Coachella is the annual music festival that takes place in Indo, California. The festival lasts for two back-to-back weekends a year, usually around the 2nd or 3rd week of April. Of course, attending a music festival in sunny California sounds amazing but I simply have to disagree. Although I have never attended the festival, the yearly controversy and drama that follows have clouded the magic of the festival. First, let’s address the sheer popularity of this event, while it is great to have people in attendance, Coachella has basically developed a cult following. The popularity can be chalked up to the glamorized social media coverage provided by celebrities and social media stars. For years, YouTubers have been vlogging their experiences, showing their brand-sponsored trips that include dessert mansions and private drivers. This has created a chain reaction of wanting for the tickets, but Coachella simply cannot provide those numbers. 

 For this year’s Coachella, tickets were sold out before artist lineups were even announced. That is absurd to me. What’s even more absurd is the price. For general admission, you can buy one ticket for a measly $599 and V.I.P. starting at $1,269. While those prices may not be shocking to some, that does not include the price of travel, food, house accommodations and so much more. It is simply ridiculous to me how so many people want to go to an overcrowded concert in the middle of the summer heat. 

Some of you may be thinking to yourself, well Coachella could actually sound like a fun time however I just do not think that is the case. Every year without fail, numerous controversies arise due to this festival. Last year, TikTok influences took to social media to complain about brand parties not having water and making them stand in line all day. The previous year, social media started complaining about the overcrowding and how they had to scavenge to find bodyguards to protect them. When hearing about this as a normal person who is not famous on social media and certainly not as monetarily wealthy, that sounds horrible. If the rich and famous stars claim to not have a good time, why would a normal person think their experience would be any different? I think Coachella is just people paying money for cool Instagram pictures. I highly doubt that Coachella would be as hyped up as it is if influencers did not start making it a trend to attend. Instead of attending an overpriced festival, people should attend concerts of people they actually like, that sounds like a much better time than sweating in the desert.