Every year, thousands of people travel to the California desert for the Coachella music festival, drawn in by trendy outfits, celebrity appearances, and performances by some of the biggest names in the music industry. On social media, the festival looks like the perfect curated experience, filled with luxury, exclusivity, and nonstop excitement. But for the average attendee, the ones who are not influencers or celebrities, the reality may be very different. Between high costs, massive crowds, and the expectation to match the picture-perfect experience shown online, it's worth asking: Is Coachella actually worth the hype for regular festival-goers, or is it an experience designed more for the internet than for the people actually attending?
One of the biggest downsides to attending Coachella as a non-influencer is the cost. While the ticket alone is already expensive as it is, with general admission tickets being 549-649 dollars and VIP costing 1,199-1,299 dollars, it’s only the beginning of what attendees end up paying. Travel, housing, food, and merchandise quickly add up, turning a weekend festival into thousands of dollars of expenses. For influencers and celebrities, many of these costs are covered by brand deals and sponsorships, but regular attendees are required to pay out of pocket. Even basic necessities on the festival grounds, such as water and food, are ridiculously priced, as a singular latte can cost up to 17 dollars. It can be difficult for an average person to justify whether the experience is truly worth the price.
Another major factor that makes Coachella questionable for regular festival-goers is the overwhelming size of the crowds. This past year, approximately 125,000 fans attended the festival each day, totaling 750,000 visitors across both weekends. This is nearly five times the attendance of other festivals, such as The Governors Ball Music Festival, which draws around 150,000 attendees. While large audiences are expected at any event, Coachella pushes this to an extreme, making it difficult to fully enjoy the performances. Getting close to the stage can mean waiting for hours, and even then, there is no guarantee of a good view. Instead of feeling excited, the constant congestion with tightly packed walkways and long lines for concessions can make the experience feel exhausting and frustrating. The reality is that most influencers and celebrities have VIP passes, giving them the best views for performances and access to private areas with their own food and water stations.
Ultimately, while Coachella continues to dominate social media, the reality for many attendees does not match what is seen online. The desire to recreate the picture-perfect experience portrayed by influencers is not always possible, as they have many special accommodations to make their experience more enjoyable. Many people end up feeling disappointment instead of excitement. Coachella is a case study in how Instagram and TikTok manufacture an experience most people can never actually attain, which is a dynamic that CA students and teenagers in general know very well. Social media is never exactly as it seems, often presenting carefully curated versions of reality that prioritize appearance over authenticity. Whether it is influencers portraying Coachella or peers supposedly living their best lives, social media becomes a highlight reel that often distorts reality and fuels unrealistic expectations.