The desert was hot, but the sets were hotter at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, hosted April 11-13 and April 18-20 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA. Once again serving as the unofficial launch of festival season, the event boasted headline talent including Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone; top-notch f&b from some of the area’s best restaurants; and sponsor activations that solved pain points and enriched the festival experience for the tens of thousands of creators and other culture-obsessed consumers who attended.
The annual affair has become a vast breeding ground for brand experiences, so we couldn’t cover them all. But we did round up some of the most talked about, and shared, sponsor activations from the grounds at Coachella 2025. Throw on your best festival ’fit and let’s dive in.
818 TEQUILA
Drinks flowed freely and celebs abounded at the Kendall Jenner-owned 818 Tequila activation, the 818 Outpost, which returned to Coachella for a third year on April 11. The one-day pop-up, presented by The h.wood Group, was a 1970s AutoCamp-inspired, desert-themed footprint where VIPs lounged and sipped on free 818 Tequila cocktails, Sprinter Vodka Soda, CELSIUS Energy and Saint James Iced Tea. And they walked away with freebies from a host of other brand partners. Festivalgoers also enjoyed dj talent all day, including a performance by DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak). Ultimately, the one-day affair saw 1,500-plus attendees swing through. (Agencies: Bryant, creative; Revolution Marketing, production)
Photo credit: Sammy Alemayhu
ABSOLUT
Absolut, the official vodka partner of Coachella 2025, took its cues from the iconic cosmopolitan cocktail, activating The House of Cosmo experience with help from brand ambassador Paris Hilton. The air-conditioned space underscored the brand’s “Born to Mix” messaging, and offered an escape from the heat, dj sets, craft cocktails, self-expression stations, “The Sliving Room” (“sliving” is a Hilton-coined phrase that means slaying and living your best life) that served as a stylish lounge built for connection, and a host of photo moments inspired by the outline of Absolut’s bottle. (Agency: 160over90)
Photo credit: Marissa Joy Photo
AMERICAN EXPRESS
Consumers and cardmembers alike were invited to stop by the Amex Experience to get a firsthand taste of the perks of being an American Express member. Attendees personalized select merch with festival-themed charms at the “Workshop,” snapped photos in “glimmer”-themed environments, and played dart games to score prizes from small business Cake Monkey Bakery, as well as festival partners Hi-Chew and Coca-Cola. Extra benefits were in store for Amex cardmembers, who could walk up to the Merch To-Go Window to grab a festival bundle that included a bandana, hat and tote bag, while supplies lasted.
Photo credit: Jones Crow
ANKER
The official charging partner of the festival kept attendees’ devices juiced up throughout the event with its network of high-speed, solar-assisted charging stations across the festival. On the experiential front, Anker crafted a power “oasis” for campers staying on the Coachella campgrounds with the Supercharging Hub, a space that provided a range of interactive experiences and “supercharging moments.”
Among top touchpoints: The Volt Vault, a dedicated zone with a custom claw machine filled with Anker power banks and exclusive merchandise; The Polaroid Power Wall that operated as a living art installation that evolved throughout the weekend as printed festival photos were added to it; and The Anker SOLIX Showcase that shined a spotlight on an off-grid car-camping setup powered by Anker’s portable solar generators and electric coolers. Some lucky festivalgoers even walked away with festival-themed merch drops and curated bundles of Anker festival essentials to keep them powered up. (Agency: Mirrored Medial)
Photo credit: Mirrored Media
CROCS
Spending the day on your feet can get old fast at a show like Coachella, so Crocs stepped up to rescue attendees’ barking dogs over the second weekend of the fest with a Fit Stop experience. Festivalgoers could drop by to trade their worn-out shoes for free Crocs Classic Clogs, and even got to personalize the new kicks with festival charms while on-site.
