Model Kendall Jenner (top C) and Alfredo Flores (bottom C), Hailey Baldwin (L) and guests in the audience during Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Photo / Getty
Model Kendall Jenner (top C) and Alfredo Flores (bottom C), Hailey Baldwin (L) and guests in the audience during Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Photo / Getty
It was dubbed "Beychella" after Beyonce's performance and featured more nipple covers, exposed G-strings and Instagram models than any other festival.
Coachella held its second weekend in the Californian desert, and there was as much action off the stage as there was on it.
Music fans attend day 3 of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Photo / Getty
From the loos to celebrity parties,here's what you didn't see at "Beychella".
Ariana Grande, who had performed No Tears Left to Cry with Norwegian DJ Kygo, attended a private after-party held next to an Airstream.
With her hair in a peroxide blonde ponytail and wearing glitter eyeshadow and a purple tutu, she was there with her boyfriend, Mac Miller.
Guyliner-clad Daniel Johns, who performed at Coachella with his new band DREAMS, was spied with controversial model, Michelle Leslie.
Byonce Knowles performs onstage during 2018 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival Weekend. Photo / Getty
Supermodels Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin and Jordyn Woods (the Instagram model and Kylie Jenner's BFF) were seen dancing to The Weeknd in the guest viewing area at the side of the main stage.
American Teen singer Khalid drew near hysteria from even Coachella's coolest crowd, performing Young Dumb & Broke during SZA's set.
Backstage, he chatted with rapper Ty Dolla $ign and his girlfriend, Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui.
At Beyonce's homecoming-themed performance (aka "Beychella"), Cardi B, Jennifer Hudson, Katy Perry, and Kendall and co. watched on from a private viewing area.
Jay Z tenderly touched Cardi B's baby bump as he greeted the Bodak Yellow singer by worshipping her pregnant belly.
Cardi B (L) and Offset of Migos perform onstage during the 2018 Coachella festival. Photo / Getty
No wonder Beyonce's headline set, featuring a human pyramid of dancers and musicians, a Destiny's Child reunion and costumes by French luxury house Balmain, almost broke the internet.
"Initially I was like, 'Bey, just go out there and have fun. People are gonna be so excited to see you,'" Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams said, according to People.
"And then I walked into rehearsal for the first time and saw this big old pyramid and that it was gonna be filled to the brim with humans," Williams added.
"I said, 'What in the bejesus is this? I told you just to go have fun!' But she can never do anything that we would think is normal. And this is what's fun for her."
ON-SITE
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival rakes in serious cash — $US704 million ($A906 million), according to the Los Angeles Times, with estimated spending in the area billed at more than $US400 million ($A515 million).
The festival's owner, Golden Voice, is a pro at staging the three-day event, held over two consecutive weekends in Indio. General admission tickets cost about $US500, with VIP passes priced at $US1000 ... and those prices doubled at resale.
The VIP enclosure featured shorter queues for drinks, cutting wait-times to between five and 15 minutes, from longer lines in the general admission areas.
Dani Thorne during day 3 of the 2018 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Photo / Getty
Security guards checked IDs to an almost obsessive level, staffers emptied bins often so there was rarely excess rubbish, and the toilets were much cleaner than an average festival. The loos in the money-can't-buy-access artist's lounge were almost hotel-like, with lavender pot plants and wooden floors, and a 24/7 concierge service on speed dial.
And while Coachella sent social media into a frenzy of selfies, it was hard to actually access Instagram or Snapchat while at the site because the Wi-Fi was incredibly slow.
MERCHANDISE
There were packed queues at the merchandise tents, where staff told News Corp Australia that Beyonce, The Weeknd, Tyler the Creator, and SZA-branded clothes, headwear and accessories were among the top-sellers.
Within hours, a grey Bey crew-neck sweater had nearly sold-out with only sizes XL and XXL remaining, while a Coachella peach jumper with balloons on the sleeves ($US50) was also close to selling out on the Friday.
Caps, cotton hankies and basic Coachella tees in white, grey and black cost about $US30 each.
GLAMPING
Even more exclusive than VIP access at Coachella was the exclusive Safari precinct, which cost between $US8,500 and $US20,000.
There, guests including Vanessa Hudgens stayed in five-star Shikar safari-style tents close to the festival's backstage compound (and nowhere near the public camping precinct), were driven around in golf buggies, and watched acts from guest viewing areas right in front of the stages.
It meant you could so get so close during Beyonce's performance that you could see the rips in her fishnet stockings.
The Safari glamping zone featured an air-conditioned private bar with a live stream of the main stages.
This writer watched rising LA-based rapper Kyle via the live link, then boarded a golf buggie en route to the stage, and was watching the Nothing 2 Lose performer in the flesh, front row, within minutes (he crowd surfed while balancing on an actual surfboard).
The sold-out Safari enclosure also featured security, a glam station (glitter eyeshadow, hair pins and temporary tattoos), and hotel-style mobile toilets with a 24-hour cleaning service, antibacterial towelettes, and flattering lighting for mirror selfies.
The packages came with guest or artist passes, depending on the package. Tickets to Coachella 2019 are expected to go on sale in January next year.
