Snapchat gears up for a star-studded “festival szn,” with Coachella up first

It’s festival season on Snapchat, and the app is joining the crowd with a plethora of filters, Discover content, and geo-located goodies. The fun begins at Coachella, where Snapchat is offering an array of coverage over two weekends.

Snapchat kicked off its Coachella celebration during the weekend of April 13, when the music and arts festival returned to its usual home in the California desert. In-app features designed for concertgoers will continue to be available as Coachella heads into its second weekend, which runs through April 21.

The tentpole includes a curated collection of Stories, which can be found in the Discover tab of the Snapchat app. Geo-fenced filters allow users to share the “fun,” “vibes,” and “fits” they encounter while attending Coachella. Some of those filters will be used in challenges that will run on Spotlight, Snapchat’s TikTok-style format. As per usual, Snap will attach cash prizes to those competitions.

Snap is planning to roll out a slew of festival season features, and it has tapped numerous celebs to participate in those activations. The list of big names participating in the live event coverage includes Top 40 stars like Ice Spice

, Olivia Rodrigo, and Gwen Stefani, as well creators like Alix Earle, Lele Pons, and David Dobrik.

“Snapchat and festival season are about more than just music and moments – they’re about connecting with friends and creating unforgettable memories together,” said Snapchat Head of Community Content Erica Rupp. “Whether on the festival grounds or following along at home, Snapchat is bringing fans closer to the artists and events they love through shareable behind-the-scenes content you won’t find anywhere else.”

Though Snapchat has a long history when it comes to live music, it’s not the only platform with big plans for Coachella. Another app known for disappearing content, BeReal, used the scene in Indio to premiere its RealEvents feature. And YouTube continues to support the festival in a major way. It has provided an official Coachella stream for 12 years in a row.