Photo credit: Freyne Photo
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DR. IDRISS SKINCARE
On April 11, Dr. Idriss Skincare was on hand at Ingleside Estates’ “Festival Season in the Desert” event hosted by Young Art Records to provide Coachella VIPs with a wellness retreat. The dermatologist herself, Dr. Idriss, was on-site to offer one-on-one consultations, both personally and through her AI Skin Analysis Machine. Meanwhile, attendees enjoyed a dj set by Melis Kuris and were surprised by special appearances from TOKiMONSTA and Bonobo. Cocktails served poolside were also on tap. (Agency: Gold Sky Productions)
Photo credit: Tara Howard Photography
ELECTROLIT
Electrolit, the official hydration partner of Coachella, arrived at the desert with a two-story, art-themed hydration hub designed to keep festivalgoers refreshed and energized. Surprise programming, bottomless electrolyte-infused beverages and exclusive giveaways were all in the mix. To boot, the brand launched the Electrolit Campground 5k at Coachella 2025, a race celebrating the rise of run-club culture.
GALLERY MEDIA GROUP
Gallery Media Group’s exclusive Gallery House VIP franchise has become a popular platform for producing compelling brand content at scale, and its two-week Gallery Desert House pop-up, which coincided with Coachella, was no exception. Alongside an impressive roster of sponsor partners, from Josh Cellars to Hunter Boots to U by Kotex, the Desert House offered myriad experiential touchpoints and content capture opportunities across a robust agenda of day-to-night programming. From a GRWM (“Get Ready With Me”) studio, to high-energy pool parties, to workouts that were matched to curated playlists, the action was steady.
Standout activations included Josh Cellars, which touted its Seaswept varietal on April 11 with a spirited dj set, Seaswept wine and snack pairings, pro hair and makeup touch-ups, and a glam rhinestone station. There was also a High Noon Vodka Iced Tea “High Tea Party” on April 12 that put the brand’s own spin on traditional English high tea service, offering tea party-inspired snacks and plenty of chances to try different Vodka Iced Tea flavors.
Photo credit: Mark Von Holden/Shutterstock for Gallery Media Group
MAX
HBO Max gave the anticipated fourth season debut of its comedy series “Hacks” a boost with a pop-up “House of Vance” event on April 11 at the Casa Chino Estate. Both fans, including the LGBTQ+ community’s “Little Debbies,” and press could attend and indulge in main character Deborah Vance’s world with a bit of glitz and glam. The high-octane affair featured sets by DJ Trixie Mattel that were inspired by Vance’s comedic flair, an Interactive Glamour zone where fans explored curated wardrobe displays showcasing the character’s most iconic looks, tarot card readings, portrait stations, exclusive series memorabilia to take home and an environment dripping in Vegas-themed décor.
METHOD
Method, the official personal care sponsor of Coachella 2025, delivered another dreamy, sensory-forward experience during weekend one of the festival. The brand not only produced a multiroom, multisensory pop-up activation that was prime for content capture, it leveraged a clever social listening strategy that helped solve a major festival pain point: waiting in line to shower.
When a content creator posted a video, that has since gone viral, of the incredibly long lines to get a shower on the festival grounds in the morning, method arrived at the line to surprise disgruntled attendees with shower upgrade tickets, VIP festival tickets and free products. Plus, Method kept the good vibes (and good smells) going by spraying Method bubbles (made from its Dream Foam product) at festivalgoers to keep them cool and fresh. Over the course of the weekend, Method ultimately dished out more than 100,000 product samples.
Photos: Courtesy of Method
NYLON
NYLON House, and the host of sponsors that help bring it to life, was back at it this year with immersive ocean-inspired environments, trendy décor and design elements, live performances and plenty of spectacle. Activations included everything from Covergirl’s Shimmering Dome, to free piercings from Banter featuring jewelry selected from a treasure chest, to an ocean-themed Sally Hansen manicure, to Marshalls’ dream closet.
Also making waves this year at NYLON House was “Her Album,” Plan B One-Step’s first-ever music-led brand experience, built in partnership with Bustle Digital Group. The company was on hand to combat misinformation, and remind young women that Plan B emergency contraception is legal and available in all 50 U.S. states. Attendees could step inside different eras that defined female artistry to craft their own personalized album cover. On the B-side of the record, the brand listed powerful facts about Plan B, and each album created prompted a monetary donation to local clinics supporting reproductive access to underserved women.
