5 Event Design Trends We Loved at Coachella This Year

Neon had a moment at this year's festival—and we're not just talking about the buzzy Neon Carnival. For its activation, DIRECTV immersed guests in a lush, jungle-themed space filled with futuristic lighting and neon signage.

The trend also popped at Ray-Ban's activation, intended to highlight the brand's new limited-edition collection of smart glasses created in collaboration with Meta. The Coachella Sensorium Experience, designed by VTProDesign, immersed guests in a multi-sensory experience complete with a neon-lined stage—and a foam-filled pit for stage dives.

The Ray-Ban activation also featured a desert-inspired infinity room, where guests wove through a futuristic field of cacti emitting bright lights.

Honda's Chill Hall at 88rising's Cloud Mansion event gave guests a first look at the 2023 Honda HR-V, which was integrated into a neon light show choreographed to a mix of dance and chill-hop music.

NYLON House made its Coachella debut during weekend one, filling the glamorous Buena Vista estate with neon tunnels and signage for an after-hours dance party. Event Eleven handled design and production.

NYLON House's decor also tapped into a popular Coachella trend this year: interesting uses of geometric shapes and patterns. Sponsor MCM's triangle-shaped DJ booth featured dramatic lighting and galactic projections.

Another activation that effectively used geometric shapes to make an impact was the American Express Lounge, which featured calming, curved lines that created a tranquil space on the busy festival grounds. Momentum Worldwide produced it.

Adjacent to HP's futuristic Antarctic Dome—a 360-degree audiovisual experience housed inside a geodesic projection dome—was a serene lounge area that used rounded furniture pieces and long lines to make a design impact.

A section of HBO Max's The Flight Attendant Preflight Lounge activation featured a curved ceiling and oval windows, meant to evoke the space's airplane theme from producers MKG.

In addition to on-trend circular touches, Spotify's Desert Kickback event tapped into another thing Coachella is known for: gorgeous statement florals. The brand used light-wood grain textures and blue and white florals to bring a summery, beach-inspired vibe to the sandy space.

Rachel Zoe and The Zoe Report's sixth ZOEasis event featured a lush floral tunnel primed for photo ops, created by Floral Crush.

The ZOEsis event also included a flowery photo op for sponsor Outshine. Event Eleven handled design and production.

At Neon Carnival, sponsor Tequila Don Julio grabbed attention with an oversize, succulent-filled version of its logo, produced by NVE Experience Agency.

In addition to florals, many activations took inspiration from the surrounding landscape, incorporating cacti and other desert-inspired motifs—like this display from HBO Max's activation.

Of course, no one goes to Coachella without searching for that perfect Instagram post. Many brands tried to make it on attendees' social feeds with cute, photo-friendly signage and backdrops, like this fun one at Smirnoff's Neon Carnival activation, produced by NVE Experience Agency.

YouTube's Artist Lounge, produced by MAS, featured hanging bubble chairs in front of a floral- and greenery-covered backdrop.

During weekend two, global fashion brand SHEIN hosted an all-day event called Zeuphoria at Zenyara Estate. The star-studded gathering featured performances from Megan Thee Stallion, Jhené Aiko, DJ Pee .Wee, G-Eazy and more, plus activities including Segway go-karts, energy readings and aura photography, lymphatic massages, a style suite offering makeovers—and of course, plenty of fun photo ops.

The Liquid I.V. House of Hydration promoted its new limited-edition Hydration Multiplier flavor—cotton candy—with a pretty pink and blue photo op.

At Kim Crawford's “Camp Kim” wine lounge, guests could pose for photos in front a sign that said "You Are Amazing."

And what's a music festival without a healthy dose of color? One brand that didn't shy away from color was Smirnoff, which used its vibrant Neon Lemonades Seltzer branding to create a can't-miss activation at Neon Carnival.

In addition to its headline-grabbing metaverse moment, Absolut hosted an in-person activation on festival grounds. Guests entered the MKG-designed space through a tunnel made from colorful Absolut branding.

The YouTube Artist Lounge featured a fun seating area inspired by the YouTube logo—complete with bright and colorful pillows and desert-inspired wall decor.

SHEIN's Zeuphoria event incorporated color through a series of eclectic, flower-filled sculptures.

Another out-of-the-box—and attention-grabbing—moment from SHEIN's Zeuphoria? A series of massive, hot pink giraffes that framed an oversized SHEIN logo and the surrounding mountains.