• by Colin Kirkland , April 3, 2023

After announcing a deal to livestream Coachella through 2026, YouTube says it will double its free live coverage -- planning to broadcast all six stages during both concert weekends.

The California-based music and arts festival launches April 14 at 4 PM and resumes the following weekend.

The short-video platform has been livestreaming Coachella -- one of the largest and most popular music festivals in the world -- for a decade.

Its eleventh year will be marked by coverage of three additional stages -- a move to offer remote viewers who cannot spend hundreds of dollars to see Bad Bunny, Frank Ocean, or Blondie in the desert a more immersive experience.

YouTube says it has partnered with over a dozen artists, including Calvin Harris and Gorillaz, for exclusive merch drops that viewers can purchase directly on the livestream, on the company's TikTok and Reels-competitor YouTube Shorts, or on Coachella’s designated YouTube channel via YouTube Shopping.

In between sets, “ground actions” –– behind-the-scenes content and art installations –– will also be featured with artists, creators and fans on Shorts. Premium subscribers will be able to access backstage “pre-parties” that showcase artists preparing for their sets.

The first weekend of music is sponsored by Fast X, Verizon and NYX Professional Makeup in the US, while Levi Strauss and Co will provide sponsorship across Europe. Weekend Two will be backed by TicTac and Dover Shower Collection in the U.S., with Levi's sponsoring European coverage again.

If remote viewers are not able to tune in live the festival will be on repeat following each night's final performance until live coverage begins again the next afternoon.