Two former employees of renowned restaurateur Barbara Lynch have brought a class-action lawsuit against the James Beard-Award-winning chef, claiming she failed to pay out tips to staff after her eateries reopened from pandemic-era closures.
Instead, the suit alleges, the seven Boston restaurants under the Barbara Lynch Collective diverted tips in May and June of 2020 to an employee food-and-supply pickup program — a violation of the Massachusetts law that allows waitstaff and other service employees to be paid below the state minimum wage if tips will make up the difference.
Hilary Yeaw, who worked as a server at Lynch’s South End seafood restaurant B&G Oysters from 2010 to 2021, and Brendan McAdams, who was a bartender at her Fort Point cocktail bar Drink from 2019 to 2021, are the plaintiffs in the suit, which was filed Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court.
When the pandemic struck in March 2020, the suit alleges, waitstaff employees at restaurants under the Barbara Lynch Collective were furloughed. Meanwhile, the restaurants applied for and received loans through the federal Paycheck Protection Plan, with B&G Oysters receiving more than $850,000 and Drink securing more than $1.3 million, the suit claims. Established during the pandemic, PPP loans were designed to allow businesses to maintain payroll, rent, and other costs while COVID-19 kept them shuttered.
The suit claims that when employees were asked to return to work in May and June of 2020, Lynch sent a letter to employees that said the restaurant group had “suspended the tip pool through the duration of the PPP assistance.” Any tips would be used to continue an employee food-and-supply pickup program, “which you are welcome to attend,” the letter added.
Since Yeaw and McAdams were paid below minimum wage, the suit claims, they were entitled to receive a share of tips left by customers in order to take home at least the full minimum wage, which at the time was $12.75 an hour.
“It’s outrageous and a violation of the trust of both the workers and the customers that the Lynch Collective seems to have allegedly taken these tips that were intended to support the hourly workers who were struggling at the time,” said Lou Saban, one of the employment lawyers representing the plaintiffs.
Chef Barbara Lynch in the kitchen of Menton on Nov. 13, 2017.Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff
In a statement from the Barbara Lynch Collective, a spokesperson said for the eight-week period in question, every tipped employee was paid above the standard minimum wage through the PPP funds. They were paid according to their average weekly wages for 2019 “as outlined in the rules of how PPP funds were to be utilized,” the spokesperson said, adding that tips were reinstated when the funds ran out in the first week of July 2020.
“The company intends to vigorously defend these claims,” the spokesperson said.
The lawsuit, which is requesting a jury trial, demands that all affected employees be paid restitution for all owed tips and wages, damages, interest, and attorney costs. If the plaintiffs win in court or if the Barbara Lynch Collective settles, all employees who were working at her restaurants at the time will receive a cut of any resulting payment.
Saban said that while the case has been filed, Lynch has not yet been served with a civil complaint, and it does not appear that she has retained a lawyer yet.
A South Boston native who’s been a fixture on Boston’s restaurant scene since the early 1990s, Lynch is well-known for high-end concepts like No. 9 Park, Menton, and the Butcher Shop. She is in the midst of opening her first restaurant in over a decade, a seafood restaurant called The Rudder, in Gloucester.
Saban said he hopes that this lawsuit will send a message to other business owners to understand and follow all labor laws.
“There’s a lot of violations, and most restaurants have something going on that’s not 100 percent correct,” he said. “If we can settle the case or win in court, and that kind of sends a shot across the bow to restaurant owners out there who are trying to do the right thing.”
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Chris Christie thinks he knows the secret to defeating Donald Trump. Speaking in New Hampshire on Monday, the former New Jersey governor made his best case that all it takes to bring the former president to his knees in primary combat is to be just as big a jerk as he is. Boom: It’s all straightforward from here.
But if you have the patience for a little elaboration, Christie has some. A presidential candidate will need to do to Trump “what I did to Marco,” he said, referring to his total humiliation of the Florida senator in a February 2016 GOP primary debate. Presidential primary debate completists might recall the scene of Christie bullying flopsweat-flecked Rubio into robotically repeating the same talking point over and over again.
— crazy ass moments in american politics (@ampol_moment) July 28, 2022
“That’s the only thing that’s going to defeat Trump,” Christie said, of a thing he did to Marco Rubio, who outlasted Christie in that same primary. “You have to be fearless, because he will come back—and right at you,” Christie continued. “And that means you need to think about who’s got the skill to do that, and who’s got the guts to do that, because it’s not going to end nicely.”
