sunday. Winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 50 mph are expected. The South Coast Air Quality Management District also issued a windblown dust advisory for the Coachella Valley. That means you will absolutely want to have a face covering out at the Empire Polo Club today.
It seems appropriate that Lainey Wilson is headlining tonight. The star had a hit with the song “Out of Oklahoma” from the 2024 movie “Twisters.”
I’m just hoping Mr. Worldwide himself, Pitbull, doesn’t get blown away for his late night Mustang Stage set.
It’s also not quite as sunny as it was on Friday, with more cloud cover, and the high will only be in the low 80s.
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The best, weirdest and most emo moments of Stagecoach Day 1
Emo nite featuring Ashlee Simpson performs at Diplo’s Honkytonk during the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at Empire Polo Club, in Indio, CA on April 24, 2026.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
After a brief reprieve following the end of Coachella, we find ourselves in the desert again for Stagecoach — hot, dusty and eager to be amused. The first day of the weekend offered plenty of top-tier country performances including Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, and Bailey Zimmerman along with a dose of nostalgia courtesy of ‘90s stars Counting Crows and Emo Nite featuring Ashlee Simpson. Let’s also not forget that Stagecoach is a place to catch celebrity cameos—we’re looking at you, Sydney Sweeney. Here’s our recap of all the fun we experienced on Day 1 of the festival.
Jessie Erickson, of Anchorage, Alaska, sings “more than my home town” by Morgan Wallen at the SYRN Saloon during the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at Empire Polo Club, in Indio, CA on April 24, 2026.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Billy Bob Thornton on how Taylor Sheridan wrote ‘Landman’ with him in mind
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Billy Bob Thornton and his band the Boxmasters play the Palomino Stage at 4:45 p.m. Saturday. Thornton talked to us in 2024 about “Landman,” his Paramount+ show that’s part of the streamer’s pop-up presence at Stagecoach.
Billy Bob Thornton recently did a two-for-one. The actor was able to promote his new Paramount+ series, “Landman,” while on tour with his band, the Boxmasters, in Texas in September. “I did a few things along the road,” he says. “Not many. There were a few phone interviews and then a couple of cities where they had a SAG screening that I would go do a Q&A in the afternoon before the shows.”
What’s the deal with Stagecoach’s new Mustang Stage?
BigXThaPlug performs on the new Mustang Stage during the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Evan Schaben/For The Times)
This year, Stagecoach has a new stage, the Mustang. Unlike the OG Mustang from the festival’s early years (essentially the old Gobi Tent from Coachella), the new Mustang Stage at Stagecoach is NOT Coachella’s Sahara Tent, but rather a new large outdoor stage built in front of the Sahara Tent and where Radiohead’s Bunker was during Coachella.
It’s the new site for the late night shows from Diplo, Pitbull and Ludacris after the Mane Stage wraps each night. It’s also where you can find ‘90s rock bands like Counting Crows, Bush and Third Eye Blind, as well as classic rock icons Journey.
BigXThaPlug, with actress Sydney Sweeney in the audience, was one of the big draws for the stage on Friday.
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10 minutes backstage with Lyle Lovett at Stagecoach
Lyle Lovett performs Friday at the Stagecoach festival in Indio.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Lyle Lovett performed Friday evening in Stagecoach’s Palomino tent with the group of killers he calls his Large Band. After the show, I sat with the singer and actor in the front seats of what I’ll call his Large SUV. “It’s a rental,” he said.
We’re in here because you want to protect your voice?
You know, I don’t smoke marijuana.
Scenes from Stagecoach, including Dan + Shay’s surprise Friday set
Dan + Shay (Dan Smyers, left, and Shay Mooney) perform on the Palomino Stage during the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival on Friday.
(Evan Schaben/For The Times)
Duo Dan+ Shay joined the festival lineup just two weeks ago as a surprise addition.
See our photo gallery from Stagecoach 2026.
