The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival recently held its 24th year of performances, sparking discussions on its role in the music and fashion industries, its influence on popular culture, and its potential downsides.
This year, the music festival in Indio, Calif., was headlined by Lady Gaga, Green Day, Travis Scott, and Post Malone. Both weekends featured the same artists, including others such as GloRilla, The Marías, ENHYPEN, Tyla, and Kraftwerk.
“The best part was hearing Lady Gaga mix ‘Judas’ into ‘Abracadabra’ — I literally only came this year with the goal of hearing ‘Judas’ live,” said Chloe Sandoval, a freshman at the University of Southern California who attended her second Coachella in 2025.
Despite her enjoyment of the performances, Sandoval’s Coachella experience wasn’t perfect, echoing complaints by other attendees.
“This year, Weekend One sucked because of the heat and influencers taking over the festival. I was also massively pissed off because of campers,” Sandoval said.
She mentioned a decrease in Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect (PLUR), a principle in the rave and electronic dance music (EDM) scenes. She believes that fans who attend only to see one artist and camp at their stage during other performances have contributed to this decrease by lacking respect for other performers.
The weather, extreme even in comparison to the desert’s usual heat; influencer takeover; and camping experience were the main issues brought up by others on social media and in interviews.
“Crowds are dead because campers don’t let fans through, so no one can make it to the barricade. Plus, campers are exhausted by the time their artist comes on,” Sandoval said.
Awaiting an artist wasn’t the only kind of camping that occurred. Coachella only sells all-weekend passes, and car or van camping is the cheapest lodging option, but even that had unprecedented costs for many fans this year.
On Thursday of Weekend One, thousands were caught in traffic outside the festival grounds for 12 hours. No bathrooms or portable toilets were available, leading to people peeing in cups or behind bushes. Cars ran out of gas and overheated in the 100 degrees Fahrenheit weather. Some even compared the conditions to the infamous Fyre Festival.
To receive this long wait and harsh conditions, Weekend One attendees spent at least $649, and Weekend Two attendees at least $599 for admission.
Many even took on debt to afford admission, lodging, merchandise, and food, typically costing over $1,000 for one weekend. Since 2009, Coachella has offered a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) program with a down payment of $49.99 and a $41 flat fee. This year, according to Forbes, approximately 60% of the general admission ticket-holders used a payment plan to fund their attendance, up from 18% when the program began.
The increase in BNPL usage concerns some, who point to trends in younger generations’ economic confidence and prospects, as well as the dangers of unregulated credit usage. For example, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported that almost half of BNPL users overdrew their bank accounts in 2024.
However, Coachella has a low default rate, so the broader trends of BNPL may not manifest in this instance.
The experiences of Sandoval and those who were stuck in the line contrasted with those of many influencers and wealthy celebrity attendees, such as Alix Earle or Kylie Jenner. Some blame increased influencer attendance for the high entry and food costs.
“Coachella peaked in popularity in the mid-2010s, and it’s not as popular now because it’s become more commercial and less about the music. It’s just about influencers trying to make content,” said Rhea Iyer, an eighth grader at Plaza Middle School.
Sandoval also observed this shift. She believes that the music at Coachella has become less relevant than influencer culture and fashion. For example, brands send public relations packages to influencers and bring them to invite-only after parties. During performances, many influencers pay extra for pit tickets, yet spend their time vlogging rather than dancing or paying attention to the artist they’re watching.
“A lot of brand dollars are spent to become a part of the Coachella conversation. The performances that Coachella is known for have been massively devalued,” Sandoval said.
Some, like Max Wallow, still believe that music is the primary attraction of Coachella. Wallow is a Carlmont sophomore and a Carlmont choir member.
“The whole reason people are drawn to Coachella is because their favorite artists are playing. Everything else, like the fashion, is only a product of the environment of self-expression that’s present at any music festival,” Wallow said.
One reported highlight from the music performances was the many surprise guests, such as Charli XCX being joined by artists who featured on her album, “Brat,” and the Los Angeles Philharmonic being joined by Cynthia Erivo, Laufey, and the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl. Another was Lady Gaga continuing her performance of ‘Abracadabra’ amid a microphone malfunction. Additionally, Sen. Bernie spoke about the ongoing political climate before introducing Clairo for her show.
Regardless, Wallow agrees that the music industry is less affected by Coachella now than in the past.
“It’s not a place where people’s opinions about artists change. It’s a huge cash grab for the fashion industry, because everyone wants to feel new and unique and not think about the effects of their overconsumption,” Wallow said.
While most attendees participate in overconsumption trends like buying outfits just to wear at the festival and spending $100 on tacos and lemonade, Iyer believes that festival attendance is not worth as much for those who don’t receive the full brand guest treatment. She detailed experiences that ordinary festivalgoers or smaller creators can’t access, which she thinks makes attendance less enjoyable. These experiences include VIP tickets, brand events, and shorter lines.
Nobody knows what the future of Coachella will be. However, past attendees and social media observers alike expect the current trends of commercialization and increasing exclusivity to continue.
“Coachella started off as mostly a music festival, but it turned into a massive event because of social media. I think, in the future, it’s going to get even less about the music and more about content creation,” Iyer said.
Some people have more catastrophic predictions.
“It’s relevant now because of FOMO and influencers, but in two to three years, it will crash. The economy is getting worse, and low return-on-investment will make brands stop sending people,” Sandoval said.