Christie had come to New Hampshire in part because he wanted to draw attention to the big highlight of his otherwise unremarkable presidential campaign, which also occurred in the Granite State. It’s a weird thing to remember so fondly: Christie’s campaign largely never got anywhere, thanks partly to the fact that his governorship had descended into a plethora of scandals, including one that sent a close aide to prison.
But a big reason Christie flopped in 2020 was because of Donald Trump. In 2016, Trump basically stole the New Jersey governor’s entire brand (the brand is “big jerk who says what he thinks”). Christie briefly summoned his old mojo during his debate exchange with Rubio. He’s probably correct that that one big moment of rhetorical derring-do sunk Rubio’s presidential campaign. Prior to the debate, Rubio was rising in the polls and widely seen as the candidate most likely to win over the anti-Trump and establishment votes. After the debate, his campaign cratered; a month later, he was out of the race completely after a string of disappointing results. (Christie, meanwhile, dropped out immediately after getting walloped in the New Hampshire primary.)
Christie’s theory of the case isn’t entirely uncompelling. In 2016, Trump received the kid-glove treatment from his rivals for months—Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Jeb Bush were terrified of alienating Trump’s rabidly loyal base; each worried that pissing off Trump would mean that the real estate mogul would offer the nominee scant support or encourage his supporters to stay home (if not run as a third-party spoiler against the GOP standard-bearer). This is, to be fair, undoubtedly what would have happened if Trump had lost the primary.
By the time it became clear that Trump had emerged as the front-runner and the likeliest to win the nomination, it was too late. Cruz—who had previously been so deferential to Trump that he basically shrugged off social media posts insulting his wife’s appearance that were promoted by his rival—and Rubio belatedly pounced but discovered soon enough that they had already fallen too far behind. Their jibes, moreover, couldn’t compete. Trump is a fraud in nearly every way that counts, but his political authenticity rests in his willingness to say things others won’t; Rubio tried to copy this by suggesting that Trump had a small penis, but his limp attempt at going vulgar only brought backlash. Someone trained in the normal, weaselly art of political insults—passive aggression, insinuation, plausible deniability—will always look phony next to a guy who will say anything.
There are a couple of problems with Christie’s theory, however—the biggest one being that Christie, there on the debate stage with Trump, chose to not take that route. Not only that, Christie’s first move after quitting the race was to endorse Trump. His obsequiousness peaked when he went on to briefly lead Trump’s transition team after the election. Why didn’t Christie follow his own advice? Because Donald Trump is a very popular politician in the Republican Party and continued relevance within that party requires deference to him.
This points to the big problem with Christie’s theory. People who run for president do so because they want to end up in the Oval Office. Peeling off some portion of Trump’s diehards might swing the primary; going after the former president in the manner Christie describes would likely be a suicide mission. Going scorched earth against Trump might damage him, but it may alienate too many of the Trump supporters needed for a viable candidacy.
Trump’s nicknames have always been overvalued by pundits, but they point to his greatest political asset: the will to go places and say things that other politicians will not, and do so without coming off as a try-hard. These abilities make him unlike most other politicians. Being off-the-cuff and willing at all times to say crazy things is hard to do. Trump’s rivals are all beginners in the field, while Trump is increasingly unhinged and incoherent, but he still retains some of his old charisma.
There is no candidate in the current Republican field with a proven ability to go toe-to-toe with Trump; naturally, none are making much of an effort to do so. In all likelihood, they’ll channel their pugilistic instincts in the same direction Christie did in 2016: They’ll attack Trump’s rivals in the hope of ingratiating themselves with his base. This, famously, also didn’t work, for Christie or any of his fellow 2016 candidates. But at this early juncture in the presidential race, it unfortunately seems like history will repeat itself. Maybe Christie will jump into the race and show us how it’s done. Maybe he’ll land a blow or two this year. But this is Chris Christie, folks! He’s not going to win the Republican nomination in 2024 because he doesn’t have the one thing you actually need to beat Trump: ideas that might prove to be competitive and persuasive to Trump’s own. This might be the reason none of Trump’s competitors best him, again.
It’s a happy return for the Penguins to welcome back Jeff Petry to the lineup. Some new faces in right wing places greet Casey DeSmith as he makes his third straight start.
The home Detroit Red Wings enter the game with the following lines and lineup.
