Coachella 2025: Fans Frustrated as Influencer Culture Overshadows Music Festival's Roots
- May 9
- 2 min read
Updated: May 14
By Kieran Vale
staff writer
April 20, 2025
Once renowned for celebrating music and creativity, Coachella has gradually shifted into a backdrop for influencers to flaunt curated lifestyles and luxury experiences. What was once a haven for live performances and cultural expression now finds itself overrun by staged moments, expensive fashion, and VIP exclusivity.
In recent years, platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become saturated with images of extravagant Coachella outfits and behind-the-scenes luxury access, prompting criticism from longtime attendees who feel the festival's core spirit has been lost. What used to be a destination for music enthusiasts has increasingly turned into a space where self-promotion and visual spectacle take center stage.
This shift has not gone unnoticed. Online sentiment reveals growing fatigue over the festival’s transformation. For instance, influencer Alix Earle shared a video of herself sipping champagne aboard a private jet en route to Coachella, while TikTok personality Charli D’Amelio appeared in a designer lace top reportedly worth $1,690. These displays of affluence are becoming the norm and contribute to the perception that Coachella is more about showcasing wealth than appreciating artistry.
Beyond social media aesthetics, many attendees have voiced frustration over soaring costs. From general admission tickets priced at $649 for the first weekend to meals reportedly costing $100 despite questionable quality, concerns about affordability and authenticity are mounting. According to a report by The New York Post, many place the blame for inflated pricing on influencer culture, which has elevated demand and expectations to unsustainable levels.
The public response has been pointed. One user on X wrote, “Influencer culture has really damaged events like Coachella, where art and music are no longer the focus. I just hope this doesn’t creep into theme parks, where being seen there matters more than actually enjoying the experience.”
Another added, “It’s depressing to see how Coachella has evolved. I went over a decade ago when it was still an authentic platform for indie talent and real music lovers. Now it feels completely corporate and shallow. It’s lost its soul.”
A third chimed in, “Coachella just looks like a gathering of wannabe influencers living beyond their means for online clout. I even saw someone bring a baby—honestly, where are the priorities?”
And perhaps most scathing was a comment reading, “It’s been an empty influencer gathering for years. There’s no longer anything meaningful about it. Whatever it once stood for is long gone.”
As criticism continues to mount, many are calling on organizers to reevaluate the direction of the festival and bring the focus back to what once made Coachella a globally respected celebration of music and creativity.
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