Coachella 2016: Six things you didn’t know were banned

ONE of the world’s most famous festivals kicks off in California this weekend, but this year there are some bizarre items on the banned list.

Bizarre things banned from Coachella

IT’S that time of year again — the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicks off this weekend in California.

But, for anyone lucky enough to have scored a ticket to one of the world’s biggest music events in the middle of the Colorado Desert, you might want to check this list before packing your tassled backpack.

Here’s what items are banned from Coachella this year:

SELFIE STICKS

No surprises here. While music festivals are now the prime place for selfie-related narcissism, Coachella (along with fellow US festival Lollapalooza) drew a lot of attention when they banned the selfie stick from last year’s events. Bad news for people with short arms, but safer for everyone involved.

The selfies will have to wait ... or just take them the old fashioned way. Picture: FilmMagic

HOVERBOARDS

It may be the trendiest mode of transportation these days, but theself-propelled scooter is a no-go, for obvious safety reasons. Let’s be honest, no one is actually that skilled at riding these in a straight line, let alone after a few beers while navigating the ever-moving crowd in the dust.

Bieber’s favourite mode of transport has been banned. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

UMBRELLAS

This one is unfortunate. While the chance of storms hitting the Coachella Valley over the next two weekends is slim, festival-goers like to be prepared for the heat as much as for the wet weather. But chin up, because parasols are NOT BANNED. Bizarre? Very.

WATER GUNS

Leave your super soakers at home, troublemakers, because there’s no way they are getting past security. We’re told mister fans may be available for purchase this year though.

Getting randomly shot with a supersoaker would kinda be annoying. Picture: AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong

GLOW STICKS AND LED GLOVES

This year, there’s a new ban on glow-in-the-dark novelties. This probably has something to do with what went down at last year’s festival. During French techno artist Gesaffelstein’s show, glowsticks were handed out to the crowd, who all began belting each other with them and hurling them on stage during his performance. Boo.

Yep, that’s right. No glowsticks. Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

DRONES

Leave your hi-tech toys at home, team. Given the hundreds of high-profile celebs who flock to Coachella each year and go to extreme lengths to keep a low profile, it seems a given that Drones aren’t cleared for landing.

Surely you’re there for the music? Leave the drones at home. Picture: Rahav Segev/FilmMagic

A few slightly more obvious contraband items include aerosols (including sunscreen), air horns, fireworks and explosives, stuffed animals, hula hoops, animals, strollers (unless there’s an actual infant in it), no handheld signs or totems. And no big backpacks, only medium backpacks allowed, folks.

So strap your bum bags on and Happy Coachella-ing.

Originally published as Coachella 2016: Six things you didn’t know were banned