Coachella 2024 tickets: Registration for presale open. What you need to know

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is almost a year away, but it's time to start planning and buy those passes for the 2024 festival on April 12-14 and and 19-21 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.

Registration is open now at prereg.coachella.com for the 11 a.m., Friday presale. But wait, there's more. Before you buy those passes, you'll need to set up an account ahead of time at fanaccount.axs.com. GA passes are $499 to $599 and VIP is $1,069 to $1,269.

Payment plans are available while supplies last for $99 down at checkout and 6 equal payments due the 15th of every month through December 2023.

The lineup for the 2024 festival has yet to be revealed, and if history holds, won't be announced until January 2024.

The 2023 festival featured headliners Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean. Ocean, who was first supposed to headline the festival in 2020 before it was sidelined by COVID-19, was the Sunday headliner on Weekend 1 and started almost an hour late. A rumored large stage piece that included an ice rink was scrapped at the last second. He performed a shorter-than-advertised set. The set, as much as it could be called one with a late start and an early finish, left many fans angry and was panned by many on social media.

To no one's surprise, it was announced the Wednesday between the two festival weekends that Ocean would not be back for Weekend 2. He was replaced as a headliner by Blink-182, the alt-punk band who was a late addition to the lineup for Weekend 1. They played the Sahara tent on Friday of the first weekend and then the Coachella Stage (main stage) on Sunday for Weekend 1.

Also to fill the Sunday night Ocean-sized gap, the trio of DJs Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred Again were added to the Weekend 2 bill.

Coachella organizers often react to the current state of music and the ongoing boom of Spanish-language music was expressed in the number of high- and low-profile acts on the bill, which included Becky G, Rosalía, Bratty, Eladio Carrión, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Conexión Divina and Desert Hot Springs' own DannyLux, to name more than a few.

The 2023 festival was also the first time Weekend 2 wasn't sold out since Goldenvoice added a second weekend in 2012. A 2022 Wall Street Journal article examined many issues facing promoters of festivals such as the rising ticket costs, an “oversaturation of events" and featuring many of the same artists on lineups.

In recent years, festivals have offered more upscale experiences for affluent demographics. Coachella offers a $15,000 package featuring on-site furnished studio accommodations, premium passes, golf cart transportation, concierge services and more.

In April, Goldenvoice announced the Oct. 6-8 metal festival Power Trip, also taking place at the Empire Polo Club. But the excitement surrounding the event waned when festival passes went on sale. In recent weeks, it appeared the premium seating in front of the stage and in the grandstands at $799 to $3,899 was selling, but more seats were recently added. GA passes are also still available at $599.

More: Power Trip: Coachella Valley locals say Goldenvoice's metal festival is 'too expensive'

Previous reporting by Desert Sun staff was included in this report.

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella 2024 tickets: Registration open for presale. What you need to know