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Sydney Sweeney takes pictures with fans at Stagecoach
Actress Sydney Sweeney takes photos with fans before watching rapper BigXthaPlug perform on the Mustang Stage during the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival on Friday.
(Evan Schaben/For The Times)
Actress Sydney Sweeney snapped photos with fans during BigXThaPlug’s set at the Mustang Stage Friday at Stagecoach. Sweeney also has a pop-up bar promoting her lingerie line Syrn at the festival. (Keep scrolling to see more about Sweeney’s pop-up.)
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Cody Johnson closes Night 1 with Boyz II Men
Cody Johnson headlined opening night of the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Cody Johnson opened his headlining set Friday night by promising to “bring a little Texas to California if that’s all right with y’all.” Yet the most surprising moment of his 90-minute show actually brought a bit of Philadelphia to Stagecoach when Boyz II Men dropped in to join Johnson for a rendition of the veteran R&B crew’s “On Bended Knee.”
If we’re being honest, the vocal mix was … not the evening’s finest. But the selection was appealingly unexpected from a down-the-middle country star like Johnson, who spent much of the rest of his set recounting his long music-industry come-up and urging folks to see past their differences in the name of unity.
He also lamented the three months he had to take off the road after busting his eardrum last year — “I was depressed about it,” he said — before acknowledging that the unanticipated break meant he got to be home for the birth of his youngest child.
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What it was like to celebrate Emo Nite with Ashlee Simpson and 3OH!3 at Stagecoach
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Bailey Zimmerman with an encouraging word
Bailey Zimmerman performs on the Mane Stage during the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Bailey Zimmerman brought his puppy-ish energy — and an encouraging self-help message — to Stagecoach’s main stage Friday night ahead of Cody Johnson’s headlining set. “I grew up with nothing, and I worked my ass off to be where I am,” he bellowed before ripping off his shirt to punctuate the point.
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Counting Crows and the perfect Stagecoach sunset
I am VERY into the ‘90s alt acts playing Stagecoach 2026 (I see you, Third Eye Blind) and Counting Crows got things off to a sublime start as the sun set Friday.
While the band played its breakout hit, “Mr. Jones,” early in the set, singer Adam Duritz let the crowd take the lead and almost did some spoken word in the second verse.
“How was your first day at country Coachella? They only call it Stagecoach because Count-chella doesn’t sound good,” the singer asked the crowd before the band launched into the “Shrek 2” hit “Accidentally in Love.”
The hits kept coming, including “Round Here” and “Rain King.”
But the perfect moment under cotton candy skies happened during the band’s penultimate song, the hit “A Long December” off 1996’s “Recovering the Satellites.” With the crowd singing along, the sun setting behind the mountains and good feelings all around, it was nothing if not a vibe.
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Ella Langley takes a victory lap
Ella Langley performs on the Mane Stage during the opening day of the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival at Empire Polo Club.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“I’m gonna go ahead and burst your bubble,” Ella Langley said about halfway through her main-stage set Friday night. She’d just teed up her brand-new single, “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” a shimmering roots-soul duet with country’s biggest star, Morgan Wallen. “Morgan is not here,” she continued. “He’s on dad duty this weekend. Can’t blame a man for being a good dad.”
And you can’t blame Langley for managing expectations. But she didn’t need Wallen (or anybody else) to show why she’s the biggest thing in country music right now: This was an effortlessly cool performance by a deeply vibey singer and songwriter who’s absorbed more than Stevie Nicks’ predilection for lightweight shawls. (“Broken” was extremely Fleetwood Mac-coded.)
Langley did bring out a special guest: the podcaster Theo Von, who did Riley Green’s part in “You Look Like You Love Me” for some reason. (Big podcaster energy is what I’ll say.) She played “Choosin’ Texas” — her dreamy pop-country smash that’s currently at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 — not last but next to last, leaving “Weren’t for the Wind” as her closer. Baller move.
