The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival takes place in Indio, California, in the Colorado Desert. It’s held over a three-day-weekend, and its founders, Rick Van Santen, design it to highlight some of the world’s most famous artists. Over 250,000 go to the festival every year, which began in 1999.

Many famous people get invited to go cost free, altering how Coachella is viewed through social media. There is no surprise that content creators leave their mark on the music festival. At Coachella, brands sponsor influencers to attend the festival by providing them access to tickets and exclusive parties, in
exchange for brand content created while they are there.

For example, TikTok’s current ‘it-girl,’ Alix Earle, attended Coachella this year courtesy of GUESS. She wore an all-denim sponsored outfit, showing off the clothing brand, flew in their private plane, and stayed in the GUESS compound for no cost. She was also allowed to bring multiple friends to stay at the house in exchange for content. Earle’s Coachella videos received more than 100 million views, with her outfit videos getting the most attention.

Her cost-free experience is much different than that of those who pay to attend the event. People sleep in tents on a nearby campground, and often cook their own meals to prevent spending money on
overpriced food at the event. The weekend can consist of loads of blisters from walking in the
hut Californian sun, and little sleep.

A ‘mere mortal’’ day would begin with a 6AM wake up after a restless night. You would pile your belongings into a car and drive to the event, where your car would get searched for ‘paraphernalia.’ If you find parking, that’s when the fun begins. You would then get the opportunity to explore the campgrounds where there are activities such as capture the flag, bingo, ring toss, and more. According to the Daily Mail, many who have attended the event said, “it’s just way too hot” and that the lack of sleep makes it hard to show interest in the event.

Social media plays an important role in how the event is depicted by influencers. Getting to stay in a mega mansion for zero cost should not be expected when one is going to Coachella. Through the influencers’ videos and pictures, the true experience of the event has been lost as all the glamor is what has caught the public’s eye. There is clearly an extreme difference between how influences experience
Coachella compared to an average being. This serves as another reminder to not always
believe the glamor of social media.