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Over the next few days, thousands of festival goers will descend on a valley in the Californian desert to attend the sold-out second weekend of Coachella 2026. 

The festival is one of the biggest of its kind, with the star power of its global headliners rivalled only by its a-list attendees. But the Coachella of the past was a very different festival, one born out of a protest led by Pearl Jam, and an artist boycott against Ticketmaster.  

Today we’ll explore how Coachella started, and what’s happened between then and now.

Hosts: Emma Gillespie and Lucy Tassell
Producer: Rosa Bowden

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Over the next few days, thousands of festival goers will descend on a valley in the Californian desert to attend the sold-out second weekend of Coachella 2026. The festival is one of the biggest of its kind, with the star power of its global headliners rivalled only by its a-list attendees. But the Coachella of the past was a very different festival, one born out of a protest led by Pearl Jam, and an artist boycott against Ticketmaster. &nbsp; Today we&rsquo;ll explore how Coachella started, and what&rsquo;s happened between then and now.
Hosts: Emma Gillespie and Lucy Tassell Producer: Rosa Bowden
Want to support The Daily Aus? That's so kind! The best way to do that is to click &lsquo;follow&rsquo; on Spotify or Apple and to leave us a five-star review. We would be so grateful.
The Daily Aus is a media company focused on delivering accessible and digestible news to young people. We are completely independent.
Want more from TDA? <a href="https://thedailyaus.com.au/newsletter/">Subscribe to The Daily Aus newsletter</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thedailyaus">Subscribe to The Daily Aus&rsquo; YouTube Channel</a>
Have feedback for us? We&rsquo;re always looking for new ways to improve what we do. If you&rsquo;ve got feedback, we&rsquo;re all ears.&nbsp;<a href="https://thedailyaus.typeform.com/to/D0EhJI4S">Tell us here</a>.

This is a daily news podcast for young people in Australia. Join The Daily Aus team every weekday morning as we cover the news in your language. We’re a newsroom of young journalists, delivering news for young people.

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This is a daily news podcast that breaks down issues important to young people in Australia.