Coachella turns into 'Dustchella' as wind storms wreak havoc

Mother Nature took over at the start of this year's Coachella music festival with powerful winds and dust storms wreaking havoc.

As the LA Times reported, the wind and dust led to the cancellation of sets like Italian EDM artist Anyma's midnight one.

On TikTok, attendees like Bryan (@bryanthediamond) shared videos of the uncomfortable conditions that led them to evacuate the scene while breathing in heavy amounts of dust. 

@bryanthediamond The amount of sand in my LUNGS I need a nebulizer 😭 ##fyp##coachella##coachella2026##besties##bryanthediamond ♬ original sound - Bryan 💎

Dust storms aren't a new occurrence for Coachella attendees, and it's why some of them now call it "Dustchella." The potential economic and health impacts are definitely not a laughing matter, though.

A 2024 study found exploding financial costs for dust storms in 2017 that surprised researchers.

"Dust is kind of a big deal," said the study's lead author Irene Feng, per the Times. "The fact that it was even comparable to hurricanes ... was a huge surprise to me."

Exposure could also lead to "valley fever." As the California Department of Public Health explained, fungus from the valley kicked up by dust can infect the lungs and cause a range of symptoms like cough, fever, chest pain, and exhaustion.

Doctors and patients can easily mistake valley fever for other ailments, such as COVID-19 or the flu, leading to incorrect treatment. That's especially true for visitors unaware of the ailment.

"When I heard that there was a dust event at Coachella, I was actually really concerned about the valley fever cases that might come out of that," Feng remarked.

California and local governments are taking steps to address dust, per the Times. A couple of methods include using native plants to create windbreaks or tweaking topography to help control the flow of dust.

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Still, since the greater trend of hotter temperatures and droughts is the reality, more dust pollution might be an inevitability.

"From what I've seen, it's projected to be dustier in the future," Feng warned.

Commenters on Bryan's TikTok sounded off on the conditions.

"Definitely not jealous that I can't afford to go now," one wrote.

"Need a nebulizer has me crying," another shared.

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