Welsh Festival Forced to Rebrand After Coachella Complaint

A Legal Challenge from Across the Atlantic

What started as a playful, location-inspired name soon caught the attention of Coachella’s legal team, who argued that the branding was too similar to their own. While disappointed, Watkins expressed a tongue-in-cheek reaction:

“I’m taking it as a massive compliment that they feel our little festival is a threat to their ginormous, juggernaut of a machine.”

Despite the name change, the spirit of the event remains intact. Taking place on 2nd August 2025, Moo-La-La promises a fun-filled day with tribute acts covering Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and other chart-toppers. Hosts include Watkins himself, alongside actress Claire Sweeney and BBC Radio 2 presenter Owain Wyn Evans.

A Rebrand That Comes at a Cost

The late-stage name change has required the festival team to reprint all marketing assets – from signage and merch to digital and social media content – adding unexpected costs to the event’s overall budget. While the organisers have taken the change in their stride, the situation highlights a critical point for event planners: branding matters, even at the grassroots level.

A Lesson for Other Promoters

This incident offers a timely reminder for promoters – particularly those launching new events – to check for existing trademarks or brand similarities when choosing a name. Even local festivals with no intention of competing globally can find themselves navigating trademark territory if a name strikes too close to an established brand.

What Do You Think?

This situation opens up a wider conversation for the live events industry.

While global brands have every right to protect their trademarks, should the same level of scrutiny be applied to community-led events that clearly pose no commercial threat? Or is protecting brand identity essential, regardless of scale?

Have you ever encountered a similar issue with naming or branding? Do you agree with Coachella’s move, or do you feel smaller events deserve more creative freedom?

We’d love to hear your perspective. Get in touch by sending an email to promoters@skiddle.com

Keep an eye on the Skiddle Promotion Centre Blog, our Skiddle Promoters Instagram page, and LinkedIn for all the latest event news and updates.

Image credit: Danny Howe / Unsplash.com