Photo credit: Kit Karzen
PANDORA
A sprawling Coachella Valley estate located near the festival grounds was transformed into the Pandora Charm House during weekend one of Coachella, providing media and influencers with a curated retreat set inside a 10-room home boasting an expansive backyard.
With nods to classic Palm Springs motels, the venue’s rooms were each inspired by a signature Pandora charm, and brought to life through themed décor and artistic elements. When attendees arrived, they were welcomed by a vintage Pandora-branded Cadillac and a retro-inspired, oversized sign. Festivalgoers could then explore the home, which featured a product salon setup that served as a charm bar where they could create custom festival bracelets and necklaces with the help of Pandora sales associates.
Outdoors, there was more to explore across custom-fabricated daybeds, life-size charm installations, a custom putting green, bocce ball and pickleball courts, poolside drinks and massages, yoga sessions, catered meals and nightly s’mores. (Agency: Mirrored Media)
Photos: Courtesy of Pandora
Following its insights-driven Coachella debut in 2024, Pinterest returned to Indio armed with even more user trend data from its platform, which was leveraged to craft relevant on-site installations and engagements that fell under a “Remix yourself on Pinterest” theme. The activation was built to inspire fashionistas to remix popular aesthetics and blend styles to create fresh concepts, like Dark Ethereal and Pastel Goth. And get this: The whole visual identity of the space was designed by Chappell Roan’s creative director, Ramisha Sattar.
During both weekends of the event, Pinterest invited attendees into its surrealistic footprint to experience the year’s top festival trends with the aid of makeup artists and hair stylists. At its core, the activation was designed to get familiar with its collages feature, a tool that lets users cut objects from their favorite Pins to create personalized mood boards that can be shared.
Those interested in “remixing” their style could can a QR code on-site that instantly created a new Pinterest board, then travel through various vignettes to find inspo. As they journeyed through the installations, participants scanned QR codes in each area to save their favorite ideas as Pins on the new board. Then, with a collage full of saved styles, attendees headed to the styling hall, where they had a personal stylist deck them out in their new aesthetic.
When festivalgoers’ new looks were complete, they entered an all-white photo studio and worked with Pinterest’s photographer to select a collage template from a range of artworks designed by Sattar, have their photo taken and then see the two looks combined into a single shareable image.
Photos: Courtesy of Pinterest
RED BULL
The three-story Red Bull Mirage, the company’s new 20,000-square-foot multilevel festival structure, was hard to miss, and the VIPs who got into the footprint during weekend one of the fest were treated to a range of amenities while taking in killer views of the Quasar stage. Over three days, Red Bull offered up high-value activations like a Nobu First Taste experience and happy hour, a pop-up performance by DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak) and the debut of Red Bull Summer Edition slushies, on top of other surprise celebrity appearances and giveaways.
Photos: Chad Wadsworth for Red Bull
SAMYANG FOODS
Samyang Foods, the parent company of viral instant noodles brand Buldak, aimed to expand its global footprint by serving as the official sauce partner of Coachella 2025. As the first Korean brand to become an official partner of the festival, the company activated a multipronged presence that included a partnership with hip-hop artist GloRilla and a content-centric approach.
The centerpiece was a pop-up experience located across from Coachella’s Indio Central Market, which revolved around the brand’s fiery condiment, Buldak Sauce. At the entrance, fans encountered Buldak Duets, where they created content alongside GloRilla. Next, they scanned a QR code and followed audio instructions to sample one of three Buldak Hot Sauce flavors on popcorn, and participated in a 10-second “no reaction” challenge, generating some spicy social posts.
The adventure continued with a multisensory Buldak Launch activation that had attendees strapped into elevated seats and physically hoisted into the air based on their chosen spice level. The spectacle included smoke, air jets and a dramatic countdown that turned the tasting into something of a theme park ride. Naturally, each participant received a personalized video capturing their reaction.
