Coachella under threat as Indio takes on indie

Coachella's future is looking a bit wobbly, as The City Of Indio is dragging its collective feet over signing a deal to allow the festival to run in the future.

It's not entirely Indio's fault - people in Indio have the sort of problems with festivals most festival neighbours have, but the City has hitherto largely balanced those against the massive revenue the event brings in.

Now, though, the next city along, La Quinta, has started to raise objections. It's been developing in the area that runs alongside the festival site over the last decade and - although people have moved in aware there's a big festival held down the street - they're starting to make a fuss.

As KCET reports:

In a 4-1 vote on October 4, the La Quinta City Council voted to request that Indio complete a review of the festival under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to assess the environmental impact of the noise, traffic and pollution generated by the festival each year. In response, Indio's City Council agreed at a meeting the next day to delay approval of a two-year contract with festival promoter Goldenvoice for thirty days, so that the two cities can negotiate over details.

Why are La Quinta's complaints carrying more weight than those of Indio residents? Simple: the homes being built in La Quinta are significantly higher-end than those of the host district.

La Quinta is unlikely to kill the golden alt-rock goose, but as more people move in, getting a licence isn't going to get any easier.