Some people go into debt for a car, an apartment, or education. And then there’s Coachella, where a taco costs 100 bucks. Here are the “diabolical” prices you’ll need to pay if you go to this giant Disneyland for stars and wannabes.
Coachella is not for the faint-hearted. In other words, if you have a weak heart when it comes to your wallet, this place will be hell for you. Because everything, from transportation to food, concerts to camping, costs an arm and a leg.
Or a kidney, depending on which organ you prefer to sell to get a glimpse among the stars and other influencers haunting the California desert for two weekends.
And prices skyrocket to stratospheric levels as soon as the festival begins: resale tickets are going for around 4000 to 6000 dollars. Whereas initial prices started around 649 dollars per weekend (which already hurts the wallet).
Coachella relies on its glamping concept (camping with glamour and dignity) to extract as much money as a university scholarship. At the height of luxury, the “ULTRA” glamping options at Safari Campground include a yurt that can accommodate four people, and the price will make you dizzy: 41,000 dollars.
If you thought you could console yourself with food, think again. The menu, shared on the Coachella subreddit, listed a price of 23 dollars for a vodka Red Bull and 17 dollars for strong spirits, including Absolut vodka, Jameson whiskey, and Malibu rum.
Last year, a festival-goer went viral after spending 64 dollars on cucumber water and two burritos for breakfast.
S’endetter pour Coachella (Debt for Coachella)
If you still want to make a pilgrimage to the most Instagrammable place on the planet, you can always follow in the footsteps of some festival-goers: a payment plan.
“According to a new report published by Billboard on April 17, out of the over 80,000 festival attendees, about 60% used a payment plan to purchase their tickets.”
Concretely, festival-goers work out arrangements with the global ticketing giant AXS.
“They can reserve their tickets by paying an initial deposit of only $49.99, and paying the rest in multiple installments. Additional fees of $41 are charged for using the service.”
This means that a portion of the audience cannot afford to attend outright. And this trend is rapidly increasing. Coachella introduced the “buy now, pay later” program in 2009, but at that time, only 18% of participants used it.
The public doesn’t seem too shocked. While some comments regret that “broke people are willing to do anything to look rich,” others don’t see any major inconveniences.
The winning formula applied by Coachella to fleece so many willing souls eager to spend big?
“Resellers take advantage of the excitement and FOMO (fear of missing out) of fans.”
If you still believe that this experience will be a real “plus” on your resume (on LinkedIn, it counts as “Hydration in a hostile environment” and “High-performance queue management”), you’ll have to master administrative denial upon your return. Like those who don’t open their tax reminder letters.
Combien paient les influenceurs (How much do influencers pay)
Even influencers are struggling to foot the bill in California. Some haven’t hesitated to share the bill with their networks. OnlyFans star Sophie Rain, for example, accounted for the costs of her three-day presence: a “modest” $193,000.
Jeremstar, internet troublemaker, is also shocked by the prices. Some prefer to spend four nights in a stinky campsite surrounded by stars rather than invest in an apartment.
On-site, TikToker Ruth Viveros posted a video showing what she ate on site: a $17 lemonade that consisted of a stack of limes, followed by $102 tacos, rated 5 out of 10, because, of course…
Under the video, comments express disappointment:
“The prices are diabolical.”
“The fact that the GENERAL ADMISSION costs $600 and you have to pay as much for a mediocre meal puts me in an irrational rage.”
Christina Gonzalez had better luck; she got a $23 burrito “only,” in a shady cardboard box, at One Stop Taco Shop. Among her 21,000 followers, some denounced “criminal” prices.
Now, it’s time to summarize what you should pay if you were to go there. We can’t verify if all the prices mentioned in the list below are accurate, but given the echo in the American press and that of influencers, we’re inclined to believe.
Les menus les plus abordables (The most affordable menus)
For a dry chicken sandwich, expect to pay at least $30. If you find that unworthy of you, opt for the $25 truffle fries. Fortunately, water is still affordable to help you digest this heavy menu.
