Sean Kirmis’s list of supplies for his weekend at Coachella includes snacks, a portable phone charger, sunscreen, several changes of clothes, and bandanas to keep the desert dust out of his face. Then there is his blood tester, fluid-draining tubes called cannulas, an infusion set for insulin delivery, dry ice to keep his medication refrigerated in the valley heat, plus syringes in case his insulin pump breaks. Kirmis, 26, has gone to Coachella five times, with the sixth just ahead. As a diabetic with adrenal disease and other chronic illnesses, he has to factor in plans for the weekend that able-bodied festival-goers don’t. Festivals, he says, aren’t planned with people like him in mind.
Though studies show 40% of Americans have a chronic illness or disability, few concert venues and days-long music events are organized to address the needs of these attendees. When it comes to the famous Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California, which is known for heat, camping, and crowds, chronically ill and disabled people can be left to wonder whether they will be able to find a way to enjoy the festivities.
The festival does seem to be making strides in accessibility, including a program aimed at improving accessibility among chronically ill and disabled people who are BIPOC, but some festival-goers say there’s more work to be done. Teen Vogue has reached out to Coachella for comment.
When Kirmis was at Coachella last year, he had to visit a medical tent, which are set up throughout the festival grounds. He found his way to one of the tents when his blood sugar was running low. The medical staff gave him a juice box and had him sit down while they assessed him.
But that same weekend, Kirmis faced an issue that wasn’t so easily fixed: His brother, who is also diabetic and chronically ill, experienced a broken insulin pump in the middle of the Sunday headliner concert. The brothers headed to a medical tent for help but, Kirmis says, the tent they went to didn’t carry insulin or syringes. This surprised him, given the prevalence of diabetes: An estimated 11% of Americans have one of the two types of the disease and 8.4 million use insulin to manage their diabetes. “We had to split my insulin pump for the remainder of the night,” Kirmis recalls. He’d been to the festival many times before, but that night, he says, he learned something new: Don’t rely on the medical tent — and make sure to bring extra syringes in case of a broken insulin pump.
“So many people feel like they can’t enjoy these experiences because of their illnesses,” Kirmis says. “I’ve managed, but more preparedness [from festival organizers] would make a world of difference to me. I’m hopeful this year, but I’ll be extra prepared.”
Olivia Chambers, 26, went to Coachella for the first time in 2018. As an autistic person, she says, the festival was a bit overwhelming. “The heat, the frequency of the sounds from the speakers, and the walking caused me [sensory] burnout at the end of each night,” she explains.
To prepare, she had watched YouTube videos about what to expect at the festival and brought foam earplugs to soften the sounds around her. If she returns to Coachella, she’ll also bring blister patches for her feet and an extra pair of flip-flops to handle all the walking. And if festivals want to be more accessible to autistic and neurodivergent people, Chambers suggests, they could provide ear plugs and sensory-free zones.
Coachella recently launched a program called Accessible+. Program participants are given free passes to the festival, and passes for a plus-one of their choosing. The event also offers VIP access to festival grounds and other perks, such as specialized camping spots. The program aims to serve BIPOC disabled people to “[harness] the passion of individuals who are often marginalized [to] create a path of discovery and an invitation to be a part of the larger festival cultures.”
Cheyenne Leonard, who is 27 and a wheelchair user, was an Accessible+ participant in 2022. She applied and was accepted after a disability organization she follows on Instagram posted information about the program. In college, she had gone to a different music festival and been disappointed by the lack of accessibility for wheelchair users. She remembers watching a concert from a platform, but says the platform was so far from the stage that she wondered if it would’ve been better to watch from home. Was it possible she would have a better experience at Coachella?
As part of the Accessible+ program, Leonard was given a pass to the lounge areas behind the Coachella stages. “That gave you multiple options for where to watch the concert from,” she says. “And it was great that they let us have a plus-one. It really helped to have [my best friend] there to help me get through crowds when I was tired.” Leonard also enjoyed having networking opportunities and getting to learn more about the live-music industry.
But the program wasn’t flawless. Leonard says she offered suggestions on how to make it better, including handheld scanners for wristbands at the festival gates instead of pillars, which can be difficult to reach for wheelchair users or little people.
Leonard hopes Coachella’s program is a sign that times are changing — and that people understand disabled people want to go to festivals too. “There aren’t many programs for disabled people, and disabled POC, to do things that are fun,” she says. “People think, Oh, you’re disabled, you need help with things like rent or food or clothing — basic needs. But having fun is a need too. Everyone needs to have fun and enjoy their lives.”
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