First period
Sloppy start for Pittsburgh, Chad Ruhwedel gets beat on a deke and Mark Friedman has to clean it up and takes the game’s first penalty as a result. Detroit can’t take advantage, though they come close when old friend Olli Maatta strikes the post with a shot.
Soon after getting out of the sin bin, Friedman’s going right back for another minot after taking Dylan Larkin into the boards. Larkin hits the cross-bar but can’t score, the penalty almost expired and Detroit finally gets their reward. Austin Czarnik passes the puck right through Ruhwedel and Jonatan Berggren shoots from in front. The puck leaks through DeSmith and doesn’t even hit the back of the net but does trickle over the goal-line. 1-0 DET.
Only 34 seconds later, the Wings strike again. P.O. Joseph and Jake Guentzel aren’t on the same page on a breakout and it ends up going back to Moritz Seider. The defender shoots from the point and it hits off Andrew Copp and something else too, leaving DeSmith with no chance. 2-0 Red Wings.
Pittsburgh gets their chance at a power play, with Czarnik getting the gate for holding. Guentzel puts one quick shot that Alex Nedeljkovic stops but don’t get much out of it.
Detroit continues their goal party when they get back to even. They get traffic in front of the net. Nicklas Lidstrom, uhh make that Gustav Lindstrom scores by snapping a shot that clicks off Domnik Kubalik in front and ends up lighting the lamp. 3-0 Detroit.
Shots are 10-9 Detroit, but that’s the only place this game is close. Rotten effort and start for the Pens.
Second period
The spark for the Pens comes from their second line. Evgeni Malkin slings a shot on goal. Nedeljkovic leaves a rebound that Rickard Rakell quickly pounces on and centers for Jason Zucker to smack it in. 3-1, Pens are on the board.
Pittsburgh starts getting to a hitting game, Drew O’Connor finishes a big check that raises the temperature a little bit. Detroit tries to respond, but Lindstrom takes a tripping call to open the door for another Pens’ power play. While the Pens are working on that power play, Malkin gets hooked and taken down, leading to 1:20 of an extended 5v3 opportunity. They quickly pick the Red Wings apart and Malkin wrists in a shot from the slot. 3-2 game.
The second group gets a chance and Jeff Carter deflects a puck. It hits the post and travels parallel to the goal line (oh no) and disappears under Nedeljkovic’s skate. Zucker is hacking at it and after review it can be determined the puck is IN.
But wait, Detroit decides to challenge the play due to Zucker pushing the goalie’s skate in for interference. The refs take a look and don’t agree with the Red Wings, good goal. 3-3 game. Coup de grace for Detroit is they also go back short-handed for the failed challenge. They kill it off, but lose their head coach in the process because the refs invite Derek Lalonde to depart the bench area for the rest of the game over his continued profane objections from the failed challenge.
Detroit fires back and DeSmith makes his best save of the game on a lateral push to deny Kubalik. Dylan Larkin gets too amped up and punches Joseph in the face after a whistle, leading to a frustration penalty for the Detroit captain. The Red Wings don’t allow much to escape anything further.
Thanks to all those penalties, it’s back to even and the Pens have reduced a road game to 20 minutes to try and take the win.
Third period
The Red Wings respond well and get some zone pressure that makes the Pens’ defending fall apart, courtesy of a sweet backhand pass from Larkin all the way across the ice to David Perron. Perron has plenty of time and space to pick and spot, and an old goal scorer like that isn’t going to miss. 4-3 DET.
But the Pens counter right back, the fourth line goes to work, Josh Archibald gets the puck down low, quickly swings out and slams home the wraparound. 4-4.
Friedman got buried into the boards from behind, was down for a bit but eventually looked OK. His pain was the Pens’ game for yet another power play. They come up empty after a Bryan Rust shot hits the post.
Rust then gets his stick up at a tough moment with 3:48 left, giving Detroit a late power play. They score in eight seconds, Perron’s second of the game slips through DeSmith low. 5-4 Red Wings.
Perron completes his hat trick with a high backhand shot that sails over DeSmith’s shoulder and oh boy. 6-4.
The Pens pull their goalie for a last ditch effort. Doesn’t work, Larkin hits an empty netter to send the fans home happy and set the final at 7-4.
Some thoughts
Terrible PK tonight for the Pens to collapse into a small box, allow the opponents to make whatever passes they want and then try to block shots or hope the goalie would. Way too passive.
