Camping at Coachella Music Festival Comes With Major Perks in 2017

It’s simple: Music festivals and camping belong together, and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is no different.

In just a few weeks' time, thousands of music lovers will descend upon the desert town of Indio, California, all looking to have the absolute best three days of their lives. They’ll see their favorite bands, eat fantastic food, likely get a great Southern California tan, and at the end of the day will need an equally epic place to lay their heads. That’s where Base Camp comes in.

“There’s such a high demand not only for going to the festival, but also camping at the festival,” Derek Boucher, founder of Base Camp, a 40-acre Coachella camping site, said. “All of Coachella’s on-site camping sells out immediately. All around the world, these big music festivals and camping go hand-in-hand.”

Since 2016, Base Camp has been offering an exclusive and outrageously luxurious experience for festival attendees looking to level up their weekend. Located just six miles south of the festival grounds, the camp offers up spots for car, tent, and RV camping.

This year, Base Camp also partnered with Shelter Co. to offer high-end, turn-key tent accommodations. Upgrade your reservation for $575 for the weekend and they’ll set up your tent, queen bed, seating area, lighting, and more.

While Base Camp was already a must-see and must-stay spot in 2016, this year, Boucher says, “the sky's the limit.”

Beyond simple accommodation space, Base Camp will also offer up hotel-quality amenities including lunch and dinner options from Trio restaurant out of Palm Springs, a cocktail and wine bar, and a beauty bar so guests can freshen up and feel glamorous all day and all night.

“We wanted to take something and craft something more unique, a more curated experience,” Boucher said.

Camping may not be for everyone, but it certainly is for those looking to experience everything the Coachella Valley has to offer in April. And with the average price of a home in the first weekend of Coachella going for more than $660 per night, it may be the coolest, and cheapest, option around.

Check out a few of Boucher’s tips to having a weekend you’ll never forget while camping at Coachella below.

Who is camping good for?

It’s for festival-goers and those looking for a whole experience. There’s so much stuff happening at Coachella, but there’s now also so much stuff going on in the area. We’re not only providing a place for festival-goers, we’re also providing a place for people who just want to be out there and get involved in the whole energy of Indio in April.

Just come to go on a hot air balloon ride, have a cocktail by the pool, watch some bands play.

What should people know before they decide to camp?

It’s one of those things that’s not for everyone, but for the people that do it you know you’ll leave there and you look back and it’s a different experience. It adds to your weekend.

You’re immersing yourself in the festival experience. Better stories to be told after.

What should every camper pack?

Sunscreen. Get a mattress topper. You don’t need much; that’s kind of the beauty of it.

Tent? RV? Glamp?

Personally, I’m an RV guy, but at the same time, you’re more in that experience being in a tent. You’re right in the mix. So as long as the weather holds up, I think a tent is a fun way to go.

I’m doing a luxury tent this year. I’ll be a little extra fancy this year...It’s fully set up. There will be a welcome bag in there filled with surprises.

What is Base Camp really like?

It’s a group of people and everyone’s in this thing together. You’re all there for a common purpose. You get this one big family of people that naturally bond with each other and welcome everyone in.

Okay, but what extra fancy things will I get to experience staying there instead of in a hotel?

We will be doing live acts, curated DJ sets, different partners are coming in. It’s all going to be a surprise.

We’ll do pool parties during the day. We’re working with Trio Restaurant out of Palm Springs. They are coming in and building a pop-up restaurant. We have a couple different partners that will be hosting open bars. We are converting 10 acres of a grass field into this mini-Disneyland.

This article was originally published on TravelAndLeisure.com