Jay-Z, Gorillaz Help Break Coachella’s Attendance Record

Powered by big name headliners like Jay-Z, Gorillaz featuring De La Soul, a record 225,000 fans flocked to this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The three-day day festival held at Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California between April 16-18 was produced by Goldenvoice, a division of AEG Live, nearly doubled its previous highest attendance record of 186,636 in 2007. While the big numbers are nice it also meant long lines to get into the festival, with some ticketholders waiting upwards of three hours to get into the venue's parking lots alone.

"The truth is [Goldenvoice president] Paul Tollett took a different booking strategy, and instead of spending most of his booking wad on the headliners, he put more money into the undercard," said CEO of AEG Live, Randy Phillips. "We had more relevant younger bands than ever before and I think the undercard was as much a headliner as the headliners." Phillips, also revealed that the festival is projected to make upwards of $20 million and locked in a deals with Empire Polo Grounds, and nearby El Dorado Polo Grounds for "longterm deals."

Officially founded in 1999, the Coachella Music Festival features a variety of musical genres including hip-hop, alternative rock, and electronic music. Among this year's highlights were surprise performances from Beyonce, who hit the stage alongside her hubby Jay, and the reemergence of legendary soul singer Bobby Womack during the Gorillaz set.