Rough first period for everyone in a white sweater. Many were unnoticeable and barely involved in the play, those that stood out were for entirely bad reasons. Friedman set the tone with two penalties, the first one was somewhat understandable to scramble and attempt to shut down a scoring chance in front. The second one was a foolish move on his part. Ruhwedel on the PK didn’t pick his partner tonight up by allowing a pass right through him. Joseph’s weak clearing attempt or pass was that common Penguin miscue that pops up too much. Granlund had a 3-on-1 and weakly passed the puck right to the goalie.
Sullivan’s one personnel move in game was a big one, getting Granlund off the Malkin line and putting Rakell back on it. It paid immediate dividends with Rakell setting up Zucker for a goal. As I wrote, it was understandable why Sullivan wanted to spread the wealth over three lines, but it wasn’t working and right to move on from that idea quickly.
Granlund is like the anti-Zucker: the more you see of him, the less you want to see him out there. He tried a back pass that didn’t connect when he had a shooting lane in the second, just isn’t adding up for him right now.
For his part, Zucker didn’t get a point on the Carter goal, but without his pressure it might not have even been a goal in the first place. I didn’t see any interference but obviously that was right up to the line of what a player can do to affect a goalie, unless the refs simply ruled the puck was already in or going in anyways, whose to say what way NHL officiating will break. That one went in the Pens’ favor,
Is a 3-0 lead the new “worst lead in hockey”? Probably not, but that’s two games in a row for the Pens that it’s been 3-0, and then 3-3 in the blink of an eye. No leads are safe these days.
I shit you not, Dear Reader, this note was written during the second intermission: “Liking the spark and way Archibald is getting around out there. He hasn’t had a lot to stand-out lately, but watch for him to pop out here if he keeps it up”. Unfortunately I didn’t follow that up with a bet on Draft Kings, Archibald scored his third period goal soon after. Sometimes I guess you can see those things starting to bubble up. Nice for him to get a quick pay off of that note, even if a little too quick.
The very rare “meh” game for Crosby. Was barely noticeable, even though he played almost 24 minutes.
Strange game for DeSmith, he didn’t have much a chance in the first period as pucks whizzed by him. In the second period, he only saw four shots and barely had to break a sweat. So it boiled down to the third period to fairly judge him on the night. The first Perron goal? OK it happens. The second Perron goal? Can’t have that allowing five on the night and hope to win. The THIRD Perron goal? Enough already. So likely ends the “Casey DeSmith as preferred goalie” time at one game.
And while the stink eye will be on DeSmith for this ending, don’t over-look Rust hitting the post when the game was tied 4-4, then taking a penalty that led to Detroit’s late go-ahead goal. Almost nothing he’s doing these days is working out favorably.
Detroit only scored 22 total goals in the 11 post-deadline games before tonight. Hung seven on the Pens in one outing. That’s really bad.
Well, of all the hockey games, this definitely was one of them. The Pens will try again at home on Thursday.
Click on the highlighted scores for more game details.
College Hockey
Michigan Tech hockey coach Joe Shawhan has been named a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award, which is given each year to the top coach in NCAA Division I. Shawhan is one of eight finalists. The winner will be announced next Wednesday.
Former Michigan Tech defenseman Chris Lipe has signed a contract with the Iowa Heartlanders in the ECHL. Lipe joins former Huskies Alec Broetzman and Tommy Parrottino in Iowa.
NHL
The Red Wings offense found its footing, as Detroit outscored the Penguins 7-4 last night. David Perron had a hat trick, and Jonatan Berggren, Andrew Copp, Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Larkin each scored once. Alex Nedeljkovic made 35 saves.
The Wings entertain the Hurricanes tomorrow. Coverage will begin at 7:15 on 99.3 The Lift.
NBA
The Pistons visit the Thunder this evening. Coverage begins at 7:35 on 99.3 The Lift.
MLB
The Brewers wrapped up their Cactus League campaign with an 8-1 victory over the Rockies yesterday afternoon. Freddy Peralta pitched into the fifth, and gave up no runs on four hits. Luke Voit and Jesse Winker homered.
Milwaukee opens the regular season tomorrow against the Cubs in Chicago. Corbin Burnes will start against Marcus Stroman.
Keston Hiura remains in the Brewers organization. The former first-round draft pick cleared waivers yesterday, and was assigned to Triple-A Nashville.
