The 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival descended on Indo, Calif.’s Empire Polo Club for its 24 edition. The festival brought headlining performances from Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott to the 1,000-acre outdoor venue, along with a frenzy of festival fashion, brand activations and immersive events across two weekends: April 11-13 and April 18-20.
Each day of Coachella reportedly drew roughly 125,000 music lovers—the venue’s capacity—who dished out anywhere from $599 for a general admission ticket for weekend two to $1,399 for a VIP ticket for weekend one. In a further display of just how sought-after Coachella is (and the state of finances for the young Americans who attend the festival), 60% of general admission ticket buyers utilized a buy now, pay later (BNPL) plan to secure their passes, according to Forbes.
It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact number of brands that were on-site offering experiences with fans, though the list is surely extensive and includes the likes of Pinterest, Coca-Cola, NYLON, REVOLVE, Pacsun and Aperol Spritz, just to name a few. Here are the 20 that caught Vendelux’s eye, in no particular order…
NYLON House in the Desert Presented by Ulta Beauty
April 11 marked the unofficial kickoff of Coachella 2025 with the return of NYLON House in the Desert, which sought to bring the lifestyle magazine to life as “an electrifying intersection of music, style and nightlife, all wrapped into one unforgettable experience,” said Lauren McCarthy, the editor-in-chief of NYLON.
The event took over MARAZA, a 50-acre event estate in Coachella Valley, and brought with it a slate of sponsors who pulled off their own experiences on site. Title sponsor Ulta Beauty’s undersea-inspired Ulta Beauty Alley, for instance, served as the centerpiece of NYLON House. Here, guests were treated to a hair and makeup bar for touchups alongside larger-than-life sea creatures and themed photo moments.
Additional sponsors included Plan B, which put on a “Her Album” experience that invited guests to step into immersive vignettes and create their own album cover; and Sally Hansen, which brought expert nail artists to create festival-proof manicures inspired by the sea, of course, with oceanic shades and pearlescent finishes.
Pacsun Roadside Stand
Pacsun’s Roadside Stand took over a stretch of Highway 111 in Palm Springs for Coachella weekend one. Designed to be a one-stop shop for festival prep, the stand featured stations for hair tinsel, custom embroidery and content-ready photo ops enjoyed by more than 1,000 attendees.
Naturally, the stand—which Pacsun advertised with a nearby cheeky billboard—also featured an exclusive merchandise shop. It also boasted a Pacsun x TikTok Shop Super Brand Day setup, complete with a QR code that directed visitors to shop the collection directly via Pacsun’s TikTok Shop, giving IRL and digital access.
Coca-Cola’s Pop Shop
Across both Coachella weekends, the Coca-Cola Pop Shop invited festivalgoers into the world of the nation’s most popular soda brand. The activation was inspired by the iconography of Coca-Cola—starting with the outside of the pop-up, which was reminiscent of a classic soda fountain in the brand’s “Coke red” palette. Once inside, guests were immersed in the history of the brand, beginning with a “soundsoial” corridor where the soundtrack included fizzing bubbles, pouring and popping open a Coke.
The main space offered up an ice-cold Coke or Float—a perfect reprieve from the desert heat—in a space that evoked feelings of sitting at an old-school diner thanks to red-and-white-checkered floors, barstools and double-acting traffic doors that are a staple in restaurants. The Pop Shop was designed and produced by West Hollywood-based creative agency Crown + Conquer. The agency tapped Firecracker Works for fabrication, Nitemind for lighting, MAS Media for audio and 200 Proof for brand ambassadors.
Neon Carnival, Presented by PATRÓN El Alto Tequila
Neon Carnival has been one of the most sought-after, after-hours Coachella events for the past 14 years. The invite-only affair returned again on April 12, from 10:00 pm-4:00 am at the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, Calif., thanks to LA nightlife veteran Brent Bolthouse and title sponsor, PATRÓN EL ALTO Tequila. The event marked the debut of the PATRÓN Headliner Margarita—the official cocktail of Neon Carnival that was served in glow-in-the-dark collector cups—as well as PATRÓN EL ALTO minis. (PATRÓN festival kits are still available on Reserve Bar.)
