Ships ahoy! Coachella is taking to the sea.
As has been rumored since early Tuesday morning, Goldenvoice, the L.A. concert promoter behind the one of the most renowned music festivals in the world, is venturing into the growing market of concert cruises, with two separate runs on their new vessel – one to the Bahamas, the other to Jamaica – set for December.
Reunited British band Pulp, a standout among standouts at Coachella in April, will head up an identical lineup for both trips. Also slated to appear are Hot Chip, Yeasayer, Girl Talk, DJ sets from LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy and the Rapture, Sleigh Bells, Simian Mobile Disco, !!!, Warpaint, El-P, Black Lips, Grimes and more.
The S.S. Coachella is actually a 1,000-foot, 122,000-ton ship dubbed the Celebrity Silhouette, with room for 2,800 passengers, cabana-style alcoves and a small theater that, as organizer Paul Tollett tells the New York Times, is like a “mini-Royal Albert Hall.”
The cruise liner “even has a half-acre of grass,” he adds. “It wouldn’t be Coachella without grass.”
Both voyages depart from Fort Lauderdale – and no, the cost of the cruise doesn’t include your travel to Florida to disembark. The Bahamas outing is a three-day run, leaving Dec. 16, while the Jamaica excursion is a four-day trip, setting sail on Dec. 19.
Patrons willing to bunk four to a cabin are looking at a rate of $500 per person, with payment plans available after putting $250 down. There are nine other price levels, rising as high as $9,000 per person for a “sky suite” complete with veranda. Most stateroom voyages are in the $1,000-$2,000 range.
Reservations become available Saturday, July 21, at 10 a.m. Goldenvoice is strongly urging potential passengers to create a ticket-purchasing account ahead of time. All travelers must be 21 or older and have a valid passport that expires no earlier than June 2013.
Costs are comprehensive, including lodging, food (the ship features several restaurants), activities and entertainment – but, again, you’ll have to get yourself to the Sunshine State. Obviously there will be some hope of rubbing elbows with the talent, either accidentally or deliberately, as extra events are being planned, like a wine tasting with Murphy.
Plus, as Tollett points out to the NYT: “Some sets will be longer than usual. We don’t have a curfew.”
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