Bernie Sanders thrills Coachella crowd with surprise appearance

US senator Bernie Sanders became one of Coachella's top cameos so far, drawing a massive crowd on Saturday as he made a pit stop at the premier music festival.

Screaming fans sprinted over, camera phones in hand, to capture the politician's unannounced speech that followed a blockbuster set from superstar Charli XCX at a neighboring stage.

"I'm not gonna be long but this country faces some very difficult challenges and the future of what happens to America depends on your generation," Sanders said to raucous cheers at the major California desert double weekend that marks the unofficial start of music festival season.

"You can turn away and ignore what goes on but you do it at your own peril. We need you to stand up and fight for justice, to fight for economic justice, racial justice and social justice."

Earlier in the day Sanders and Democrat representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a rally that organizers said drew 36,000 people, a stop on their own "Fighting Oligarchy" tour that featured musicians including Neil Young, Maggie Rogers and Joan Baez.

Speaking under a full moon at Coachella, Sanders urged crowds to stand up against billionaires, health insurance companies, and US President Donald Trump's administration.

"Now we've got a president of the United States," Sanders began, before the crowd's boos quickly drowned out Trump's name.

"I agree," Sanders continued. "He thinks that climate change is a hoax. He is dangerously wrong, and you and I are going to have to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and tell them to stop destroying this planet."

- 'Exactly the move' -

Sanders introduced pop singer Clairo to the stage, whom he thanked for using her platform to support social justice causes.

"I'm here because Clairo has used her prominence to fight for women's rights, to try to end the terrible, brutal war in Gaza, where thousands of women and children are being killed," he said. "So I want to thank Clairo not only for being in a great band, but for the great work she is doing."

The message hit: "I love Bernie Sanders!" screamed one festival-goer as the self-described socialist senator who caucuses with Democrats concluded his speech.

Samara Guillory, 21, was among the music fans who sprinted to the stage where Sanders spoke.

"It meant so much that Senator Sanders came to our level," Guillory told AFP. "We're the new generation, we're the future of America."

"Coming here, talking to us, spreading awareness -- I think this was exactly the move, honestly."