That is not the case across the pond at Coachella, where it feels like the spirit of festival-induced debauchery has gone adrift. Either that or it has been obscured by one too many Snapchat filters. There are several reasons for this. I suspect it begins with Coachella's ticketing system, which fosters a culture of elitism that to me seems wildly out of touch with the utopian spirit of music festivals.
Ticket holders are segregated from the outset, with separate entrances, bars and food offerings. The perks for this swanky lot include a secluded area with its own gold-plated refreshments and, this is the part that really irks me, a large area at the front of the main stage that is closed off to fans.
I somehow managed to sneak into said area to watch Lady Gaga. Instead, I longed to be in the adjacent mosh pit with fans singing along to "Poker Face" at the top of their lungs while squished together like sardines. At Coachella, though, there is a blatant pecking order. The year I went, there were two large VIP areas. In addition to providing the most photogenic backdrops — think plush rose gardens and twinkling fairylights — they also housed the best food and drink offerings on the site.
The VIP passes, the hotel, and the shuttle were worth every penny. We read a lot of comments online that the VIP ticket is not worth it, but decided to get it anyway and see for ourselves. Let me tell you, if you have the extra cash, go for it! In these areas, there is plenty of food, drinks, and shade.
This was a huge benefit. If you needed to refill your water or get some ice cream in the main grounds, you would have a pretty long wait. Another good thing about Coachella is the food. There are so many options, with something for everyone.
Noteworthy chefs open pop-up restaurants, there is seated dining, food trucks, and plenty of cold beverages an absolute necessity in the heat. You can nosh on healthy poke bowls, dive into decadence with some milky buns ice cream-stuffed donuts , try some crab fries, or cool down with some fruity ice pops.
Being able to refill your water bottle at stations throughout the venue was also great, because it was hot and staying hydrated was important. While we splurged on our tickets to avoid the lines, driving, camping, etc.
Any negative experience that comes with Coachella comes with the unique environment that is a music festival. Trust me, we tried. Little did we know the tens of thousands of people standing next to us also wanted to see Jack U. We knew we would never make it in, so we missed Jack U???? We also observed a lot of people doing drugs.
As festival newbies, we thought it was an exaggeration when people said that there were a lot of drugs at music festivals in general. Prices are high…on everything. If you are camping at the venue, you can bring in food to your campsite, which can help with the cost. However, no one is allowed to bring outside food into the actual venue, so those of us shuttling or driving in had to purchase items from festival vendors. For some, the heat can be unbearable. Depending on the year, the temperatures can range from 80s to low s, typically with blazing sun overhead.
You also get the occasional dust storm or rain. There are people, thousands of them. In fact, 99, of them every day of the festival. The amount of music you get to indulge in for such a short amount of time is freaking awesome! I loved going from stage to stage, enjoying everything from rock to electronic dance music to indie pop. Being there for the closing bands had to be one of my favorite experiences.
Standing in the middle of tens of thousands of people was overwhelming and incredibly enjoyable at the same time.
The video graphics on the screen that went along with the music and the crazy amount of people jam packed in the tent was, well…awesome. The result is a wider target audience to generate buzz through word-of-mouth.
Music festivals are generally not profitable until the third or fourth year. This is because festivals are only as profitable as their reputation. Each year a festival delivers good experiences to attendees, staff, and artists, it sets up the next year for success. The obvious expenses were water, food, security to accommodate the crowds and the production costs.
But the biggest and perhaps the most important aspect of a music festival — the artists have significantly increased their fees to make up for downslide in music revenues due to digital streaming revolution.
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