Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work as a nurse at Coachella? While festivalgoers soak in the music and desert sun, IV hydration nurses are working behind the scenes to keep attendees feeling their best.
A nurse's role at Coachella
Music festivals like Coachella are known for their high-energy atmosphere, massive crowds, and unforgettable performances, but behind the scenes, nursing care goes far beyond emergency response. In addition to treating heat-related injuries and managing critical situations, IV hydration nurses are increasingly providing elective, wellness-focused services designed to keep attendees feeling their best throughout the event.
For many nurses, this is a dual role: responding to medical needs while also enhancing the overall festival experience.
Brielle Brumfield, BSN, RN, a Louisiana-based travel nurse currently working in California, is experiencing this firsthand while working the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as an IV hydration nurse, where she has also been documenting her journey on TikTok.
But Brielle’s path to nursing began long before Coachella, shaped by both personal experiences and high-acuity clinical training.
“Straight out of nursing school, I went into working in the pediatric emergency department at a level one trauma center, which shaped me into the nurse I am today,” she said.
While she always felt drawn to healthcare, Brielle explained that her decision to pursue nursing was ultimately influenced by a deeply personal experience.
“When I was 11, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. Watching her home health nurse care for her with such compassion, patience, and genuine love left a lasting impact on me,” she said. “In one of the most vulnerable times in my family’s life, that nurse brought comfort, dignity, and strength. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be that person for others — to show up, care deeply, and make a difference when it matters most.”
This is exactly what she gets to do both in her full-time travel nursing role and while working at Coachella.
Becoming an IV hydration nurse
Brielle’s journey to working at Coachella began with a simple scroll through an online job board.
“I saw an ad for Coachella/Stagecoach nurse, and I jumped on the opportunity,” she said, adding that she applied, interviewed, and landed the job very quickly.
In general, working as a festival nurse doesn’t require a specific certification unique to these events, but depending on the nursing role, it can require a certain clinical background with licensure as an RN serving as the minimum requirement.
For Brielle, the central requirement for her role was having experience with IV insertion, which requires an RN license and years of clinical experience working with IVs when practicing in California.
That emphasis on IV experience is especially important, as dehydration is an all-too-common occurrence at music festivals like Coachella. In fact, one survey revealed that 78% of Gen Z festival attendees reported feeling dehydrated, exhausted, and nutritionally deprived afterward.
This makes hydration therapy an incredibly valuable service at these events, where efficiently and safely starting IVs demands both technical expertise and a high level of clinical confidence.
The role of an IV nurse at festivals
While nurses working in festival settings can take on a wide range of responsibilities, from emergency response to supportive care, Brielle’s role as an IV hydration nurse centers on supporting festival attendees by helping relieve symptoms like dehydration, fatigue, headaches, and nausea through IV hydration therapy.
While her previous nursing experience has set her up for success in this role, working in a festival setting is so much different from a traditional hospital environment, she said.
“There’s a level of freedom, independence, and autonomy that you don’t always get in a traditional setting,” said Brielle. “You have to really trust your judgment and think on your feet.”
Even though festival nurses practice with a great deal of autonomy, teamwork is still essential to ensuring patient safety. Brielle noted that a physician and the broader medical team are always readily available whenever support is needed.
The ups and downs of festival environments
Festival nursing offers a fast-paced and unconventional care setting, where no two shifts look the same. Alongside the energy and excitement, nurses must rely on strong clinical judgment, stamina, and the ability to adapt quickly in a dynamic environment.
“What I enjoy most about working at Coachella as an IV hydration nurse is the people,” said Brielle. “You meet individuals from all walks of life, all coming together for the same experience.”
Being able to connect with them, help them feel better, and be a small part of their experience makes it incredibly fulfilling, she said.
However, like any nursing role, working festivals can present its own set of challenges.
“The most challenging [part] I would say is dehydration,” said Brielle. “Doing IV hydration, most of my patients are dehydrated, causing their veins to be more fragile than normal, which can result in a vein ‘blowing.’ It takes skill and critical thinking to get an IV into a dehydrated person.”
Despite this, Brielle finds the experience both meaningful and rewarding.
Conclusion
Working at large-scale festivals like Coachella showcases how clinical skills can be applied outside of traditional settings into proactive, experience-focused care. For nurses like Brielle, it’s an opportunity to combine autonomy, skill, and connection in a truly unique environment.
Key takeaways
- Nursing at live events like Coachella goes beyond emergency care and often include wellness services like IV hydration therapy.
- IV hydration nurses help concert goers manage dehydration, fatigue, headaches, and nausea in a nontraditional care setting.
- Strong IV insertion skills, clinical confidence, and the ability to think independently are essential for this role.
- Festival nursing offers nurses a high level of autonomy while still being able to rely on team support when needed.
