, and this year 's attendance figure might be the third largest in the festival 's 10-year history . The three-day ticket price may have been steep -- roughly $ 300 , including service charges -- but when divided among the 131 acts on the bill , that breaks down to less than $ 2.50 per act . This was also the first year concert promoter Goldenvoice offered layaway , which is how 18 percent chose to pay . The strong showing is good news for Bonnaroo , All Points West , Lollapalooza and other festivals taking place this spring and summer . Coachella was also moved up one weekend , which allowed for more kids on spring break to attend . Although Coachella is one of several music festivals in the United States , it still carries a certain cachet that 's hard to match . Perhaps it 's the scenery -- listening to music on a grassy polo field surrounded by swaying palm trees and craggy desert mountains . Or maybe it 's the thrill of discovering new artists and rediscovering old ones standing shoulder-to-shoulder with friends , strangers and the random Hollywood celebrity . Or maybe it
INDIO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Parents danced with their young children to the infectious hip-hop beat of Lupe Fiasco on the main stage . The Yeah Yeah Yeahs ' Karen O is immersed in the music at Coachella . Twentysomethings wearing feathers in their hair jumped up and down to Somali emcee K'naan in the Gobi tent . In the portable toilets , an impromptu discussion broke out about the `` awesomeness '' of Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O . The mercury may have hovered close to 100 degrees , and somewhere outside the desert oasis of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival there was a global recession , but you 'd never know it from the carefree crowd on Day 3 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio , California . Although exact figures have yet to be released , about 50,000 revelers turned out for the final day of the 2009 festival for an eclectic lineup that included former Jam front man Paul Weller , rap pioneers Public Enemy , a reunion of Irish indie darlings My Bloody Valentine and a nearly three-hour set from The Cure . Promoters say the turnout exceeded expectations