Music opinion: Elitism and wealth at Coachella

Summer is emerging, which can only mean one thing — festival season is back. Coachella, the annual music festival in California returns beginning on April 10 for two weekends.

The festival features a variety of genres from electronic dance music to rock. This year huge artists are headlining Coachella including Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G.

There really is something for everyone – with a performance from The Strokes who emerged during the early 2000s.

In recent years, how has the festival transformed?

Music News Blitz writer Olivia Carolan shares her opinion on the festival.

Has Coachella become a festival only for the elite?

Criticism surrounds Coachella as there has been some debate that the festival – one of the biggest profiting festivals in the world – is simply for the wealthy.

A trend throughout social media in recent years is the divide between ‘poor Coachella’ and ‘rich Coachella’, indicating a different experience depending on an individual’s financial status.

Coachella is a festival that is arguably reinforcing the wealth divide in society. Influencers recieve villas paid for them, tickets paid for them and even free VIP access.

Whilst the everyday person is budgeting – camping at the festival with no showers but essentially experiencing the true festival life.

But even so, if you can afford Coachella, can you really call it ‘poor Coachella’?

Ticket prices for festivals and concerts have caused outrage, with artists such as Harry Styles selling tour tickets for up to £500.

Coachella has been priced at $649 for the first weekend, typically the weekend for influencers and brands. And the second weekend has been priced at $599.

Is this really affordable for everyone? You're getting to see multiple artists across the span of three days but the pricing remains questionable.

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Discovering new artists

Some artists are returning after performing at the festival in 2025 such as Wet Leg and Blood Orange. And some are returning after previous performances in the past years.

But this year, artists are playing at Coachella for the very first time. And if you do play Coachella it’s rare that you’ll be forgotten. Mainstream festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury and more, are festivals where artists will most certainly gain a bigger fan base.

Electronic music is taking a larger role in the music scene, taking up nearly half of Coachella's line-up this year.

It wasn't always this way. When the festival was founded in 1999, it prominently showcased rock and alternative music, until the past decade when electronic music has become increasingly popular. It is no longer a DJ set on the periphery.

This year, it seems that Coachella is trying to prioritise emerging artists more, especially DJs.

In 2026 the line-up consists of house DJs including Prospa, Max Dean&Luke Dean, Max Styler and many more.

Despite their respectable reputations in the UK electronic scene, they are deemed as rising artists, with Coachella offering a global platform.

Coachella is a place where music lovers can discover new artists as social media treats the festival as one of the biggest events of the year.

Content creation and brand identity

During the past week TikTok has been flooded with videos prepping for Coachella – huge suitcases, luxury hotels, first class flights and brand deals.

It’s the biggest event of the year for some people, but is it all for show?

Many content creators and ex-Love Islanders are attending the event with brands such as White Fox.

Keeping their outfits close until the big reveal, and treating it as an event based on who produces the best Instagram pictures.

Many wonder how good Coachella really is – whether it has morphed into just a fashion show and a means of maximising profit. Is it really about the music anymore?

Watching from afar, many people have criticised how Coachella is no longer authentic, it isn’t for music lovers anymore, but instead is a marketing operation for brand exposure.

However, the power of social media is also a means of discovery. A lot of artists are now found through the likes of TikTok and it is often the perfect way to show art to others.

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