Throughout the rest of the evening, Neon Carnival featured performances from Charly Jordan, Chase B & Friends and DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak). Neon Carnival was produced by Jeffrey Best of LA-based full-service event production company, Best Events.
Pinterest’s Immersive Activation
In its second year at Coachella, Pinterest erected a space bursting with inspiration. Coachella’s activation was all about “Ready, Set, Remix,” inviting guests to explore, try on and put a personal spin on the popular trends on its platform. The space took its own inspiration from Pinterest’s collage feature, which allows users to digitally cut and paste images from Pins together. The design was the creation of designer and creative director Ramisha Sattar, best known for her as Chappell Roan’s creative director. Pinterest tapped NVE Experience Agency to execute Sattar’s vision.
Inside, there was a styling area where guests could remix their festival look with trend-inspired accessory upgrades—then get their look captured in an adjacent photo studio. In an interactive moment, the image was then added to one of Sattar’s collages in space, allowing attendees to be part of the artwork.
Trends, for reference, nodded to the performance lineup (Main Pop Girl) and nostalgic throwbacks (Freestyle Fits). “Searches for Coachella start spiking at the beginning of the year on Pinterest and nearly half of those searches are driven by Gen Z,” said Sara Pollack, vice president of global consumer marketing at Pinterest. “This gives us an early peek into what trends are likely to pop this festival season. We’re excited to help festival-goers put a new spin on their identity by exploring and shopping the trends on Pinterest, and to give Coachella fans the opportunity to create an aesthetic all their own at the festival with our stylists and trend experts.”
Billboard and Amazon’s “MuSick” Experience
Billboard and Amazon teamed up with comedian and musician Reggie Watts for “MuSick: Live from Reggie Watts’ Couch.” The activation-turned-event took place on April 12 in partnership with Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One Medical, and sought to let consumers know that “Amazon is making healthcare less painful,” per a press release on the to-do.
As Watts lounged on a motorized couch that traveled throughout Palm Springs, he told a story of waking up on festival day feeling awful, turning to Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One Medical to feel better and then getting meds delivered to him as he traveled—all the while blasting “MuSick.” He eventually pit stopped at the Ace Hotel, where a wellness-inspired experience set to Watts’ “sick” beats awaited.
Designed as an extension of Watts’ living room, the atmosphere felt like a house party, complete with a DJ set from special guest Neil Francis. Cocktails on order played into the theme, with offerings like the Sinus Spritz, MuSick Margarita, Cougha-colada, Thirst Aid and Placebo Effect, as well as cold pressed juices from a wellness bar.
Gallery Desert House
Lifestyle publisher Gallery Media Group was behind Gallery Desert House, which brought together top creators, influencers and talent for an immersive celebration of music, culture, fashion and beauty. The invite-only experience featured activations from PATRÓN Tequila, Hunter Boots, Vince Camuto, High Noon, Josh Cellars Seaswept, Palmer’s, Frye and U by Kotex, just to name a few, that guests could enjoy between an agenda of pool parties and specialty wellness workouts.
Red Bull Mirage
The first-ever Red Bull Mirage popped up directly across from Coachella’s Quasar Stage during weekend one. The structure spanned an impressive 20,000 square feet across three floors, and was open to general admission and VIP festivalgoers alike, who were treated to specialty Red Bull drinks (Red Bull was Coachella 2025’s exclusive energy drink partner).
Level one of the mirage was notable for its reservation-only, Nobu omakase experience that paired luxurious seafood dishes with a curated Red Bull cocktail menu, while level two was home to a happy hour experience. Level three served as an invite-only retreat for celebrities like Cardi B, who enjoyed a private viewing space of the Quasar Stage, where Deadmau5 and Tiesto, among others, performed, alongside drinks and bites from Nobu.
