The Women Bringing Stagecoach To Life

With just over a month to go, the organizers of Stagecoach are currently preparing for the festival’s 19th edition. The festival is set to take place on April 24-26, headlined by Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Post Malone. Diplo will return with his Honkeytonk for its fourth edition, with a lineup that boasts Marshmello, Dillon Francis and Flosstradamus, Emo Nite featuring Ashlee Simpson, Juicy J and more.

Behind the scenes of the festival is a team that includes Goldenvoice Executive VP Stacy Vee (a 2026 Pollstar Women of Live honoree and multi-year Impact 50 honoree), VP of Partnership Activation Sam Fernandez, VP of Partnerships Alex McArthur and Director Of Talent Sabrina Sarmiento. Artist Nikki Lane also curates the festival’s Stage Stop Marketplace.

“Working with this festival is incredibly rewarding,” McArthur shares with Pollstar. “Our mostly-girl squad is super close, and it’s really exciting to dream up a concept together and then see it come to life a few months down the road. I love when our brand partners engage with one another, and when fans are excited to explore brand partners engage with one another, and when fans are excited to explore brand activations. Consistently, my favorite part of the festival is seeing the organic fan interaction with all our partners. Everything is so intentionally curated and fueling our fans’ excitement is the best …

“Our team is the absolute best,” she continues. “We are in lock-step throughout the entire process – from concepts to partnership details to experience – and we make sure to carry the vision through each brand conversation. We communicate, we listen to one another, and we are all great friends. My favorite part about this team is that I know that they are my biggest cheerleaders – both at work and at home.”

The team works hard to make sure they stand out against other country music festivals. They share a location with the ground-breaking festival bellwether known as Coachella, which takes place the two weekends prior to Stagecoach, with art installations and the ferris wheel remaining up for the country music event.

There seems to be added buzz this year as Coachella, which had experienced somewhat slower-than-usual ticket sales in 2024 and 2025, announced its lineup early for 2026 in September with a near-immediate sellout, showing confidence in not only the event’s lineup but its status as the multi-genre elder statesman. And with country music seeing new headliners playing stadiums across the world, Stagecoach’s status has continued to grow as it’s firmly established its reputation as California’s country music festival and country music’s biggest party.

While hundreds of miles from country music’s home in Nashville, Stagecoach has easily become one of the genre’s hottest events of the year, morphing much like country music itself to include sets and special appearances from the likes of everyone from T-Pain to Journey to Marshmello, Teddy Swims and Rebecca Black.

“Each year, we welcome a lineup and combination of artists you don’t see anywhere else,” Vee tells Pollstar. “We have a saying internally, which is, ‘Only at Stagecoach …’ which guides a lot of our decision making and lean-ins. Also, our Global Partnerships department who bring in absolutely iconic partners to our world. At Stagecoach, they are truly ‘attractions’ versus simply sponsors. Every single thing is well thought out and intentional.”

This year, the festival is debuting its Mustang Stage, presented by Boot Barn and located near the Mane entrance across from the ferris wheel. Vee promises the new addition “is going to be iconic.” The late-night stage will feature performances from The Red Clay Strays, Journey and Hootie & The Blowfish.

McArthur had a major role in creating the stage, making it one of her big projects of the year.

“There are several brands that we’ve been after for years, who are finally part of our Stagecoach Family in 2026 – and you’ll see them on site,” she says. “Brands are now building experiences made especially for Stagecoach – and we’re confident that our fans will be obsessed.”

The team wanted to expand their late-night offerings, with the Boot Barn stage programming beginning at 6 p.m.
Sarmiento adds, “We have partnered with Paramount for a few years and this year, they are evolving their precious Yellowstone-only space into more of a family of brands, and I think fans will absolutely love it. As Alex mentioned, the addition of Boot Barn this year, from naming the Mustang stage to the amazing activation they are planning, will be a really great addition to 2026.”

In all, this year’s edition of Stagecoach features 27 partnerships, the most it’s had for a single year.

“This year, we have an amazing mix of returning and new partnerships. You will see the Toyota Music Den, The Bud Light Stage, the Malibu Beach House back in full force but will also see amazing programs from American Eagle, e.l.f
Cosmetics, and some really fun partners in the food category. One of them may or may not be bringing one of the most iconic signs ever from Sunset Blvd and plopping right in the middle of Stagecoach,” Fernandez says.

McArthur adds, “We have a new stage entitlement, our first full apparel partner with a licensed line, a QSR partner, a breakfast partner and so many returning partners who our fans are so excited to see year after year. Each year, brands lean in a bit more to the Stagecoach vibe, and really embody the festival spirit. Brands are now building experiences specifically for the event – and our fans love to engage on site and online. Within the past few years, brand partners have started to engage with one another and that’s been fun to watch. We try to one-up ourselves each year … and 2026 will absolutely be the best yet.”

All of the women behind Stagecoach work year-round to make the event stand out, but Sarmiento notes that sometimes strange miracles happen even once the event is already underway.

“Paris Hilton DJing in Diplo’s HonkyTonk was a total curveball, then having Lizzo join as a surprise guest,” she shares. “Moments like that capture Stagecoach’s energy perfectly.”

Story by Ariel King