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Emo Nite with Ashlee Simpson and 3OH!3 made Stagecoach dance with their feelings
Ashlee Simpson was a guest at the Emo Nite DJ set during the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival on Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
I said that it felt like I went to Warped Tour two weeks ago when I saw ska/punk band Less Than Jake perform at Coachella’s Heineken House and this weekend I found the Stagecoach version of Warped Tour on Day 1!
How is the giant country festival channeling the SoCal-born traveling punk festival, you ask? The popular Emo Nite DJ set was booked at Diplo’s Honky Tonk. (Emo Nite is no stranger to the Goldenvoice desert fests, by the way. They played the Sahara Tent at Coachella a few years back, too.)
Emo Nite’s Morgan Reed and T.J. Petracca opened up with Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar We’re Going Down” to set the sing-a-long tone before blistering through a set of remixes to songs by beloved emo and pop-punk artists such as Panic! At the Disco, Paramore, All-American Rejects and My Chemical Romance. They also played some emo-adjacent and not-so-emo-adjacent tracks, such as the Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” System of a Down’s “Chop Suey,” Blink-182’s “All the Small Things” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” (Bieberchella lives even at Stagecoach!)
Ashlee Simpson was one of the guests for Emo Nite at Stagecoach on Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Part of the appeal of the set was special guest Ashlee Simpson. She arrived at the end of the DJ set to perform and when she did “La La” the crowd went nuts.
Simpson wasn’t the only guest. 3OH!3 also showed up, dressed up like Woody from “Toy Story” to perform a couple of songs, including “My First Kiss.”
The members of 3OH!3, dressed as Woody from “Toy Story,” surprised Stagecoach fans for a guest appearance during the Emo Nite DJ set at the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
This Emo Nite set definitely skewed younger, which matched the crowd. (Am I sad that we had no Jimmy Eat World or Taking Back Sunday? Yes, but I know I’m an elder emo.)
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Bailey Zimmerman talks Stagecoach, Justin Bieber and his first truck
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The unlikely heavy metal cover at Stagecoach
Despite the heat, the people keep pouring into Stagecoach even for the early acts.
One of my favorite things about this fest is that there are always interesting cover choices and the first one I heard today that caught my attention was Avery Anna on the Mane Stage doing a cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s “No More Tears.”
Ozzy! At Stagecoach!
It was weird to hear it while I watched Ella Langley and Bailey Zimmerman capture branded content for American Eagle Jeans, but it’s Stagecoach, baby.
I am on my way to a rather unlikely Stagecoach pairing: Emo Nite with Ashlee Simpson
I learned my lesson the last time I was here when Diplo’s Honky Tonk was filled up so I made sure I am here early to make sure I get a spot and test if one can line dance to emo.
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I found a karaoke bar at Stagecoach — but it was Sydney Sweeney’s lingerie pop-up
Jessie Erickson, of Anchorage, Alaska, sings “More Than My Hometown” by Morgan Wallen during the 2026 Stagecoach Country Music Festival. The pop-up Syrn Saloon, a promotion for Sydney Sweeney’s lingerie brand, features karaoke, a bar and games.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
En route to the press tent this sunny Friday, I saw a spot with saloon doors boasting karaoke. It didn’t click that the air-conditioned pop-up was a bar connected to Sydney Sweeney’s Syrn brand until I was inside and saw the lingerie hanging from the bar.
It was early in the day, so not much karaoke was happening, but you could scan a QR code and sign up via a Karafun link. I contemplated doing “A Long December” from the Counting Crows since they’re playing the Mustang Stage this evening, but thought it would No.1 bring down the mood and No.2, not really fit in with the Coyote Ugly vibes.
However, I saw dartboards on the wall and a sign to ask the “brand ambassador” about darts and I immediately thought — the hard drinkin’ Stagecoach crowd should probably not have sharp objects. They don’t. I found a “brand ambassador” and he showed off the darts, which were magnetic. It still might not be the best idea to let people throw projectiles as the night goes on, though.