Sol de Janeiro’s Casa Cheirosa
Brazilian-inspired beauty brand Sol de Janeiro was the first-ever exclusive sponsor of the body care and fragrance categories at Coachella 2025. To mark the occasion, it showed up at the festival with Casa Cheirosa, which was multisensory in its design thanks to Sol de Janeiro’s creative-agency partner, MKG. There were six interactive zones: attract, enter, entice, engage, chill and extend—all designed to educate guests on the brand’s Cheirosa mist collection.
A standout feature: Rio orelhões, or dome-shaped public phone booths known as “big ears” throughout Brazil, that were creatively reimagined into colorful scent portals, wrapped in original artwork to capture each Cheirosa’s mood and identity. “By transforming iconic Rio elements into interactive fragrance experiences, we’ve created a space where festival-goers can discover, play and express themselves through scent,” said Lauren Austin, the chief creative officer at MKG. “Casa Cheirosa represents our commitment to crafting immersive brand moments that resonate on a cultural level and create lasting connections with consumers,” said Lauren Austin, CCO, MKG.
Kosas’ Pink SUVs
Fellow beauty brand, clean makeup label Kosas, tapped brand ambassadors to spend Coachella driving around Palm Springs in pink, branded SUVs to hand out sunscreen to festivalgoers. A life-sized recreation of its DreamBeam sunscreen—whose packaging boasts the same rosy hue—was fashioned to the top of the vehicle.
Though Kosas’ investment may have been smaller than its competitors, it was money well spent: Kosas was the second-highest performing brand among the beauty and wellness categories at Coachella 2025, according to Business of Fashion. The ranking translated to Kosas raking in $3.61 million in earned media value, BoF reported—beat only by Rhode Skin, which recorded $3.63 million in earned media value. (Sol de Janeiro, for reference, earned $1.61 million, per Bof.)
Zenyara Desert Nights
The invite-only Zenyara Desert Nights kicked off on April 11 at the sprawling, private Zenyara Estate just minutes from the festival. The venue is among the most famous luxury properties in Coachella Valley and beyond, and has been known to play host to high-production events and celebrity retreats, as it offers accommodations for 24 guests, multiple pools, a golf course, tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, among other luxurious amenities.
In honor of Coachella, the exclusive Desert Nights nightlife series featured multiple partners: members-only platform Dorsia, PATRÓN, Heineken, Red Bull, Tao Group Hospitality and Framework. The musical lineup kicked off with headliner Anyma—fresh off a sold-out run at the Las Vegas Sphere—and continued with artists such as Bob Moses, Vintage Culture, Mau P and WhoMadeWho.
29 Rooms by Refinery29
Refinery29 brought back its 29 Rooms activation in honor of the company’s 20th anniversary—this time as a traveling series of pop-up experiences rather than a singular event. Coachella 2025 was among those stops, bringing added immersive elements to the desert on April 12 and 13.
The reimagined 29 Rooms experience combined interactive art installations with brand experience and community engagement in a space dubbed the Lunar Lounge which, fittingly, took on a futuristic theme and featured astrology and tarot card readings, flash tattoos and an escape room. At the centerpiece: a branded UFO, of course.
SamYang Foods’ Spicy Buldak Activation
The company behind Buldak Spicy Ramen, SamYang Foods, was an official sauce partner of Coachella this year. For its Coachella debut, the brand hosted a pink-clad pop-up on weekend one across from the music fest’s main food hall, Indio Central Market, to offer Buldak Hot Sauce tastings. Guests could choose to drizzle popcorn with the brands Carbonara, Original or 2X Spicy flavors. An accompanying interactive moment challenged tasters to test their spice tolerance and keep a straight face for 10 seconds.
Elsewhere in the space—created by experience agency Momentum Worldwide—the thrilling “Buldak Launch” lifted fans into the air to “ride the Buldak high.” The moment was recorded for a personalized video to share on social media.
