Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival consists of two weekends filled with the most popular artists of the year. The 2026 festival weekends included April 10-12 and April 17-19 with performances from headlining artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G. Though this event began in 1999 as an affordable festival where people could gather and share their love of music, the increasing price of food, lodging and entry caused this event to now be exclusive and targeted toward influencers and celebrities. As the cost of Coachella increases, fewer music lovers are able to attend. Coachella pricing excludes people rather than including all music lovers. Music should be for everyone.
The general admission tickets for Coachella only include entry and parking for the event. Additional fees for the event include a place to stay, special event entry and transportation. A simple four-person tent cost $3,000 without any of the add-ons. These steep costs cause a weekend at Coachella to cost upward of $10,000. Furthermore, ticket sales continued to increase on popular sites including Viagogo, Stubhub and SeatGeek as demand to attend the event grew. These sales reached heights of $6,441 for a single day entry pass, surpassing the $1,399 expected for VIP tickets with the resident discount. This limits who can attend the event, preventing true music lovers from sharing their passion.
Along with the high entry prices, food prices increased. Coachella attendees reported most food and beverages being $17-$45 before tax and tip. These prices cause the total cost of a trip to increase dramatically. Though attendees could bring and prepare their own food, they must have a fully functioning kitchen to do so. Many camp sites or hotels do not offer these options, forcing them to spend the extra money. In addition to the upcharge from Coachella for their food and beverage options, the restaurants serving food at the event also saw a sharp increase in cost. Dave’s Hot Chicken sandwich averages a cost of $10, however, at Coachella the sandwich cost $30. These price increases place further economic strain on event attendees and need to be lowered.
Proponents of Coachella pricing argue that the high revenue from the event boosts the economy of the valley, supporting local businesses. In a statement from California Governor Gavin Newsom, it was announced that the music festivals Stagecoach and Coachella generate more than $700 million annually for the state’s economy. However, the economy would still receive a boost if event pricing was lowered. The sheer number of event goers would allow for increased action in the local economy. More reasonable event prices should be considered when planning future Coachella events. This would prevent the influencer and celebrity culture from growing in music festivals – a culture that diminishes their rich history and purpose. By targeting only the wealthy, Coachella no longer holds to its beginnings of being an event anyone can attend – a direct stand against the high ticket prices.
Coachella must set more reasonable prices to allow all types of people access to the event. Those who share a passion for music need to be able to attend major events, rather than continuing with the influencer culture.
