First day of Head Trip 2026 cut short by thunderstorms

The first night of Head Trip 2026, a one off dance festival on the Coachella grounds in Indio, California, was cut short on Saturday, October 10 because of the weather. Around 9 p.m. local time, the set by Under Construction, the duo of Fisher and Chris Lake, was interrupted by an announcement about thunderstorms. Attendees were told to leave the grounds the way they came in, or take shelter in their own vehicles or in a shuttle.

Within half an hour it became clear that the program would not resume that evening. A message appeared in the festival app saying the show was over and that attendees needed to leave safely because of persistent lightning in the area. More information was promised later. Campers were later advised to stay put in their vehicles until further notice while a storm system hit the Coachella Valley. All of this happened as Tropical Storm Rachel reached the coast of Southern California.

The shutdown means headliner Calvin Harris never got to play. He was scheduled for 9:30 p.m., right after Under Construction. Earlier in the evening, a back to back set from Peggy Gou and Four Tet had already gone ahead, along with a back to back set from Seth Troxler and Ben Sterling.

According to forecasts, rain will continue in Indio and the wider area through Sunday morning. The second day of the festival starts in the early afternoon and runs into the evening, with acts including DJ Harvey, The Blessed Madonna, Dom Dolla back to back with Kettama, Skrillex and Swedish House Mafia. Based on the reports available, it's not yet clear how Sunday's program will be adjusted.

Head Trip is a one off festival from organizer Goldenvoice, and it follows the concept of the metal focused Power Trip in 2023 and the classic rock festival Desert Trip in 2016. For Dutch dance music fans it's especially interesting because much of the lineup are also regulars at clubs and festivals in Europe.