The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an annual three-day music and arts festival held in Indio, California, on the Empire Polo Club grounds. With six main stages and a variety of art installations, booths, vendors and activities, the festival draws upwards of 100,000 fans each year to see top musical acts from a variety of genres. Tickets start at $269 and run up to $699 a piece.

Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Kanye West and the Strokes headline the 2011 festival. Other acts on the bill include the Black Keys, [[Animal Collective], Duran Duran, Ratatat and [[Interpol]. This year, the festival begins on April 15th and will run through the 17th. Kings of Leon will launch the weekend on the 15th, Arcade Fire will keep the crowd hoppin on the 16th and both Kanye West and the Strokes will wind down the festival in style on the 17th.

Tickets are expected to go quickly due to a rumored reduced number after negative feedback about over crowding in 2010. This year, the festival offers hotel shuttles, a free iphone app and the opportunity to win a free trip courtesy of Microsoft.http://www.coachella.com/

The first Coachella festival was held in October 1999 and drew about 25,000 people to see headlining acts Beck, The Chemical Brothers, Tool and Morrissey. After skipping 2000, festival organizers decided to move the 2001 event to April to avoid the excessive heat. As the festival gained exposure, organizers were able to book higher quality acts, which in turn drew larger crowds. The 2003 and 2004 festivals featured such top-name acts as Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beastie Boys, Radiohead and a newly reunited Pixies.

• Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Kanye West and the Stroke

Jay-Z, LCD Soundsystem, Them Crooked Vultures, Muse, Faith No More, Tiesto, Gorillaz, Pavement, Thom Yorke

Paul McCartney, The Killers, The Cure

Amy Winehouse was scheduled to perform, but was forced to cancel her appearance after being denied a U.S. work visa. As a replacement, festival organizers announced the addition of Devendra Banhart, The Orb, Chemical Brothers and the Murder City Devils.Billboard: Coachella Adds Bands, DJs After Winehouse Drops Out (March 10, 2009)

• Portishead, Prince, Roger Waters, Jack Johnson, Kraftwerk, Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket

• Arctic Monkeys, Bjork, Interpol, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Arcade Fire, Rage Against The Machine

• Depeche Mode, Daft Punk, Franz Ferdinand, Sigur Ros, Tool, Massive Attack, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party

• Coldplay, Weezer, Wilco, Snow Patrol, Nine Inch Nails, New Order, Bright Eyes, Gang of Four, The Chemical Brothers

• Radiohead, The Pixies, Kraftwerk, The Cure, The Flaming Lips, Air, Belle and Sebastian

• Beastie Boys, Ben Harper, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Queens Of The Stone Age, Blur

• Bjork, Oasis, Foo Fighters, The Strokes, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Chemical Brothers, Prodigy

• Jane's Addiction, Paul Oakenfold, Weezer, Fatboy Slim, The Roots, Mos Def, The Dandy Warhols

• Beck, Tool, Rage Against The Machine, Morrissey, Pavement