Neon Carnival 2018: Coachella’s Most Coveted After Party
As the days become longer in early spring, the city of Los Angeles starts buzz’n about Coachella, America’s most celebrated music festival. The question on many festival-goers minds is how to get a wristband for the famed Neon Carnival, the highly anticipated outdoor desert carnival dance party. Neon Carnival is back for its ninth year, on Saturday, April 14, the first weekend of Coachella. Presented by Levi’s® Brand and Don Julio Tequila, expect top brand sponsors, the best DJ’s fueling the vibes, and the hottest celebs to be in attendance.
Created by famed LA nightlife maven Brent Bolthouse, the exclusive invite-only after hours dance fete is one of the most sought-after parties of the weekend. This year don’t expect to wait in a bus line to shuttle to the airfield because guests will be able to park on-site at the new grounds – HITS Desert Park at Thermal. For those hoping for an invite, try winning your way in via Neon Carnival’s social media.
This year, feel like a kid again as you try out new and exciting carnival-style games and amusement park rides under the stars. Sip specialty Palomas from Don Julio’s Airstream Speakeasy or beers from Golden Road Brewery from their unique customized freight container. Refresh your festival hairstyle at one of the BatisteTMDry Shampoo hairstyling stations. And get your dance shoes ready as Hollywood’s best DJ’s Kayper, DJ Politik, Jesse Marco and DJ Ruckus will keep partygoers moving and grooving ‘til the early morning hours.
Brent Bolthouse was kind enough to answer our burning questions:
Q: What are you most excited about this year at Neon Carnival?
A: I’m excited that this is the most in many years that I’ve been so hands-on working and designing – where things are going to go, how things are going to flow, the new layout, the new floor plan, the new seating areas, and seeing how it all comes together. Hopefully, it works better. I’m sure it will take us a couple years to find the good and bad about being at HITS Desert Park, but we hope to be good stewards of their property and to give it back to them in better shape than they gave it to us.
Q: How will this year be better than past years?
A: How will it be better? See that’s the thing, I don’t know if every year is better or worse. I think it’s just knocking on wood. We’re blessed that we are pretty consistent. You look around and you see people with smiles on their faces because they’re running to get on the Zipper, or they just won a teddy bear, or they’re heading onto the bumper cars again. There’s this euphoria that happens. For me in some weird way it’s like Levis – I’m not trying to make it bigger and better every year. I think we’ve found something that works really, really well. I think we all have amazing memories at a carnival as a child, and to bring that into the adult world. This is a carnival where 1942 is flowing and you’re having a party. It’s really just an adult playground.
Q: How many people will you let in this year?
A: We always expect the same as we did last year, which is about 8,000 people.
If you want to avoid the Coachella traffic leaving LA to the Palm Springs oasis, book a seat with JetSuiteX on one of their 3 flights from LA to the Coachella valley out and back the first weekend (Friday and Monday), and two flights out and back on the second weekend. For the first time ever, they are also offering two flights back and forth to Stagecoach, Friday, April 27, and Monday, April 30 including exclusive invites to Boots on Stage pre-party and a gift bag of goodies on your seat.
Need a dreamy place to rejuvenate from your shenanigans or a last-minute place to stay? Miramonte Resort and Spa in Indian Wells is offering festival-goers direct van shuttle service, plus perks like recovery spa treatments, IV hydration therapy, cocktails and pool parties with live music both weekends.
For more information, visit http://neon-carnival.com
