Coachella 2025: 8 Design Trends You’ll Want to Steal for Your Next Event

Coachella is all about being seen—and what better way to spotlight attendees and activations than with reflective surfaces? From mirrored installations to chrome-finished furniture and props, brands used shine and shimmer to amplify both aesthetics and selfies. One of our favorites was this simple but effective photo op from the weekend's eighth annual REVOLVE Festival in Thermal, Calif. This year’s festival was themed Desert Mirage, and various design elements blended chrome and organic elements to create a bold yet serene landscape.

Attendees at REVOLVE Festival explored activations from top fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands—like this pretty, reflective photo op from financial services company Affirm.

Mirrors and reflective elements also appeared in this fun setup from Australian accessories line 8 Other Reasons.

A cool mirrored selfie spot appeared at Anker's first-ever Coachella activation, produced by Mirrored Media.

Nostalgia ruled the desert this year, with brands and designers leaning into vintage aesthetics—think '70s palettes, disco balls, analog textures, and throwback furniture that gave installations a groovy, familiar feel. Coca-Cola, for example, hosted its Pop Shop activation, which reimagined the classic soda fountain with a modern twist. The eye-catching, retro space was designed and produced by Crown + Conquer.

Pandora's Charm House activation welcomed guests to a private estate with a vintage white Cadillac and a retro oversize sign, an homage to classic Palm Springs motels. The activation was produced by Mirrored Media.

A classic vintage car also popped up at 818 Outpost, a one-day experience from Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila brand in partnership with The h.wood Group. Produced by Revolution Marketing, the activation also featured a 1970s autocamp backdrop serving complimentary 818 Tequila cocktails and other drinks and festival essentials.

The Amex Experience was a creative space where card members and up to three of their guests could celebrate their love for music and the culture that surrounds it. The nostalgia-inducing space leaned into classic records, and featured an interactive photo booth with a selection of album cover filters, a retro fridge filled with Coca-Cola, a classic dart game, and more.

At REVOLVE Festival, sparkling margarita brand SipMARGS hosted the "Sip Stop," an activation inspired by retro gas stations.

Bright colors are always a staple, but this year, iridescent materials stole the spotlight. These color-shifting surfaces caught the desert sun in mesmerizing ways, adding a dreamy, futuristic vibe to various activations, including the Absolut House of Cosmo. A collaboration with Paris Hilton's next-gen media company, 11:11 Media, and Hilton herself—a known Cosmo lover and now Absolut's official "partner-in-cosmo"—the activation used an iridescent façade to grab attention and welcome festivalgoers, who could take a respite from the desert heat while enjoying Absolut cocktails. The activation was produced by 160over90.

Beauty brand Sol de Janeiro also grabbed attention with an iridescent façade for its 30-by-30-foot activation, produced by MKG.

Haircare brand Method unveiled "Dream in the Desert," an immersive, multisensory activation inspired by its latest innovation, Dream Foam body wash. The activation, produced by Revolution Marketing, transported guests to four surreal dream worlds—including "Iridescent Shore" (pictured)—all inspired by the brand's different Dream Foam fragrances.

Iridescent signage also popped up at REVOLVE Festival.

At this year’s NYLON House, which was produced by Event Eleven at event venue MARAZA, blank silver discs were used to create an iridescent backdrop.

At Coachella, bigger really can be better. Oversize props, branding, and sculptural pieces added drama and drew eyes from across the festival grounds, creating unmissable photo ops and brand moments. One great (and hilarious) example came from Billboard and Amazon, who teamed up with comedian/musical improviser Reggie Watts to present “MuSick: Live from Reggie Watts’ Couch,” an activation and event with Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One Medical. The event space served as an extension of Watts' living room, making guests feel as though they were attending a house party he was hosting just for them.

Giant signage also popped up throughout festival weekend, like this display from NYLON House.

In addition to having a pop-up charm bar, the Pandora Charm House featured oversize charms in the expansive backyard.

At the Coca-Cola activation, a photo booth was in the shape of a massive Coca-Cola can.

