Coachella kicked off this weekend in Indio, California - probably one of the most popular, iconic and, let's be honest, profitable music festivals in the United States and around the whole world. This year's headliners were Lady Gaga, Green Day, Travis Scott, Post Malone... and Julia Fox, of course.
But the main topic of our story today is in fact not the music, and not even Julia Fox' outfit, but money. More precisely, the prices for food and drinks at the festival, which literally left numerous attendees and just random netizens totally speechless. Yes, in addition to the $599 minimum ticket price.
Coachella kicked off last weekend and thousands of netizens are exchanging their emotions and experiences
Image credits: Dirtbomb13 / Reddit
For example, many people claim that the food and drinks are extremely expensive at the festival
Of course, attending Coachella isn't actually cheap - the good old days of Woodstock’s low-cost romanticism of the sixties are gone, and will most likely never return. But if you look at the prices of food and drinks... For example, the user @MYFriendGavin on X posted a Coachella alcohol price list this year, and many netizens rightly noted that the prices clearly look inflated.
Image credits: Particular-Heat-7503 / Reddit
According to the TikToker Ruth Viveros, on the first day of the festival, she spent a total of $102 on a plate of loaded nachos, three tacos and two lemonades ($17 each). "It's mostly ice but it's so good!" the blogger sarcastically notes. She also has complaints about the quality of this food - for example, the tortillas in the tacos "are like freezing cold." Overall, Ruth rated the food 5/10.
Image credits: mikemajlak / X
There is a whole thread on Reddit where the topic starter encourages people to share the prices of various food and drinks at Coachella this year, and the general consensus is that it all looks damn expensive. Of course, everything in this world is expensive lately - but some commenters are almost certain that "these prices are diabolical."
Image credits: mikemajlak / X
For example, it’s $30 for Nate’s Nashville hot chicken slider and fries, a slice of pepperoni pizza is $11, and chicken tenders & fries can be bought for $20. In general, as noted by this year's attendees, most items start at $15-20, and the average price for food fluctuates around $20-30. On the other hand, you have to pay for the pleasure of listening to and seeing the top names in world music, right?
Image credits: ruthsviveros / TikTok
The official website of the festival proudly claims that "our food program features new and exciting restaurants from Coast to Coast, as well as your favorite staples, offering a wide variety of cuisine that pleases any festival-goer. Vegan & gluten-free options available." However, regarding the prices for all this, the website is not this eloquent.
Image credits: Benjamin Farren / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
In fact, last year, the general admission weekend pass was $560, and it's $599 now
How much more expensive is what we see today than it was before? Well, this question can be answered with certainty in the affirmative. For example, last year, the BBC reported that a general admission weekend pass cost one of its attendees $560, while for food and drinks for the whole weekend there, he had to shell out around $350.
Image credits: Angelo Moleele / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
If we analyze, for example, the dynamics of prices for the Coachella general admission weekend pass in earlier years, then this thread shows that ten years ago, in 2015, it was $375, while, for example, in 2012, it was $315. That is, in thirteen years, the price has almost doubled.
Image credits: Wales Updates / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The prices have been growing continously from year to year at Coachella
On the other hand, regarding the prices of food at Coachella, I specifically looked through the threads on Reddit over the past few years, and almost every year, people were outraged about two things: the prices of food and the quality of this food. At least, the prices for similar foods from last year's thread are actually about the same. Perhaps it’s not only about prices, but also about us, people?
Well, folks in the comments to most of the videos quite reasonably pointed out that this is, after all, California, so it’d be hard to expect low prices. Besides, the festival is, first and foremost, a commercial enterprise designed to make a profit. So if there are people willing to attend it (and there are - over 125K attendees entered through the main gates during the first weekend), then they will pay for food one way or another.
Some responders who also attended Coachella this year also cited prices and were more than indignant. For example, about 7 or 8 dollars for a small taco and even $10-12 for a regular size hot dog. And this is not a joke, this is the absolute truth, the commenters assured. "Not to mention the extremely long lines and wait time," another person also added in the comments.
However, people have long, since Roman times, wanted just two things - bread and circuses. So Coachella actually gives us both in abundance. So, I guess, as long as thousands and thousands of people from all over the world flock to California in spring, it means they are ready to pay for it all, right? What do you, our dear readers, think about this?
People in the comments were very divided, but many of them were actually angry over such high prices
Image credits: Maria Avdeeva / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