Additional touchpoints included a dessert bar featuring unexpected sweet-and-spicy pairings, and beyond the pop-up, Buldak Sauce was available at five additional sampling stations located around the Coachella grounds. (Agency: Momentum Worldwide)
Photo credit: Jawad Mahmood/Momentum Worldwide for Samyang Foods
SIPMARGS
Hot on the tails of its relaunch, SipMARGS, a canned sparkling margarita brand, rolled up to Revolve Festival (a smaller VIP fest that takes place during Coachella each year) with a social-first strategy that included influencer partner Alix Earle and The Sip Stop, a gas station-inspired installation. Festivalgoers could make a pit stop to snap photos, sip cold margaritas, check out a vintage branded pickup truck, and enjoy a “Truth or Sip” interview between Earle and Revolve. (Agencies: In-house; Melissa Andre Design Co.)
Photo credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Revolve; BFA
SOL DE JANEIRO
Cult-favorite beauty brand Sol de Janeiro dug into its Brazilian roots to deliver Casa Cheirosa, a 30-foot by 30-foot fragrance-forward playground that featured six interactive zones: Attract, Enter, Entice, Engage, Chill and Extend. Across both weekends, as festivalgoers explored the vignettes, brand ambassadors were on hand educating them on the story behind the numbers attached to Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa Perfume Mist products, like Cheirosa 62, inspired by 1960s-era Brazil, a golden age of beach culture, self-expression and the height of the bossa nova music genre. And at Cheirosa Your Way, attendees encountered a fragrance wall installation that combined scent, personalization and play.
Another popular experience was the reimagining of Rio de Janeiro’s iconic orelhões, dome-shaped public phone booths. The brand transformed multiple booths into fragrance pods that were themed after Cheirosa mists, each featuring original artwork designed to capture that product’s mood and identity.
Beyond the orelhões, attendees could enter a lounge featuring a live dj, and wrap up their experience at the House Mini Bar, where they could build a Festival Survival Pouch with body care minis, hydration essentials and their fragrance of choice. The goal? To ensure everyone left refreshed and altogether cheirosa—a term that translates to “smelling incredibly delicious.” (Agency: MKG)
Photos: Courtesy of Sol de Janeiro
STATE FARM X CACTUS JACK
In an unlikely Coachella mashup, State Farm partnered with Travis Scott’s lifestyle brand, Cactus Jack, to debut two custom co-branded varsity jackets embroidered with Scott’s autograph that merged State Farm branding with Cactus Jack’s streetwear aesthetic, and included a “Good Neigh Bear” dressed in Cactus gear on the back.
The jackets were showcased by none other than Jake from State Farm himself inside Cactus Jack’s footprint, which featured bold design elements, including Kawasaki motorcycles hanging from chain-link fences, and offered multiple ways to engage. Like Erewhon x Cactus Jack turmeric shots for a dose of wellness, a “set list” of temporary tattoos provided by fashion brand Vetements, and, of course, the chance for fans to trade State Farm some of their contact info for a shot at taking home one of the coveted jackets.
Photo: Courtesy of State Farm
PROCTER & GAMBLE
P&G’s Always and Tampax brands joined forces to mark a milestone at the fest this year by becoming Coachella’s first-ever official period care partner. According to P&G, an estimated one in four women were likely to get their period during the festival, so its colorful House of Flow was there to the rescue during both weekends with travel-friendly period care products, including the new Always Pocket Flexfoam and Tampax Compact, which were free for the taking. (The complimentary products could also be found in bathrooms across the festival grounds.) Photo ops, like a full-length mirror that attendees could write messages on, along with live dj sets, specialty drinks and games were also part of the experience.
WHITE CLAW
White Claw’s Shore Club experiential platform, which travels to tentpole events, returned to Indio for a second year to deliver an intimate music experience, White Claw Sessions Powered By Billboard, that included a headline performance by Maren Morris and an opening set by new wave artist Maude Latour. To boot, the official hard seltzer of Coachella 2025 engaged attendees via lively dj sets, a custom photo booth, a “CLAW” machine that yielded prizes and upgrades, and plenty of White Claw to go around. (Agency: G7 Entertainment Marketing)
Photos: Courtesy of White Claw
