Coachella, Céline Dion… And if live music had become a luxury?

In mid-April, the Californian Coachella festival took over our social networks. Behind the glitter and crazy outfits, a fundamental phenomenon: live music is becoming increasingly expensive, and it’s not just an American affair. The presale of tickets for Céline Dion’s concerts in Paris illustrates this phenomenon.

There are some things we love to hate. Coachella is one of them. This festival, born in 1999 in the California desert of Indio, is a walking paradox: a serious music lineup in a setting that increasingly resembles a fashion show in 40-degree weather. This year, for its 25th edition, from April 10 to 19, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, and Karol G – the first Latina artist to headline the festival – perform in front of 125,000 people per weekend. And since Friday, it’s impossible to open Instagram or TikTok without seeing a festival story.

Here’s where the rub is. Coachella is no longer just a music festival. It’s a content machine. Every outfit is designed for posting. Every post is negotiated with a brand. Sunglasses, sunscreen, energy drinks: influencers often parade there for free, sponsored by companies that buy access to the California desert more effectively than any TV ad. In 2025, festival-goers shared over two million posts under the official hashtag. This year, this number should increase even more.

Meanwhile, for those who really want to go, it costs a pretty penny. A standard three-day pass costs $649 at the official rate. In VIP, $1,399 – including flush toilets. And on resale platforms, some passes reached $6,000 this weekend. As a result, last year, 60% of festival-goers bought their ticket in installments, with an initial payment of only $50. The rest in monthly payments. Young people sometimes juggle multiple payment plans for different festivals, creating what American economists call a phantom debt, invisible on bank statements, but real in overdrafts.

This is not just an American problem. According to the National Music Center, the price of festival tickets in France has risen by 48% in ten years. In 2024, for the first time, the average price of a festival ticket increased faster than inflation. Lollapalooza Paris actually canceled its 2026 edition for economic reasons – too high fees, no subsidies, no volunteers.

And this week, it’s Céline Dion who perfectly illustrates this drift. The Quebec diva returns to the stage in Paris in the fall for 16 concerts at the Défense Arena. Tickets were announced to be between 89 and 298 euros. But during presales, some fans saw their basket go from 360 euros to 1,330 euros in a few clicks. Blame it on “dynamic pricing” – a legal system that adjusts prices in real time according to demand.

The DGCCRF, the fraud authority, recently opened an investigation for “misleading commercial practice” regarding this pricing system. Saez, on the other hand, chose another path: his 8-hour concert-night at the Adidas Arena in January 2027 is sold at a single rate of 386 euros, without surprises at the time of payment. A high price, but at least it’s straightforward.

Live music is not disappearing. It’s just being sorted. On one side, those who can afford it. On the other, those who watch for free on YouTube from their couch. What’s free, in the end, is just the screen.