Paris Hilton Explains Why Coachella Will Be Very Different for Her This Year: 'I Can't Wait' (Exclusive)

It just isn’t Coachella without Paris Hilton. 

“I was going years ago when nobody even hardly knew about it,” the star, 43, tells PEOPLE of being a longtime attendee of the Coachella Valley Music Festival, held in Indio, California since 1999. 

“I used to live in the desert. I went to high school there for ninth grade,” she adds, “so I’ve been going there for a long time.” 

A lot has changed for the star and mother of two since then, but not her dedication to attending her favorite festival. This year she’s hitting the desert in partnership with Absolut Vodka for what she says will be her first time getting out to party since welcoming her and husband Carter Reum’s second child, daughter London last November.

“My schedule is so insane, I don’t even go out anymore,” says Hilton, also mom to son Phoenix, 1. “I haven’t been to a party besides my birthday party at my house in a long time, so it’ll be fun. I’ll be in Absolut Land with my Sliving Cosmo [cocktail], which we created together, so I’m excited for that.” 

She’s also gearing up to party like it’s 1999. “I cannot wait to see No Doubt,” she says of the hit 90s band reuniting on stage. “I love Gwen Stefani. She’s such an icon and I’ve been obsessed with her music since I was a teenager. I was DMing her yesterday letting her know how excited I am to see her perform.” 

Though she’s eager to spend her nights watching Stefani along with headliners Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat and Tyler the Creator, Hilton reveals that her daytime activities at Coachella are going to be unlike any she’s had before. 

“I love being with my babies, so I'm going to enjoy the daytime with them,” she says of her little ones who along with Reum will be traveling with her to Indio and kicking back in the room. 

“Phoenix loves being in the pool,” she adds. “London just went into the pool for the first time when we were in St. Baarts for Easter and she loves being in the water just like her big brother. So I’m excited to just have family barbecues and things during the day. It's definitely going to be way more chill than any of my other Coachellas because I'll just be wanting to come home to my babies the whole time.” 

This year Hilton's Coachella crew looks very different than it has in the past. “Before everyone had kids my sister Nicky and my cousins Whitney, Brooke and Farrah and I would always all go together every year and stay in the same house,” she says. “It was just so much fun, going to the Sahara Tent together and just dancing or Neon Carnival and going on all the rides. But everyone has kids so no cousin crew this year.” 

One thing that will stay the same is Hilton’s love of festival fashion. “I love getting my Coachella looks together,” she says of working with longtime stylist Sammy K. “This year I definitely planned a cowboy core outfit inspired by Beyoncé, which I’ll be wearing Saturday. And I’m excited to wear my blinged out Absolut headphones.” 

As for her favorite look over the years, “One of my favorites was this neon pink outfit that I got at Dolls Kill,” she says. “And then there was this neon yellow dress that was so gorgeous that Michael Costello custom made for me with space buns and matching neon glasses. I had so many just iconic, epic looks.” 

While the star used to attend both weekends of the festival, this year she’ll only have to slay for one. “I used to live for all this,” she says. “But now just being a mom and having so many other things that are happening in my life, I am just going to go this weekend.”