Festival, Fans and Fashionistas

After a two year hiatus due to COVID-19 and its resulting restrictions, the iconic music and arts festival Coachella was back on! The two-weekend events took place during mid-April in Indio, California. The Coachella party is followed by its sister event, the country music festival known as Stagecoach. This music festival extravaganza was established in October 1999 by Paul Tollett and his company Goldenvoice as a way to celebrate the music and concert world. The event highlights artists, musicians, celebrities, influencers, networking and product marketing, among others. The hot desert grounds of the Coachella venue covers an expansive 614 acres dedicated to artists, fans and fashionistas. Coachella 2022 was headlined by Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd. Originally Kanye West was set to headline but he ended up canceling, resulting in a dramatic 32% drop in ticket sales. Over 150 artists across the seven Coachella stages performed this year. And over 125,000 people attended each of these concerts. Coachella tickets, excluding single day general admissions, sold out within 75 minutes of being released to the public. 

So how much do these elite Coachella tickets cost? Three-day General Admission tickets sell from $500-$600 and VIP tickets range from $1,000-$1,300. Tickets were sold from the Coachella website and resale sites like Stubhub and Vivid Seats. The exclusive invitation-only party called Revolve Festival takes place on the first weekend of Coachella and is off-grounds. This party is a place for celebrities, influencers and Hollywood elite to network. Tickets for this VIP party are a steep $2,000 a ticket. Performers for this music festival are paid from $10,000 to, in the star statuses of Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar, $3 million and $4 million, respectively. Coachella generated an estimated $700 million this year. This success boosted the local economy by up to $400 million due to concert-goers and the festivities. Companies strategically sponsor Revolve Festival attendees and all the major players in the fashion game with their products, designs and brands. They especially target influencers to boost sales and spread brand awareness across their social media platforms and audiences. 

Next to music, fashion is one of the main features of Coachella. The festival holds a reputation of having trendy and stylish influencers, models and fans in attendance. Bold, eccentric clothing, hair and accessories are popular and to be expected. The style of the season is largely influenced by looks from the festivals. This year, the overall aesthetic was casual and color-coordinated. Oversized outfits were favored, colorful makeup trended and cropped tops or shorts were commonly found. 
After an unfortunate two-year delay, Coachella was cleared to take place and be opened to the public. The event did not require masks or proof of vaccinations; instead, they administered a COVID test for concert attendees to enter. After the first weekend of Coachella, there was a reported 77% increase in COVID cases. The two-weekend Coachella fest is a jam-packed and carefree arts and music festival that is back and better than ever for its twenty-first year.

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Photo Credit: Pixabay

Photo Caption: Fans at a concert