The Tigers will open the regular season tomorrow afternoon at Tampa Bay. Eduardo Rodriguez will face Shane McClanahan. Coverage will begin at 2:50 on 99.3 The Lift.
ESPN's fantasy basketball and basketball betting tips cheat sheet is your pregame destination for basketball betting predictions and our best intel and data, featuring ESPN's proprietary Basketball Power Index (BPI) to help you make smart fantasy and wagering decisions. NBA game odds for Tuesday, March 28 are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is based on ESPN 10-team leagues.
What you need to know for Tuesday's games
At first glance, Tuesday's six-game schedule appears a bit sleepy. Which is to say, there are several big spreads and relatively unfamiliar matchups. Looking deeper, a wave of injuries serves to unlock several prominent values. The Washington Wizards, for instance, won't have Bradley Beal or Kyle Kuzma in the lineup against the Boston Celtics, vaulting versatile forward Deni Avdija into a major offensive role.
The third-year talent is a free agent in 88% of ESPN leagues and has flashed real playmaking and improved scoring in recent games, aiding his case as a top target in both redraft and DFS competition. Another lottery-bound team with an interesting injury report is the Charlotte Hornets, as they will likely be without Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward for a tilt against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Former lottery pick Dennis Smith Jr. (80% available) appears poised to start and run the offense at times.
The key rotation shift of the slate might just be in Memphis, as the Grizzlies host the Orlando Magic likely without Ja Morant, pushing guard Tyus Jones (74%) into a pivotal role as the team's offensive engine. It's fun to have all of our top fantasy players active and available, but it's also rewarding and necessary to navigate the market as news emerges.
Fantasy streamer: Deni Avdija (rostered in 11.8% of ESPN leagues) continues to be a viable streamer for a Wizards who will be without Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma on Tuesday night. Avdija has scored 33 or more fantasy points in four consecutive games. He's making the most of the opportunity. -- Eric Moody
Best bet: Malcolm Brogdon over 18.5 points+ assists + rebounds. In a game where the Celtics are heavily favored, Brogdon could exceed expectations. He's averaged 20.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in two games against the Wizards this season. -- Moody
Injury Report:
Cavaliers: Dean Wade, (GTD - Illness); Isaac Okoro, (GTD - Knee); Jarrett Allen, (GTD - Groin); Danny Green, (OUT - Illness); Raul Neto, (OUT - Hamstring)
Hawks: Jalen Johnson, (OUT - Hamstring) Note: BPI numbers factor players who are ruled out but assumes GTD players will play
Best bet: Evan Mobley over 27.5 points + rebounds. As Mobley heats up, Jarret Allen is questionable for Tuesday night's game because of a groin strain. Over the last five games, Mobley has averaged 19.0 points and 9.4 rebounds. He has a favorable matchup against a Hawks team that's allowed the third most points per game and fourth most rebounds per game to power forwards this season. -- Moody
Trend: The injury report for Cleveland is beginning to look like a CVS receipt and that has resulted in the spread being what it is, but should it be this low? We know Atlanta wants to get up and go (top-10 in both pace and offensive efficiency) ... well, the Cavs are 35-16 ATS this season when scoring at least 110 points. "No kidding, they cover more when they score more". You're not wrong, but they are penciled in to soar past that number in this spot. Atlanta has coughed up 1,000 points over their past eight games (125 PPG) and Cleveland opened with an implied total of 118 points. As you'd expect, the Hawks are a losing team (11-16 ATS) when facing a top-10 defense, just one more feather in the cap of the Cavs tonight. -- Soppe
Best bet: Jimmy Butler over 34.5 points + assists + rebounds. With the regular season winding down, Butler has been outstanding since the All-Star break. Against the Raptors, he has averaged 22.5 points, 7.7 assists, and 7.3 rebounds in his last six games. -- Moody
Best bet: Jakob Poeltl over 9.5 rebounds. Poeltl has reached double-digit boards in five of the past seven games and the Heat, despite Bam Adebayo in the middle, are not a strong rebounding team. They rank third worst in rebounds. Poeltl, when avoiding foul trouble, seems a good bet for a double-double, too. -- Eric Karabell
Fantasy streamer: Cole Anthony (rostered in 44.8% of ESPN leagues) remains a solid streamer even though Jalen Suggs has returned to the rotation. Anthony has scored 30 or more fantasy points in five consecutive games. Don't be afraid to insert him into lineups if you need a point guard. -- Moody
