Indio, California – The music festival to be held in California on April 15 announced on Wednesday that those you couldn’t afford to attend physically can still have a chance to be part of the festivities.

Coachella announced that this year, the festival will offer its first virtual reality experience, in partnership with Vantage.tv, a company that lets event organizers provide VR content for their attendees.

This year, Coachella attendees will receive in their Welcome Box more than just the requisite wristbands. A special edition Google Cardboard headset will be in the package, too.

Image: Coachella Music and Arts Festival
Image: Coachella Music and Arts Festival

This special edition will come with Google’s virtual reality accessory inside. The official Coachella VR app will offer plenty of 360-degree photos from previous years alongside interviews and performances from artists attending this year’s event.

But if you weren’t able to buy your ticket for the two-weekend music festival, you can still join in the celebration if you have your own headset. Better yet, these can be as cheap as $US15. However, if you are one of those who prefer something more robust than a cardboard viewer, the Coachella app is also compatible with the Samsung Gear VR headset.

“Before, during, and after the festival in April, people from all over the world can be immersed in performances from top artists, experience 360-degree panoramic experiences from around the festival grounds, and watch VR experiences created by other festival-goers,” the announcement reads.

Get ready for the festival with the help of Virtual Reality

Festival goers can prepare for the experience ahead of time. The Coachella VIP All Access Virtual Reality Pass offers to ticket holders a virtual tour of the festival grounds so they can get familiarize with the locations of the restrooms.

Furthermore, the app has a library of performances so people can get to know unfamiliar artists.

Coachella says that it hopes to boost the pre-festival experience the same way it made live streams a part of at-home viewing.

Source: Engadget