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Stagecoach fans arrive early on Friday afternoon
As the gates opened large crowds of country music fans make their way across the dusty fields of the Empire Polo Club to claim prime viewing spots on opening day of the three-day Stagecoach Country Music Festival. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
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Bailey Zimmerman on what he learned from his dad and what he’s learning about God
“I definitely didn’t grow up in church singing in the suit and tie,” says Bailey Zimmerman. “I was always the kid who was like, ‘Why can’t I wear a hat to church?’”
(Emil Ravelo / For The Times)
Bailey Zimmerman plays Stagecoach’s Mane Stage at 7:50 p.m. Friday, April 24. We caught up with him last summer.
Bailey Zimmerman bounds into a conference room at his manager’s office in Beverly Hills with the puppyish enthusiasm of someone even younger than he is. At 25, Zimmerman has already scored four No. 1 country-radio hits — including “Rock and a Hard Place” and the namesake track from his double-platinum 2023 debut, “Religiously. The Album” — and toured stadiums as an opening act for his pal Morgan Wallen. Now, the singer and songwriter has readied a follow-up LP, “Different Night Same Rodeo,” which he says expands his sound in new and unexpected directions.
Stagecoach 2026 is officially underway
Hello from sunny Indio where there are very few clouds in the sky and my phone says it is 86 degrees. (It’s going to get a little warmer today before cooling off for the weekend.)
Fans cheered as the gates opened a few minutes after 1 p.m., as dozens of fans lugged around camping chairs on their backs as they passed through security.
That is one of the big differences between Coachella and Stagecoach. At Stagecoach, you can bring your own low-backed chair into general admission areas.
After I parked I overheard a group of 20-something guys talking about the other festival that just wrapped in the desert.
“Stagecoach I’ll do every year ‘til I die but I want to go to Coachella once when the lineup is really good to see what the difference is,” one said.
As the 200 or so people ahead of me wait to go through security, we at least get a soundtrack of 2Pac and Dr. Dre’s “California Love” playing from inside the fest. The vibes, they are good.
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Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz on Taylor Swift, Bob Saget and trying to hit that high note in ‘Mr. Jones’
“It’s a weird thing as an artist to have your life judged solely by people who don’t know you — and with no sympathy, only ridicule,” says Adam Duritz.
(Mark Seliger)
Counting Crows plays Stagecoach’s Mustang Stage at 6:45 p.m. Friday, April 24. Here’s an interview from our archives when we caught up with singer Adam Duritz in 2023.
In September 1993, Adam Duritz and his Bay Area folk-rock band, Counting Crows, released their debut album, “August and Everything After,” which went on to sell 7 million copies, spawned an inescapable radio smash in “Mr. Jones” and turned the dreadlocked Duritz into one of Hollywood’s most enthusiastic daters of actors (including, as the story goes, two “Friends” cast members in Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox).
Ashlee Simpson blazed a trail. Now she’s seeing where it leads
“I miss performing and I miss music and I miss writing — I miss the grind of it,” says Ashlee Simpson. “I just want to have fun and throw my hair around and rock out.”
(Annie Noelker / For The Times)
Ashlee Simpson will appear with Emo Nite at Diplo’s Honkytonk at Stagecoach at 5 p.m. Friday, April 24. We caught up with her last summer.
Ashlee Simpson has a cold, and thank goodness for that.
14 desert side quests to check out beyond Stagecoach
Crowds pour into the Empire Polo Grounds on the first day of the Coachella Music Festival on April 15, 2022.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Planning a proper trip to Coachella or Stagecoach is a master class in logistics. Before setting foot on the Empire Polo Club where these annual fests are held, fans have already made decisions on where to stay, what to pack, where to eat, what to see and which bandanna will be covering your nose and mouth from the dust on the walk back to the car. But true veterans of this fest know that one of the best parts of this desert journey is planning some side quests. Carving out time to indulge in natural wonders, great food, outsider art, local record shopping and more is all part of making the most of any festival weekend in Indio. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a very doable list of enjoyable extracurricular excursions to fill some free time with 14 essential experiences.