Fantasy streamer: Tyus Jones (rostered in 26.1% of ESPN leagues) is back on the streaming radar with Ja Morant doubtful for Tuesday night's game due to right thigh soreness. Jones has averaged 17.6 points, 7.9 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 18 games without Morant this season. He's a must-add for managers looking for a streamer. -- Moody
Trend: Don't look now, but the Magic are playing decent basketball and their sweeping of a three-game homestand was the product of improved defense. Does that continue tonight? Just holding Memphis under their typical level of efficiency would put Orlando in a great spot: the Grizzlies are 33-4 outright this season in their 37 most efficient efforts and 14-23 in the other 37 games. Even if you're not buying the growth on the end of the floor, the Magic are 23-13-2 ATS when getting at least six points (unders are 15-8 in those covers) and the Grizzlies are 8-12 ATS in their past 20 unders. -- Kyle Soppe
Fantasy streamer: Dennis Smith Jr. (rostered in 19.2% of ESPN leagues) is firmly on the streaming radar with Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Gordon Hayward dealing with their respective injuries. This season, Smith Jr. averages 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists per 40 minutes. -- Moody
Fantasy streamer: Nick Richards (rostered in 6.1% of ESPN leagues). The Hornets have oddly decided to rotate their centers these final two weeks, and healthy Mark Williams will sit Tuesday. Richards will play many minutes and that is a good thing, since he has averaged more than 30 fantasy points over his past three contests in nearly 30 MPG. When Richards gets minutes, he produces. -- Karabell
Best bet: P.J. Washington over 25.5 points + rebounds. Washington should be actively involved for a Hornets team dealing with an abundance of injuries. Two consecutive games have seen him exceed 25.5 PR, and there is a good chance that trend will continue against the Thunder. -- Moody
Fantasy streamer: Trey Murphy III (rostered in 37.3% of ESPN leagues) had a disappointing performance on Monday night against the Trail Blazers, but is well positioned to bounce back on Tuesday night against the Warriors. Over the last eight games, he's averaged 21.4 points, 4.9 triples, 3.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game. -- Moody
Fantasy streamer: Kevon Looney (rostered in 22.8% of ESPN leagues). Looney scored 60 fantasy points in a recent game and continues to thrive by hitting his field goal attempts and grabbing rebounds. In fact, he has three double-double performances in his past six games. Not everyone on your fantasy roster has to score 20 PPG. -- Eric Karabell
Best bet: Stephen Curry over 33.5 points + assists. Curry and the Warriors will be looking to avenge Sunday's loss to the Grizzlies. During this key postseason-positioning battle, Curry is likely to do everything he can to help Golden State win. The future Hall of Famer has averaged 29.4 points and 6.3 assists per game this season. -- Moody
Trend: The Pelicans have been a team to target in specific spots and, well, this is one of those spots. Under tickets have cashed in 10 of their past 12 road games and in seven of their past eight against top-10 pace teams. Both those boxes are checked tonight against a Warriors team that is just 11-17 ATS (15-13 outright) this season when giving more than five points. -- Soppe
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One of the first major music festivals of the year is just around the corner as we gear up for Coachella 2023.
As always, this year’s Coachella lineup sees some of the biggest names in music. But the lead acts — Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Frank Ocean — also make history as the first group of 100% non-white Coachella headliners. The rest of the lineup is equally diverse (and exciting) with big names including Rosalia, Kaytranada, Becky G, Burna Boy, Metro Boomin, Jai Paul, and many others performing throughout the two-weekend event.
But, as with any music festival of this caliber, there’s a lot of planning and preparation necessary for us as attendees. Below is our complete guide on everything you need to know about Coachella 2023, including where to buy tickets, how to pack, and what to expect once you’re there.
How to Buy Tickets to Coachella 2023 Online
Tickets for Coachella Weekend 1 are sold out on the festival’s website, but you can still buy them through resale platforms like Vivid Seats, Ticketmaster, and StubHub — all of which guarantee real tickets delivered before the event. If you buy your tickets through Vivid Seats, use promo code RS2023 to save $20 on purchases of $200 or more.
Coachella Weekend 2 tickets are still available through the festival’s website, but, as of writing, they’re actually cheaper through resale platforms. Vivid Seats, for example, currently has Weekend 2 general admission passes starting at $441, compared to $550 on the Coachella website. VIP passes are also slightly cheaper through resale sites.
