A new book titled “Desert Dreams: The Music, Style, and Allure of Coachella” aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the history and cultural significance of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Written by music and culture journalist Katie Bain, the book documents the festival’s evolution over more than two decades.
The book explores the festival’s origins, tracing its roots from the Los Angeles music scene of the 1960s to the Southern California punk rock world. It revisits notable performances from artists such as Rage Against the Machine, Daft Punk, Prince, and Beyoncé. The text also analyzes the event’s impact on fashion trends, the role of social media influencers, and viral moments that have drawn media attention over the years, including the holographic projection of Tupac Shakur.
According to the publisher, the book will examine milestones like the festival’s expansion from a single weekend to two and its broader effect on the U.S. festival market. The volume is set to include over 150 photographs from more than 25 years of festival coverage.
The author, Katie Bain, is currently the Senior Music Correspondent at Billboard and has reported on the festival for nearly 15 years.
“Living and working in close proximity to Coachella has given me a front row seat to the festival’s growth, influence and meaning,” Bain stated in the release. “I hope Desert Dreams gives anyone interested in the festival – from longtime attendees, to critics to people who dream of going – a sense of why Coachella is special and what has made it so.”
“Desert Dreams,” a 256-page hardcover, will be published by Epic Ink with a list price of $24.99 in the U.S. and $32.99 in Canada. The book is scheduled for release on October 21, 2025.
