Story highlights Coachella starts today
YouTube will be streaming some performances
(CNN) Coachella starts today, but don't despair if you don't have tickets.
The festival, held over two weekends in Indio, California, attracts artists across various genres and is a highlight for many music fans.
This year has been marked as a specifically sought-after ticket given that Beyoncé is a headliner, along with The Weeknd and Eminem.
The superstar singer was slated to headline last year's festival, but had to cancel under doctor's orders after she became pregnant with twins.
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It's that time of year again: Coachella is about to begin.
The music festival, which takes place in Indio, California, takes place over two weekends: April 13-15 and April 20-22.
But what is it?
Here is everything you need to know about Coachella, which is held every spring near Palm Springs.
Who's performing? Headliners for this year's festival include The Weeknd, Beyoncé, and Eminem, who will perform both weekends on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Other performers include SZA and St. Vincent (Friday), Haim and Post Malone (Saturday) and Portugal. the Man and Cardi B (Sunday). A full schedule can be found on Coachella's website.
Can I still buy tickets? No. Well, not officially anyway. According to reports, passes for both weekends, which went on sale Jan. 5, sold out after a few hours.
Christopher Polk/Getty Images, FILE
What do people do at Coachella? After gates open at 11 a.m., shows will take place on multiple stages throughout the festival over the course of the day. However, attendees can also enjoy large-scale art installations, a Ferris wheel, and food from some of the country's most famed restaurants, among other things.
Do people camp on the grounds? Yes, and for those looking to freshen up, there are free showers available, as well as a barber shop and beauty bar.
How can I watch from home? If you can't make it out to the desert this year, you can still catch select sets via the official Coachella live stream on YouTube during the first weekend.
The live stream will feature sets by Highly Suspect, Portugal. the Man, St. Vincent, Alt-J, Vance Joy, Nothing But Thieves, Bleachers, Dreams, Haim, Marian Hill, Magic Giant, Odesza, X Japan, The Neighbourhood and The War on Drugs, among others. Beyoncé and The Weeknd's headlining performances will also be live streamed.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption DJ Marshmello performing at Coachella 2017
Coachella is being sued for banning artists from playing other festivals around California for five months.
The Soul'd Out festival in Oregon claims artists have turned them down because of the "radius clause".
It's a contract between a festival and an artist which says they won't play in an area for a certain time period.
Coachella's agreement is the artist won't play within 1,300 miles of where it is held in Indio, California from December to May.
The idea behind a radius clause is that the festival is the only place to see that artist during that time.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Beyonce is headlining Coachella festival
Beyonce, Eminem and The Weeknd are headlining the festival which gets underway this Friday.
Lawyers for Soul'd Out claim the radius clause is "an unlawful restraint on trade, meant to use Coachella's market power in the music festival market to suppress competition by other festivals".
They say many artists turned down playing at Soul'd Out for the sole reason that the clause prevents them.
They also claim the festival allows some acts to break the clause if they are performing events for the festival owners, AEG Live.
The example being Jay-Z in 2010, playing the AEG run Staples Centre in Los Angeles before his headline slot.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Eminem will be headlining Coachella for the first time
In a statement, co-founder of Soul'd Out, Nicholas Harris said: "We seek no less than to operate in a fair and open environment.
"Music, and the culture that births it, is not a commodity to be exploited. It is meant to inspire and enrich our lives."
Goldenvoice who run Coachella with AEG Live responded with this statement to Celebrity Access:
"The producers of Coachella will vigorously defend against this lawsuit.
"It calls into question a long-standing industry practice that is crucial to our ability to continue offering fans the unrivalled experience for which Coachella has become known."
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Weeknd performing at Coachella in 2017, he headlines this year on Friday
Radius clauses are used throughout the live music industry, even here in the UK.
It gives festivals a unique selling point if fans think they won't be able to see that particular act in their town or city.
However, the argument against the clause is that a festival like Coachella can sell out very quickly, whereas small venues and events need these names on their bill to sell tickets.
It can also be harmful to British acts who need to cram in as many gigs as possible when they are in the US.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Coachella generates more than 490 million pounds for the surrounding area in California.
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Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption DJ Marshmello performing at Coachella 2017
Coachella is being sued for banning artists from playing other festivals around California for five months.
The Soul'd Out festival in Oregon claims artists have turned them down because of the "radius clause".
It's a contract between a festival and an artist which says they won't play in an area for a certain time period.
Coachella's agreement is the artist won't play within 1,300 miles of where it is held in Indio, California from December to May.
The idea behind a radius clause is that the festival is the only place to see that artist during that time.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Beyonce is headlining Coachella festival
Beyonce, Eminem and The Weeknd are headlining the festival which gets underway this Friday.
Lawyers for Soul'd Out claim the radius clause is "an unlawful restraint on trade, meant to use Coachella's market power in the music festival market to suppress competition by other festivals".
They say many artists turned down playing at Soul'd Out for the sole reason that the clause prevents them.
They also claim the festival allows some acts to break the clause if they are performing events for the festival owners, AEG Live.
The example being Jay-Z in 2010, playing the AEG run Staples Centre in Los Angeles before his headline slot.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Eminem will be headlining Coachella for the first time
In a statement, co-founder of Soul'd Out, Nicholas Harris said: "We seek no less than to operate in a fair and open environment.
"Music, and the culture that births it, is not a commodity to be exploited. It is meant to inspire and enrich our lives."
Goldenvoice who run Coachella with AEG Live responded with this statement to Celebrity Access:
"The producers of Coachella will vigorously defend against this lawsuit.
"It calls into question a long-standing industry practice that is crucial to our ability to continue offering fans the unrivalled experience for which Coachella has become known."
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Weeknd performing at Coachella in 2017, he headlines this year on Friday
Radius clauses are used throughout the live music industry, even here in the UK.
It gives festivals a unique selling point if fans think they won't be able to see that particular act in their town or city.
However, the argument against the clause is that a festival like Coachella can sell out very quickly, whereas small venues and events need these names on their bill to sell tickets.
It can also be harmful to British acts who need to cram in as many gigs as possible when they are in the US.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Coachella generates more than 490 million pounds for the surrounding area in California.
Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.
