By Rachel Prior, April 28, 2026
Before brand sponsored influencer trips and spending hours finding the perfect place to take aesthetic Instagram pictures, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival was all about art.
I’ve watched the purpose of the festival morph over the past 15 years from artistic expression into an event overshadowed by prioritizing influencer visibility, exclusivity and brand deals.
The origins of this festival go back to the 1990s, after Pearl Jam, frustrated by high fees for tickets through Ticketmaster, decided to perform at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, instead of a traditional venue. The success of the Pearl Jam concert showed there was a demand for musical spaces outside the traditional concert structure. Inspired by this, Goldenvoice later established Coachella in 1999 at the same club.
When Coachella first launched, its purpose was not to bring the biggest artists or pack together as many merch tents and pop-ups they could fit inside the festival grounds. Coachella was a space for people to enjoy live music and art.
Early lineups leaned into indie and small artists, with the environment and music made to be equal parts of the festival experience. While the shift toward bigger headliners brings more mainstream appeal, it also changeshow some attendees engage with the festival. I’ve noticed some festivalgoers now show up primarily for one artist, in this year’s case, Justin Bieber with “Bieberchella”, overshadowing other performances happening across the grounds. I don’t take issue with big-name artists headlining Coachella, but I do take issue with one set taking over the focus of a three-day-long festival filled with opportunities to listen to a wide range of music.
Large-scale art installations have been a staple of the festival since its inception, with pieces like Spectra acting as not just a place for photo opportunities but also encouraging interaction and expression of art through different mediums, beyond music.
Today that focus has shifted. Once built around first-hand experience and being present in the art, culture and environment, Coachella has slowly become one big photo op for many people too focused on the perception of themselves online.
Brands now use Coachella as a marketing opportunity. Companies not only advertise their products but have found ways to influence how people want to experience the festival.
Brands like Poppi often invite influencers on brand trips to Coachella, where travel, housing and styling are covered in return for posting photos and videos online, promoting the brand while at the festival.
Instead of focusing on the music and art of Coachella, much of it is now overshadowed by what is being promoted and by who.
Outfits, accessories and aesthetics showcased by these influencers for fashion brands like Revice during Coachella are quick to circulate online on platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram and go viral, influencing people at home to buy into these trends.
The issue isn’t dressing up and taking photos. That has always been part of festival culture. It’s the shift in their importance. Music went from the central part of the experience to now seem more like a backdrop for influencers and brands to promote themselves.
With VIP sections, invite only events and brand-hosted parties, exclusivity has effectively broken the festival into tiers of access that are unobtainable for many regular festivalgoers. This divide has gained attention online, turning the idea of “Rich Coachella versus Poor Coachella” into a trend online.
Influencers and celebrities like Kylie Jenner post flying to the festival in private jets, staying in luxurious mansions, going to invite-only brand events such as REVOLVE Festival and Nylon House and enjoying fine dining at VIP-only restaurant pop-ups like Le Burger by Camphor, while average people post themselves stuck in overcrowded campsites, waiting hours in line to shower and living off goldfish.
While I’ve never been to Coachella, I have always been fascinated by this festival, and I did a project on the history of Coachella and its art installations for my Visual Communication design class. As someone who loves live music and has attended music festivals like Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and Outside Lands, it’s clear the music aspect often feels less central compared to other festivals, making the high price of tickets and any additionalaccommodations hard to justify.
The idea of “Couchella,” where the festival is experienced more through influencer posts and livestreams than in person, is currently circulating the internet. While I understand the appeal of watching sets online and have done it myself, I also believe it takes away from the experience. I worry that people may start to question what the point of attending in person is if performances can be streamed live from home. Festivals like Coachella aremeant to be immersive, and without being there yourself, you don’t get the full experience.
Coachella brings together major artists and large audiences and is still a music festival, but its purpose has clearly shifted from the music itself to documenting attendance, posting outfits, and signaling online that you were there and making the most of it. While music is still the most important part for many people, it is no longer just a festival experienced in person, but one that is also performed for an audience online.
Feature graphic courtesy of Connor Lālea Hampton