The infamous Coachella Rainbow Tower, more professionally known as SPECTRA by U.K.-based creative studio NEWSUBSTANCE. The art piece made its debut during the 2018 Coachella Music and Arts Festival and has been a staple ever since.
But in addition to it making a great background for Coachella outfit pictures, festival goers are able to wander to the top.
Determined to put my walking shoes to good use, and curious what it was like, I ventured up to the top of the tower to determine how long it takes to get to the top, how many steps and miles are involved, and ultimately, whether it’s time well spent.
Here’s what I found.
Chances are you recognize this rainbow tower, titled Spectra by NEWSUBSTANCE, but did you know you can walk to the top of it? Our audience engagement producer, Carolyn Burt (@Reporter Carolyn ) put curiousity to the test to find out how long it takes to walk it. For the latest Coachella updates visit PressEnterprise.com or check out the link in our bio. : Carolyn Burt, SCNG #coachella #coachella2024 #thingstodo #thingstodoatcoachella #coachellaoutfit #coachellastyle #coachellafestival #coachellavalley #rainbowtower
♬ original sound – The SoCal Local
Surprisingly, SPECTRA has A/C inside, making for a cool temperature. Going into my journey I was expecting it to feel like a sauna given the translucent windows that the sun beams down on.
Walking up is a steady, slow incline, and everyone seems to walk about the same pace. The only time you’ll find yourself slowing down is when someone stops to take a photo. My recommendation would be to wait to take your photos at the top to prevent bringing traffic to a standstill.
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To get up to the top only takes about 6 minutes. It’s roughly six stories tall, and you’ll know you’re nearly there when the ceiling opens up a bit more. You’ll have a 360-degree look at the festival grounds and will have a prime selection of backdrops for your photos.
Getting back down is a little bit shorter, roughly 5 minutes when you keep up with the pace of traffic. All in all the total time spent walking was 11 minutes and 17 seconds, the distance was .41 miles and the total steps was 842, give or take the accuracy of a phone distance tracking app.
Do I think it’s worth it? Yes. Going into it I did not have high hopes, but given how quickly you can get up there you might as well explore it with friends when you have some downtime — but only if you have comfortable shoes.
