The country fans know how to get down.
Although this data is a few years old, if I had to guess, I’d think it’s still the case. There’s a reason Zach Top has a song titled “Cold Beer & Country Music.” It’s a match made in heaven.
The past three weekends have been jam-packed with musical events. Coachella kicked off the festival events, holding two weekends filled with music of all genres, from EDM to rap, rock, and more. While Coachella isn’t specifically a country festival, there were a few familiar faces who made an appearance, including Koe Wetzel, who joined Jessie Murph during her set to perform their hit “High Road.”
After two weekends of Coachella, country fans dusted off their boots and headed to the desert to see a star-studded lineup for Stagecoach.
The weekend was filled with headline-worthy moments like Zach Bryan rocking out to Creed, Jelly Roll bringing Lana Del Rey on stage, or Luke Combs joining forces with the Backstreet Boys and Good Charlotte.
The genres represented at the two festivals are different, and according to the data, so is the style of partying that festivalgoers like to enjoy. An Instagram account called Lost iN Travel shared that historically, Stagecoach surpassed Coachella in alcohol sales by a landslide.
Stagecoach usually sells more alcohol in one day than Coachella sells over BOTH weekends.
“Fun fact: Stagecoach has historically sold more alcohol in one day than both weekends of Coachella combined. Turns out country fans don’t mess around—boots hit the ground, and the drinks start flowing. Proof that the real desert headliner might be the bar.”
Over the years, it’s been reported that alcohol related arrests at Stagecoach are also higher than at Coachella. In 2016, KESQ reported that Stagecoach’s arrests related to alcohol were 37.7% higher than Coachella’s alcohol related arrests. In contrast, Coachella goers had more substance-related arrests when compared to Stagecoach goers.
Different festivals, different vibes, different ways to party… I mean it doesn’t exactly take a rocket scientist to figure out that country music fans like to drink and EMD fans like to… do something else. I’m sure there is WAY more of other illicit substances at Coachella…
In 2024, The Press-Enterprise used “booze” as a talking point to highlight the differences between the two festivals, noting that Stagecoach featured many more alcohol brand activations on the festival grounds, along with a larger selection of spirits and beer. In contrast, Coachella featured a greater variety of craft beers and local distilleries.
“Coachella: Along with the return of the Heineken House as the festival’s official beer sponsor, the Craft Beer Barn also returned with plenty of local and regional craft beers, including IPAs, Sours, and hard Kombucha.
Stagecoach: The festival is big on its alcohol offerings, hosting big-name brands with pop-ups, including Angry Orchard, Bud Light, Malibu, Golden Road and Twisted Tea. Some niche bars include The Cabin, which serves whiskey by the makeshift fireplace, and Hendrick’s Botanical Garden Bar, which combines cocktails and blooming flowers.”
Their reporting highlighted specific brands found on site, which might not have been involved in this year’s festival, but it paints a picture of how the two festivals vary in terms of the types of booze available at each.
Country music fans know how to have a good time, and I’m sure alcohol vendors love setting up at Stagecoach, knowing they’ll sell out. Given this year’s Stagecoach featured artists like Treaty Oak Revival, Koe Wetzel, and Whiskey Myers, not to mention beer-drinking headliners like Zach Bryan and Luke Combs, I’m sure that a few beers were flying during those shows, making the number of cold ones sold rise even more.
Per usual, Luke Combs even threw a beer during his headlining set.
Cold beer and country music (bonus points if it’s a sad country song)… a duo that never gets old.
@stagecoach Name a better combo than desert nights, a cold beer, and @Luke Combs #stagecoach #country #lukecombs ♬ original sound – stagecoach