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Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Friday’s livestream with Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman
Bailey Zimmerman will perform at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Choosin’ to stay home instead of trekking out to Indio for this weekend’s Stagecoach festival? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to listen to all the country music your heart desires. You can get your country heartbreak on with Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman and Cody Johnson, and then rock out with Counting Crows. If you prefer EDM, you can catch Diplo and Dillstradamus (Dillon Francis and Flosstradamus) as Friday’s closing acts.
The festival will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video and Twitch beginning at 3 p.m. On Sirius XM’s The Highway (channel 56), you can listen to exclusive interviews and live performances along with a special edition of the Music Row Happy Hour. The station Y’Allternative will also be covering the festival on Friday evening.
Stagecoach 2026: What to know about the festival — and how to watch from home
The Stagecoach Country Music Festival returns to the Empire Polo Club in Indio from April 24 to 26.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Trade the flower crowns and sneakers for a cowboy hat and some boots, because Coachella has moved out of the Empire Polo Club in Indio and the Stagecoach Festival is moving in, April 24 to 26.
Post Malone, who headlined Coachella in 2025 and played a set of country covers at Stagecoach in 2024, is back to headline the country music fest along with Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson.
Welcome to Stagecoach. We’re your guides to the weekend
Singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson performs on the Mane Stage at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio in 2023. Wilson is one of the headliners of Stagecoach 2026.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Follow our live blog as Times Pop Music Critic Mikael Wood and Senior Audience Editor Vanessa Franko cover this weekend’s Stagecoach Country Music Festival, from the biggest sets and surprise guests to a visit to Guy Fieri’s Flavortown outpost in the desert.
Well, Vanessa, we’re back. After a brief reprieve following the end of Coachella, you and I find ourselves in the desert again — hot, dusty and eager to be amused. I’m looking forward to Stagecoach performances by Ella Langley, who currently has the No. 1 album and single in the country, and the raft of ‘90s rock bands on the bill, Bush and Third Eye Blind among them. And I’m curious what Post Malone has in store for his Sunday-night headlining set: Will he do straight country or do a mix of his Nashville stuff and his old rap hits? — M.W.
Mikael, with all of the ‘90s nostalgia going on, have we considered that Posty could bust out a set of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” like he did during the pandemic? That’s not going to happen, but I’m all about time traveling to the KROQ Weenie Roast circa 1997. I’m planning to spend a lot of time at the new Mustang Stage to see those ‘90s bands you mentioned, plus Counting Crows, Hootie & the Blowfish, The Wallflowers and Journey. In a time when we’re so divided, can anything unite us more than a sing-along to “Don’t Stop Believin’”? — V.F.
Big Weenie Roast energy here, my friend, I agree. Then again, Cody Johnson as a headliner Friday night shows that Stagecoach is still looking to hold it down for traditional country fans. Given the scale of surprises at Coachella — the one and only Madonna springs to mind — I wonder who’ll pop out unannounced this weekend. Seems like a safe bet that Lainey Wilson has some big names up her fringed sleeve for Saturday night. — M.W.
Speaking of guests, Teddy Swims is back after two weekends of bringing out guests at Coachella and all I keep thinking is will David Lee Roth return for a third weekend to sing “Jump” and will he have a third pair of chevron-patterned stage pants?
But I love how truly random Stagecoach gets once you’re away from the Mane Stage. Pitbull doing a Saturday late night set? Don’t stop the party. Emo Nite featuring Ashlee Simpson in Diplo’s Honky Tonk? Giddy up and let’s figure out how to line dance to My Chemical Romance. Guy Fieri cooking with Gavin Rossdale, Gavin Adcock, Billy Bob Thornton and Wynonna Judd? Count me in for that fever dream. — V.F.
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