It’s that time of year again. The time when our explore pages are filled with influencers and social media personalities we didn’t even know, vying for the most ‘creative’ outfit. When people pop up and share their ‘get-ready-with-me’ videos, showcasing their camp set-ups, or bragging about which brand flew them out and set them up in a mansion in the desert. The time of year when it’s acceptable, somehow, to spend thousands of dollars to park your car in a field of dust, and when water is forty dollars, and no one bats an eye. 

Coachella is here. She has returned, and this time, it seems, stronger than ever. With influencers boasting their multi-colored V.I.P. wristbands and hiring a stylist for thousands of dollars (only for many of them to come out looking very basic and unremarkable), the renowned music festival becomes more and more demanding each year. Spending the most money seems like a competition. The music seems secondary to the appearance and the efforts to achieve a specific aesthetic. Despite their best efforts to look as different and ‘unique’ as possible, influencers all look the same, wearing various versions of the same outfit. 

But Coachella wasn’t always like this. Years ago, it was a very low-commitment, typical festival that played indie music and hosted niche artists in the desert. Audience members wore regular shorts and tank tops, easily reaching that boho look that celebrities strived to secure. People shared parking lots and food, camping alongside strangers. It was about the music, not about the commercial aspect it has gotten to now. Brands weren’t involved. Influencers hadn’t yet gotten their fingers into the event. 

The weekend music event began in 1999, with tickets priced at 50 dollars a day. It was meant to be an escape from mainstream music festivals. A place where artists and listeners who preferred indie, rock, and electronic music could dance and enjoy live music of their choice. Some say that it’s a sort of spin-off of Woodstock, with the organizers attempting to reclaim a more peaceful festival environment. But the more time passed, the more the weekend party venue gained traction, and popular artists brought people in droves to the westernmost state. Gone were the days of Coachella acting as a reprieve from popular music. It was as if the most trendy radio station came to life. For a couple of concerts in the desert, why is Coachella so expensive? 

That was Then, This is Now.

All good things eventually come to an end, and money is what makes the world go round. From its birth in 1999 until 2009, around the time the first launch of the three-day ticket pass occurred, ticket prices hovered around 100 dollars. In 2010, festival goers saw a jump- slight but significant enough to matter- in prices, reaching 270 dollars. 

It’s important to note that concert ticket prices in general have experienced a steady and healthy increase through the years. But Coachella has pivoted from music and morphed into a photo shoot session with background music. 

The stark contrast in headliners between 2009 and 2010, when Coachella began to form its place on the map, has a hand in why the music event became so expensive. 2009 saw bands like The Killers and The Cure. Well-known, sure, but with a niche fanbase. 

Twelve months and more than double the price of tickets later, the crowds were graced with Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and MGMT (among other, also very notable performers). Celebrities frequented tabloid covers and were on everyone’s tongues, discussing Vanessa Hudgens ‘ boho-chic look, or Selena Gomez’s effortless, yet flawless, desert outfits. Fashion took a timid step forward and was accepted with open arms. The rise of social media turned it into a ‘who dresses the best’ competition, forcing those in the public eye to focus more on their looks. 

After the organization saw just how much potential there was, they shifted gears completely. Ticket prices steadily went up between 2010 and 2012, and in 2013, another surge took place. 

350 dollars. This time, no noticeable change in lineup, no additional amenities or perks. Nothing. But it was Coachella. Anyone who was anyone was going. It was around this time that the festival was nicknamed ‘Influencer Olympics.’ A huge jump from starting as an ‘anti-Woodstock’ event. Something that was created for the average person to be able to enjoy, to step into a place that highlighted their interests, and provided an outlet of joy, was taken away.

2016 was perhaps the last ‘real’ year of the festival, before artificial experiences for the camera, and who had the most expensive outfit was on everyone’s mind. It was that year, also, that tickets reached 400 dollars. 

Brands began to pay attention to all the attention and traction it was getting. The divide between ‘normal person’ and ‘Coachella-eligible person’ was growing by the year. Hotels and Airbnb skyrocketed. Uber and Lyft saw their chance and price-gauged shamelessly. Food and beverages at the festival itself were reaching breathtaking prices, leading Coachella to receive the title of the most expensive music festival among its audience. Looking nice and getting sponsored was the main event now, not the pop star taking center stage. Getting flown out and donning a V.I.P. wrist band while staying at a mansion with your friends, thousands of dollars down, became the idea of fun. 

Pop-ups from well-known brands molded into the foundation of the festival. Pushing certain partnerships, sponsorships, events, influencing the people watching to splurge on their items; that became Coachella. We know the regular person will never be able to afford something so luxurious as three days in the desert, but if you buy this overpriced and unnecessary item, you’ll finally feel like you fit in. 

Just like everything else, genuineness was bought out. In its place, authentic smiles, unoriginal outfit ideas, and tone-deaf influencers complaining about their Uber taking too long, while their entire weekend could fund a grocery trip for a household for a month. 

Why is Coachella so expensive? It’s just one big advertisement, like a commercial during the Super Bowl, which is notoriously expensive. This year was the most costly in the history of the organization, but Justin Bieber headlined, so maybe it was worth it. 

What do you think about Coachella? Let us know in the comments below!