Exploring Coachella's dark side: Costly £3k tickets and troubling influencer culture

Set against the sunny California desert, with a list of celebrity attendees and top music performances, the stylish Coachella festival in the US might seem like paradise when viewed through the Instagram snapshots of numerous Love Island stars who show up.

However, while influencers are treated to a VIP lifestyle courtesy of brands who cover their costs, the truth for average ticket holders can be quite different.

As the iconic festival begins its second straight weekend in Palm Springs, social media has been flooded with complaints from ordinary attendees revealing the harsh ‘reality’ of attending without a VIP pass – and it’s quite eye-opening.

From endless waits for cold showers to steep £3,000 costs for a three-day stint, numerous TikTok stories might make you think again before planning for next year's event.

Going as an ordinary person instead of an influencer turned out to be one of the most dreadful festival experiences I’ve ever encountered," TikTok user @lottiestars complained in a recent video post.

“Initially, there’s no clear spot for drop-offs. The event is extremely chaotic. We asked around 20 different people, ‘Where should we go?’ and none had an answer. They even worked for the festival! Most of your time is spent in traffic before finally finding a place to exit.

She continued that upon finally arriving, the event was a big challenge for her friend with disabilities.

“After all that, you endure yet another hour of walking to actually go into the festival, along a severely dusty, rough path, which was especially troublesome for my friend who’s in a wheelchair… the roads bumped them so much they kept falling out, making it not exactly wheelchair-friendly.”

Once inside, Lottie claimed that the atmosphere was ruined by a swarm of influencers, making it tense.

“The mood everywhere is really, really negative. Many people were super rude. They insisted, ‘No, you can't come this way,’ making it more difficult to navigate through the crowds or reconnect with your friends.

“Getting nice photos is not as simple as you think. Everybody’s taking pictures. It’s like a cattle field, but with people instead.”

To conclude, Lottie mentioned catching an illness due to the notorious desert conditions.

She expressed: “I became extremely ill since it's really hot during the day, but very cold at night, coupled with the overwhelming dust. You’ll have black residue when you blow your nose.

“On the third night, I couldn’t enjoy the festival at all, lasting only about half an hour before needing to leave.”

This seems to be just one of many similar negative impressions.

The Strokes fan @emilyjadebispo shared that influencers who solely cared about Justin Bieber, lacked basic ‘festival manners’ ruining her time with her favorite band.

“Nearby were people fixated on Justin Bieber who were incredibly annoying. My goodness, it’s as if they've never attended a festival before, oblivious that diverse music genres exist around them.

“They are utterly clueless about concert conduct. During one of my favorite performances, people next to me were chatting away, saying: ‘I haven’t got a clue who these guys are. What on earth is this? It’s really ruining my anticipation for Bieber.’”

Campers not lodged in luxurious villas like influencers often call the event exhausting “survival training.”

@huioyg3 shared on TikTok: “Even getting a basic shower has turned into a formidable task, waiting endlessly in line for brief and often cold showers.

“To escape this nightmare, some festival participants invest hundreds in portable showers, bringing their own amenities simply to stay clean.

“Add to this the scorching heat, overheating phones, depleting energy, turning what should be an enjoyable four-day event into something more akin to a physical trial.”

For many, however, major grievances lie with the festival’s financial toll.

Three-day general admission tickets come in around $799 [£590], while the VIP option – better stage views and shuttle pass included – demands a higher price, averaging at $1299 [£959].

Another agitated past Coachella attendee, Nick Holiday, summed it up in a popular TikTok clip.

“They’re charging $100 [£74] for a single bite of caviar, four chicken nuggets, and seven fries. Honestly, that’s a crime against humanity.”