Coachella takes place over two weekends, Friday through Sunday, with the same lineup each weekend (i.e. you won’t miss any performers by going one weekend instead of the other). The first weekend is April 14-16, and the second weekend is April 21-23. As with previous years, the festival takes place at the Empire Polo Ground in Indio, California, which is about 2.5 hours by car from Los Angeles.
The first nights of Coachella — April 14 and 21 — will be headlined by Bad Bunny with supporting acts including Gorillaz, Burna Boy, Kaytranada, the Chemical Brothers, and Becky G. Day Two (April 15 and 22) will see the likes of Rosalia, boygenius, Charlie XCX, and headliner Blackpink. On Day Three, Frank Ocean headlines a lineup that also sees Bjork, Kali Uchis, Jai Paul, and Dominic Fike. Check out the full lineup for Coachella here.
As far as timing, Coachella’s website says the venue will open around noon each day. The venue will close at 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and 12 a.m. on Sunday on nights.
Coachella 2023 Food & Drink Options
Musical performances and art installations aren’t the only things worth looking forward to at Coachella. Top restaurants and chefs from around the country are slated to provide pop-up service at the festival, and there will even be some speakeasy bars sprinkled throughout the grounds.
Some of the more noteworthy food options at Coachella 2023 will include pop-up service from Michelin-starred bistro Camphor, Yangban Society, Broad Street Oyster Company, Bang Bang Noodles, Kogi by Roy Choi, Post + Beam, and Chamberlain Coffee. There’s also Outstanding In The Field, a pop-up dinner series in the ground’s VIP Rose Garden with different award-winning chefs creating multi-course sit-down meals each night.
How to Stream Coachella 2023 Online Free
Can’t make it to Coachella in person this year? You can still see every act live online thanks to Coachella’s partnership with YouTube. On each day of the festival, head to youtube.com/coachella to livestream the performances.
Related
What to Bring to Coachella 2023
Packing for Coachella is no easy task, as you’ll want quite a few supplies but you’ll also need to comply with security regulations. Here are a few of our festival must-haves — all of which adhere to Coachella’s rulebook.
1. Carhartt Mini Backpack
Amazon
Backpacks are allowed at Coachella, and they don’t have to be clear, but they can’t be larger than 18″ x 13″ x 8.5” (but who wants to lug around a big backpack?). If you’re in need of a compact backpack to carry your essentials, pick up this mini pack from Carhartt. Inside the durable, water-repellent exterior is a surprisingly roomy main compartment to stash all your necessities.
A dead phone can ruin any festival day (especially if you’re coordinating with friends), and it happens far too often. Make sure that won’t happen by picking up a reliable power bank, such as this PowerCore Fusion from Anker. It stores 10000mAh, which is enough juice to fully charge an iPhone about two times. It’s also very compact and features a USB-C port if needed.
Metal water bottles and liquids are not allowed when entering the festival grounds, so you’ll want a good plastic bottle to fill up inside and stay hydrated. We like this Eddy+ water bottle from the pros at CamelBak, which boasts a lightweight, durable design and a spill-proof top. You get a few size options too, so you can choose one that fits easily in your bag.
Knockaround is known for their affordable, rugged polarized shades, which is exactly what you want for something like Coachella: Your eyes will be fully protected from the sun, but it’s not the end of the world if you lose the shades, as they’re less than $30.
You can’t bring large picnic blankets into Coachella, so we recommend this slim Turkish beach towel for cleaning up or laying out on the grass. It’s highly absorbent, dries fast, and folds up into a lightweight, portable package.
Earplugs are a must if you want to lie down each night after the festival without ringing in your ears. We like these earplugs from Vibes for any concerts or music festivals, as they effectively reduce sound but still let you hear and enjoy everything. Plus, the earplugs’ clear tips make them very discreet.
Getting tickets to Coachella is the easy part; finding a place to stay can be tricky.
Your three main accommodation options for Coachella are house rentals, hotel rooms, and camping. House rentals through services like Airbnb are probably your best bet, as you can find stays near the festival grounds, although they are quite pricey (unless you split the bill with a group of friends). Hotel rooms are sparse in the area, which leaves the option of camping.
Coachella has a few campsites on location with options for car camping and tent camping. Head here for more details on camping locations and buy camping passes at StubHub. The festival also offers lodges at Lake Eldorado (something of a “glamping” option) but these tickets are sold out.
