More people attended the Coachella music festival in Indio this year than ever before, ending with more arrests than last year, according to the Indio Police Department.
"We had an attendance of 80,000-85,000 people every day," said Benjamin Guitron, department spokesman. "Last year we had 70,000-75,000 people."
That's up from 60,000 per day in 2009, he added, citing statistics from Goldenvoice, the festival's promoter.
Even a dose of severe weather didn't stop the party. The unprecedented crowd descended on the iconic desert venue as a spring storm doused the Southland.
Coachella was broken up into two weekends this year for the first time in the festival's history. Weekend two begins Friday.
This year also saw an increase in the number of arrests, as the department took 134 people into custody, mostly for alcohol-related issues. There were 48 arrests last year.
"Compared to other events, sometimes there are 200 arrests at football games," Guitron said.
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There was one stabbing at this year's event, when a Woodland Hills man wounded a friend of his ex-girlfriend, perhaps mistaking the victim for her new boyfriend, Guitron said.
The victim is not pressing charges.
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