Fenty Beauty's Fenty Festival House transformed an entire 13-room hotel into a vibrant experiential hub brought to life by Sunset Studios, which curated immersive poolside bungalows dedicated to each category. In a fun moment, a giant jar of Fenty Skin cream was set up for photo ops.

Many designs leaned into the surreal this year, with brands incorporating playful, whimsical elements—from mythical creatures to fantastical environments and layered collages. These imaginative spaces encouraged exploration, creativity, and just plain fun. NYLON House, for example, had an under-the-sea theme featuring jellyfish, sea anemones, underwater-themed visuals, and a larger-than-life octopus installation.

At YouTube's backstage artists' area, decor details included a flock of "flamingo-fied" versions of Coachella headlining artists by @palmeriart.

The Method activation's dreamy spaces included the surrealist "Enchanted Grove" (pictured).

Method also partnered with hair artist Charlie Le Mindu to create four one-of-a-kind hair suits, inspired by Method’s new extended haircare line. Actors wearing the hair suits roamed the festival crowds, creating a fun, attention-grabbing moment.

Pinterest returned to Coachella for the second year in a row, working with NVE Experience Agency to create a whimsical, inspiration-packed space in the desert where fans could explore, try on, and remix trends that will dominate this year's festival season. The eclectic, immersive activation was designed in partnership with Ramisha Sattar, who is also Chappell Roan's creative director.

Decor in the Pinterest space was inspired by this year’s top festival trends and the brand's collage feature. In the styling area, on-site stylists helped visitors remix their look with trend-inspired upgrades and accessories before heading to the photo studio to have their portrait taken by a professional photographer. This photo was then added to one of Sattar’s collages, allowing fans to become part of the artwork.

Stripes made a subtle but striking comeback this year, showing up in bold backdrops, tent designs, and interactive spaces. Whether classic or reimagined with a twist, stripes offered a grounding visual element in an otherwise eclectic setting. We loved this pretty-in-pink "hydration station" from sports drink brand BODYARMOR.

Beignet Box also leaned into stripes and checkers for its REVOLVE Festival activation

Italian aperitivo brand Aperol hosted its Aperol Spritz Piazza, which was designed to feel like an Italian square. The vibrant space, produced by Swell, leaned into the brand's classic orange color scheme—but used elements like stripes and cutouts for visual interest.

Kylie Jenner's Sprinter Vodka Soda brand kicked off the weekend by co-hosting REVOLVE’s exclusive pool party. Yellow- and white-striped tenting added a summery feel to the event, particularly on a retro lemonade stand that served a selection of exclusive Sprinter Vodka Soda cocktails. The activation was produced by Revolution Marketing.

Minimalism met maximal impact with carefully curated color choices this year. Many brands used bold monochromatic schemes and clean colorblocking to create crisp, modern environments that stood out amid the sensory overload. The Coca-Cola activation, for example, had bold red walls and ceilings, along with a red and white checkered floor, that made a big impact. Guests were immersed immediately by walking through a "soundsorial" corridor, which featured the sounds of fizzing bubbles, pouring, and popping open a Coke.

The Absolut House of Cosmo experience featured personalized elements inspired by Hilton's style, along with bold pink and blue colorblocking.

In the Sol de Janeiro activation, a bold color scheme created a unique product display. The vibrant wall of fragrances invited scent layering, personalization, and play.

Sol de Janeiro also used monochromatic color schemes in other areas like the Rio orelhões—dome-shaped public phone booths known as “big ears”—that were creatively reimagined into colorful scent portals.

At the Pandora Charm House, the brand's signature pink showed up just about everywhere. Pandora pink tiles replaced the original outdoor flooring, while custom-fabricated daybeds, branded umbrellas, and towels and pool floats also leaned into the shade.

Of course, it wouldn't be Coachella without some desert-inspired decor—like this seating vignette at YouTube's dreamy desert compound within Coachella's backstage artists' area. YouTube enlisted Good Sense & Co. to design, build, and manage the space.

Various photo ops and content studios also leaned into desert-inspired decor at the YouTube space.

Lifestyle publisher Gallery Media Group hosted Gallery Desert House, an immersive celebration of music, culture, fashion, and beauty. The space featured a photo op made from hay bales, cactuses, and horseshoes.