And after simulating a fiery launch, guests could enjoy a sweet-and-spicy ice cream pairing at an on-site dessert bar, which was intentionally situated at the end of the activation as a way to cool down after the heat.
Aperol Spritz Piazza
It was Aperol’s third time at Coachella—and its third year as the festival’s official spritz partner. This year, however, the Italian aperitivo brand put a fresh spin on its Aperol Spritz Piazza experience. Located in the heart of general admission, the space was designed for guests to feel as if they were stepping into an Italian square, complete with lounge chairs, fresh greenery and lively bars to order Aperol Spritzes from.
Throughout Coachella, interactive moments at the Piazza included trivia about the Aperol Spritz brand—where winners received Coachella merchandise store gift cards—plus opportunities for guests to level up their festival look with bright, bubbly, Aperol-inspired merch.
Absolut’s House of Cosmo
Official Coachella vodka partner Absolut played host to the Absolut House of Cosmo in collaboration with Paris Hilton’s next-gen media company, 11:11 Media. Hilton—a known Cosmo lover—was in attendance for the ultimate mixing and mingling experience.
In nod to Hilton’s infamous term “sliving” (a mix of “slaying” and “living”), at the heart of the House of Cosmo was the Sliving Room—a stylish lounge designed for connection, complete with interactive self-expression stations ideal for photo ops. “Coachella has always been a special place for me, it’s where art, music and culture come together in the most inspiring way,” Hilton said of her Absolut partnership. “Now let’s sip Absolut Cosmos and sliv our best lives.”
REVOLVE Festival
Among the most buzzed-about happenings at Coachella each year is REVOLVE Festival, which celebrated its eighth Coachella at a new location in Thermal, Calif., with a Desert Mirage theme. True to the theme, the event created three-dimensional illusions by blending the venue’s grounds with chrome, mirrored decor.
Aside from a lineup of performances from Lil Wayne, Tyga and special guest Cardi B, plenty of brands were on site at REVOLVE Festival with their own activations and curated experiences, including Affirm, Sprinter Vodka Soda, 818 Tequila, Vivrelle, Microsoft Copilot and BODYARMOR FLASH, among others.
Evolus’ JeuveauFest
Evolus, a performance beauty company that makes popular injectables like Jeuveau and Evolysse, put on the multiday JeuveauFest at ARRIVE Palm Springs for Coachella’s weekend one. The pool party event featured poolside games, bites from In-N-Out, a DJ set from Summer House’s Kyle Cook and complimentary injectables.
Amex Experience
Amex was also in the desert with the Amex Experience, where card holders and up to three of their friends could relax in a destination marked by music and culture. The space was the ultimate hangout, with a workshop to personalize merchandise with festival charms, an interactive photo booth and dart games.
In nod to fellow Coachella sponsors, the Amex Experience also offered cold bottles of Coca-Cola in retro fridges and mood boards that were made using Pinterest’s collage feature.
Ace Hotel’s “Ace Artist in Residence” Exhibition
In honor of Coachella season, the Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs put on an exhibition with the help of its “Ace Artist in Residence,” Latashá. The multihyphenate musician, performance artist and creative showcased her work titled ‘muva_nature’ for Coachella guests who stayed at the four-star hotel during the festival—and for the 30 days thereafter.
Latashá’s artwork captures the surreal psychedelia of LA’s desert landscape, utilizing thermo-imaging techniques to create an interactive NFT work. Her ‘muva_nature’ creation will remain in the Ace Hotel’s lobby during the residency, and can be purchased via digital auction that’s on now through August.
Heineken House
Billed as a festival within a festival, Heineken House boasted a revamped design this year with massive LED screens and vinyl record elements that created a “listening bar”-style atmosphere. True to its form, the musical hub was home to a slate of headlining performances from Afrojack, Pusha T, Cordae, DJ Premier and The Pharcyde on weekend one; plus Chevelle and Digitalism on weekend two.
