Draped strands of lights shine above the dense sea of people, seeping through the cracks of waving hands and dancing feet. Hundreds huddle around the multiple stages of singers and bands, chanting along as the sun twirls its fingers and the moon silently sways.

Art is strewn around the entertainment ground, recycled sculptures of colorful dogs and over-sized see-saws scatter the area. The scene: the Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival.

Being one of the largest musical festivals of the year, it is much more than a simplistic, one-act performance.

Every year since 1999, it has been held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., located amongst the Colorado Desert for two-weekends, each lasting for three days.

Coachella is a free-spirited celebration attended primarily by young, college-age adults: attracting flower-children, gypsies, students, individualists, hipsters, feminists, and a surplus of others.

“You do see every kind of lifestyle. If you aren’t open to that, or if you aren’t ready for that, it could be eye-opening or shocking,” comments Activities Secretary Nancy Martino.

With the people attending coming from every possible background, the music featured has the challenge of catering to a diverse audience and is constantly designed to do just that.

This year’s artists consist of AC/DC, Drake, Florence and the Machine, David Guetta, The Weeknd, Interpol, and countless others, encompassing an abundance of different genres. The variety of music creates an almost electric, thrilling vibe that pulsates throughout the day and into the star-filled night.

In addition to the wide range of music, art is sewn into the layout, adding to its individualistic atmosphere.

Each year different architects, sculptors, and artists create and display some of their best work; last year, Escape Velocity, Becoming Human, and the Cryochrome were just a few of the major pieces shown.

Escape Velocity, a building-sized astronaut that could be seen roaming, or more so floating, around the festival ground, was another interesting piece. Created in hopes of inspiring today’s youth to pursue space exploration as a solution to many of the current issues that are surfacing.

Amongst the sculptures and stages, the two-weekend event features vendors ranging from food trucks to henna artists, sidewalk-performers to contortionists, in order to enhance its eccentric feel.

Coachella also largely emphasizes the importance of promoting environmental sustainability as well as local charities through recycled art, carpooling, and recycling in addition to donating a portion of the money raised from festival passes to Coachella Valley non-profit organizations.

The entwinement of unique, unexplored art and diverse styles of music strives to inspire the individual, fuel creativity, and catalyze change.