The head trip dates are October 10 and 11, 2026, which means the festival opens today at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Goldenvoice, the promoter behind Coachella, announced the event in March as a one-time-only electronic music weekend. With a single main stage, a headline-heavy dance lineup and a custom-built listening dome, it has become one of the most talked-about live events of the fall. Here is a clear breakdown of the dates, gate times, set times, tickets and practical details for anyone attending or following along.
Head Trip Dates, Location and Gate Times
When and where
Head Trip runs Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, 2026. The venue is the Empire Polo Club at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, the same grounds that host Coachella and Stagecoach each year. Palm Springs is roughly 30 minutes away by car, though festival traffic can change that estimate.
Daily schedule
On both days, parking lots open at 1 p.m. and the festival gates open at 3 p.m. Shuttle service to the venue is reported to begin departing at 3 p.m. each day. Camping listings for the weekend begin on Friday, October 9, so campers can arrive before the music starts.
Closing times
Published reports point to a 1 a.m. curfew on Saturday and a midnight curfew on Sunday. Since curfews and schedules can shift, it is sensible to confirm the final times in the official festival app or on the event website on the day itself.
A one-time event
Goldenvoice has described Head Trip as a one-time-only festival, and the tagline attached to it says as much. There has been no official confirmation of a second edition or of any future head trip dates beyond this weekend. Anyone hoping for a repeat in 2027 should treat that as unconfirmed.
Head Trip Lineup and Set Times
Saturday, October 10
Saturday is headlined by Calvin Harris. The main-stage schedule published ahead of the festival lists these sets, all in Pacific time:
- Seth Troxler b2b Ben Sterling, 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.
- Peggy Gou b2b Four Tet, 7:20 to 8:50 p.m.
- Under Construction (FISHER and Chris Lake), 9:10 to 10:40 p.m.
- Calvin Harris, from 11:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 11
Sunday belongs to Swedish House Mafia, with Skrillex building the room before them:
- DJ Harvey, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
- The Blessed Madonna, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
- Dom Dolla b2b KETTAMA, 6:50 to 8:20 p.m.
- Skrillex, 8:40 to 10:10 p.m.
- Swedish House Mafia, from 10:30 p.m.
These times were published in early October. Set times at large festivals sometimes move by a few minutes, so the official schedule remains the final word.
The Single-Stage Concept
Most large festivals force fans to choose between overlapping headliners. Head Trip takes the opposite approach: one main stage, with sets running back to back and no clashes among the main-stage artists. Everyone on the field hears the same sequence, from early deep-house selectors to the late-night headliners.
The stage design is another selling point. Organizers have said each artist’s set will have its own bespoke visual setup, created by Romain Pissenem, the founder of High Scream, a studio known for its work in Ibiza’s biggest clubs. For fans who care about production as much as the music, that detail is a significant part of the appeal.
Floating Points and the Sunflower Sound System
Running alongside the main stage all weekend is the Sunflower Sound System, designed by Floating Points, the producer whose real name is Sam Shepherd. Head Trip marks its United States debut. The setup lives inside a dome tent lined with acoustic panels made from mycelium, and it uses ten speaker stacks positioned to surround listeners rather than face them.
The programming is separate from the main stage. Announced performers include Floating Points, Avalon Emerson, Ben UFO, Eris Drew and Octo Octa, Four Tet, Mad Professor, Theo Parrish and Zach Cowie. Reported operating hours are 3 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Saturday and 3 to 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. For anyone drawn to the audiophile side of dance music, the dome offers a quieter, more focused alternative to the big-room energy outside.
Tickets, Passes and Camping
Pass options
Two-day general admission passes originally opened at $499 with fees included, and they went on sale on March 13. Since then, the standard two-day general admission tier has been reported as sold out on the official site. A general admission and shuttle bundle has been listed at $559 in some reports and $589 in a more recent check, so prices may have changed as inventory moved. VIP passes were listed at $899 and include a dedicated area beside the main stage, shaded seating and separate food and drink vendors.
Add-ons
Car camping, preferred parking, lockers and standalone shuttle passes are sold separately. Single-day and resale listings also appear on secondary marketplaces, and prices there vary widely. Buyers should be careful to use trusted sellers and confirm the pass type before paying.
Age limit
Head Trip is an 18-and-over event. Attendees should bring valid identification, and the official app asks guests to register their wristband before arrival.
Getting There and Planning Your Weekend
Parking and shuttles
Day parking is reported to be free and first come, first served, with lots opening at 1 p.m. Vehicles left in the lots after 2 a.m. may be towed, so late-night plans should account for that. Dedicated shuttle routes run from points across the valley to a drop-off near the gates, which is often the easier choice given the traffic around the polo grounds on a festival weekend.
Road closures
Local reports earlier in September noted temporary road closures near the venue during festival preparation. One local article listed the festival as October 11 and 12, but every official and major listing gives the dates as October 10 and 11, so that appears to be an error.
Weather and packing
October in the Coachella Valley usually means warm afternoons and cooler nights. Layers, sun protection, water and comfortable shoes are practical choices, and lockers are available for anything that is not needed on the field.
Why Public Interest Is So High
Part of the buzz comes from the pedigree. Goldenvoice has used the Coachella grounds for special one-off events before, including Desert Trip in 2016 and Power Trip in 2023, and Head Trip is widely described as the electronic counterpart to those. The lineup mixes festival-scale names such as Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia and Skrillex with respected club artists like Peggy Gou, Four Tet, Dom Dolla and DJ Harvey, which gives it appeal across several corners of dance music.
The single-stage design, the Sunflower dome and the one-time-only label add to the sense that this is a weekend people will want to say they attended. At the same time, there has been no official confirmation of any live stream or broadcast of the full event, so fans who are not attending should watch for announcements from the organizers rather than assume one exists.
Latest Updates
As of today, October 10, the festival is proceeding as scheduled on both dates. The most recent publicly available updates center on the published set times, the Sunflower Sound System lineup that was revealed in late September, and the arrival guidance on parking, shuttles and wristband registration. No official lineup cancellations or date changes have been confirmed in the sources reviewed. Because conditions can change quickly on event days, the official app is the best place for live updates on schedules and venue notices.
Final Thoughts
The head trip dates are simple to remember: Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, 2026, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, with gates opening at 3 p.m. both days. What sets this festival apart is not just who is playing but how it is built, with one stage, no overlapping headliners and a custom sound dome running all weekend. Whether you are attending in person or following along from home, double-check the official schedule on the day, plan your transport early and expect a late finish each night.
Are you going to Head Trip this weekend? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned for more festival updates.