Last year, little-known artists Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Harry Styles, and several others performed in a small annual music festival at an oasis in the Colorado Desert—which is actually in southern California. As the venue looks to get its name out there, the wonderful desert dwellers over at Empire Polo Club have decided to once again host the world’s preeminent preseason soccer event, the fabled Coachella Valley Invitational.
For the second year in a row, the Loons will be heading to Indio, California, to warm their feathers and get ready for the 2024 MLS season. With a slate of 12 teams from across the country representing multiple leagues, this year’s invitational is set to be the largest preseason event in MLS history.
From February 4–17, at least 17 matches will be played amongst the cacti, with plenty of room for training sessions and fine-tuning in between. MNUFC is currently scheduled to play three matches in a week’s span, facing USL and MLS opposition:
Saturday, February 10 vs. Phoenix Rising
Wednesday, February 14 vs. Chicago
Saturday, February 17 vs. Charlotte
A USL test on Lunar New Year, a Midwest matchup on Valentine’s Day, and our first crack at Dean Smith two days before Presidents’ Day. Could it get any better than that? The answer is no. That’s the best lineup to ever grace the grass at Empire Polo Club. Who knows, maybe Dayne St. Clair will even sing at halftime to put the cherry on top; finally, some good music at Coachella.
And because most Loons fans will be nearly frozen solid by the time February rolls around, we want to extend an invitation to each one of you. Come catch your team up close, in the heat, with nothing around you but sand. I know, that sounds kind of terrifying. But think about it: sand is like hot snow, so you’ll be right at home.
Passes for the event are available below, with options to purchase individual days or access to the whole event. Start planning your desert getaway today!
Fans interested in attending the Coachella Valley Invitational can book non-stop, roundtrip flights to Palm Springs, CA with Sun Country Airlines, the Official Airline partner for MNUFC. To view available dates and prices, please visit www.suncountry.com/flights/en/mnufc.
To learn more about the event and get access to additional ticket information, visit CoachellaValleyInvitational.com. To see which Loons will be performing original sonnets and soliloquies between matches, you’ll have to track down and capture PK. He’ll give you the full schedule and grant you two wishes, but only if you promise to let him go when he’s done.
