Desert in a Minute: The Night Roger Waters’ Giant Pink Floyd Pig Floated Away at Coachella

As NBC Palm Springs resident historian, Steve currently produces the “Desert in a Minute” segments, highlighting fascinating moments from the Coachella Valley’s past.

One of the more unusual stories involves a famous Pink Floyd prop that literally floated away during a Coachella performance.

During the final night of the 2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, legendary guitarist Roger Waters was performing when he suddenly asked the crowd a memorable question: “Where’s my pig?”

The line wasn’t part of the act. Waters genuinely wanted to know what had happened to the giant inflatable pig used in his show.

The 40-foot-long helium-filled pig balloon has been a signature element of Pink Floyd and Roger Waters performances since 1987. Inspired by the band’s 1977 album Animals, the floating pig often appears above concert crowds during live shows.

But on that April night in 2008, the pig became untethered and drifted away into the desert sky.

Event promoters quickly sprang into action, offering a reward to anyone who could return the runaway pig. The prize included $10,000 in cash, tickets to the 2008 Stagecoach Festival, and lifetime passes to Coachella.

The reward ultimately went to two women in La Quinta after the pig came down on their properties. By that time, however, the balloon had shredded into pieces of latex during its flight.

Roger Waters would later return to the Coachella Valley for the Desert Trip music festival in 2016 — this time with a pig that stayed firmly under control.

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