Following two pop-filled weekends of Coachella, it was country music’s time to shine at Stagecoach 2025, held April 25-27 in Indio, CA. Western culture permeated The Empire Polo Club, as festivalgoers showed up in fashionable cowboy hats and boots, colorful bandanas, and shiny belt buckles to catch their favorite artists perform at stages spread across the desert setting.
Per usual, it wasn’t just the music that made waves; brands added their own flair to the Stagecoach experience with activations that offered cool lounges that shaded the blazing sun, watering holes, trading posts, wellness oases, meet-and-greets with headliners and themed content creation moments. They also helped attendees go full glam, with glittering makeup stations and exclusive, customizable merch. Mosey on through nine brand activations that captured the country music spirit and aesthetic at Stagecoach.
AMERICAN EXPRESS
Amex card members, and up to three enrolled guests, enjoyed exclusive perks at the Amex Experience, where they could visit the Workshop to personalize backpacks and trucker hats with festival-inspired charms and tassels, as well as shoot their shot at a dart game to win prizes from e.l.f. Cosmetics and Coca-Cola. They didn’t even have to go inside the record-themed space to get their hands on the branded festival swag; a merch to-go window outside was available just for card members to purchase the exclusive bundle.
Photo credits: AEG Studios and Jones Crow
BÉIS
Ahead of Stagecoach, American Express extended its activation to the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa, where it partnered with luggage brand BÉIS on a pop-up experience for Amex card members and hotel guests, who could pick up a limited-edition Amex x BÉIS belt bag filled with festival essentials from e.l.f. Cosmetics.
Then, on the festival grounds, BÉIS arrived with a new activation concept, the BÉIS Rodeo, following last year’s BÉIS Pit Stop. Attendees could “ride a roller” (built like a mechanical bull but as a saddle on a suitcase), “rope a roller” for a prize, enjoy a beverage at the bar while sitting on bar stools designed to look like horse legs, customize a keychain tag with leather stamping, and purchase a limited-edition BÉIS Sport Sling adorned with a Stagecoach patch.
Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Courtesy of American Express
BUD LIGHT
The Bud Light Backyard made its way to Stagecoach, integrated into the festival lineup as an official stage. Over three days, fans stopped in the air-conditioned tent to watch performances from 15 artists, including Alana Springsteen, Tiera Kennedy, George Birge and Brent Cobb. They also personalized festival bandanas, participated in branded photo ops and sampled Bud Light beverages. (Agency: The Bait Shoppe)
Photos: Courtesy of Bud Light
CÓDIGO 1530 TEQUILA
Código’s open-air Honky Tonk Hangout featured an array of country-themed details, from guitars and banjoes mounted on the wall to vintage George Strait posters. A full menu of tequila cocktails was available for purchase, and festivalgoers customized cowboy hats with branded ribbons, bandanas and pins. (Agency: 160over90)
Photo credit: Marissa Joy Photography
e.l.f. COSMETICS
Stagecoach’s beauty and skin sponsor showed up with the e.l.f. Glow ’N Go Diner to remind festivalgoers that they are “e.l.f.ing gorgeous.” Attendees could build their own beauty combo from a daily sample menu with “hydrate,” “line,” “oil” and “shine” categories of products, redeemable at the “treat your e.l.f.” counter. Makeup artists at a GRWM glam station of illuminated mirrors touched up participants’ makeup and skincare with e.l.f. products, creating looks that could be shown off in a classic, pink-washed “express your e.l.f.” photo booth. (Agency: The Bait Shoppe)
Off the festival grounds, e.l.f sponsored the NYLON Desert Disco party and popped up a smaller footprint that featured a rhinestone makeup stand and a Grab & Glow vending machine that dispensed Glow Reviver Lip Oil Glimmer samples.
Photo credit: Marissa Joy Photography
Facebook made its Stagecoach debut to promote the launch of the social network’s new Friends Tab with a cactus-decorated Connection Canteen. Inside, festivalgoers could snag a reusable water bottle and take a hydration break, snap photos in front of a custom backdrop curated with items from Facebook Marketplace by Drew Michael Scott of Lone Fox Home, and customize a disposable camera to capture festival memories. Nelly, Shaboozey and Alexandra Kay made appearances at Facebook’s activation to meet fans.
Photos: Courtesy of Facebook
GALLERY MEDIA GROUP
Gallery Media Group hosted several events with brand partners at its annual Gallery Desert House, including The Last Call Saloon, an intimate late-night gathering with performances by Dustin Lynch and Zay Wilson, the No Missed Connections Pool Party featuring a live recording of the podcast For the Girls with Becca Moore, and, the main event, the Swimsuits & Cowboy Boots Pool Party with performances by country artists Nikki Lane and Dasha. Throughout the weekend, the events offered Patrón drinks, like the Desert Sunset margarita, Palm Spritz and Born This Spicy.
Haircare brand Raw Sugar hosted GRWM events with beauty stations for dry styling services, hair accessories and scalp massages, while serving vegan snacks and juices. Authentic Brands Group gave attendees the opportunity to sample and shop from three of its footwear brands during events. Palmer’s offered a selfie moment and DIY face gems, along with samples of body oils and lotions. U by Kotex provided tampons and pads and a memorable period-themed photo op wall. The brand had us at “ur honor, I was in luteal.”
Photo credits: Jennifer Johnson and Chad Salvador/Shutterstock for Gallery Media Group
MALIBU RUM
Malibu Rum brought a colorful Boot Bar to Stagecoach, where attendees could cool down from the desert heat with frozen piña coladas, custom cocktails and desserts, as well as pick out branded charms to put on their cowboy boots. (Agency: 160over90)
Photo credit: Marissa Joy Photography
WINDSOR
Women’s fashion retailer Windsor celebrated its first showing at Stagecoach with Windsor’s Wild West at a private villa. Invited celebrities, influencers and tastemakers gathered for an afternoon of music, fashion, photo ops and glamorous activations, such as the Windsor Styling Saloon, where attendees were styled in festival-favorite Windsor designs with a Western twist including embroidered cowboy hats, belt buckles and charms. Beauty and wellness stations offered glitter freckles, IV drips, B-12 shots and cryo-spots, while dj Roxy Ferrari pumped up the poolside vibes with country favorites and remixes.
Photos: Courtesy of Windsor via Getty Images
Featured image credit: Marissa Joy Photography
Related:
- Coachella 2025 Experiential: Pit Stops, Perfume Pods, Glimmers and High Tea
- Steal the Show with 27 of the Summer’s Best Festival Activation Ideas
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