\u201cThis was Coachella, 2016. It was the vibe at the time\u201d.\u00a0\u2014 Kendall Jenner for\u00a0Vogue<\/a>, 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival,\u00a0arguably the\u00a0country\u2019s most culturally relevant music festival, is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary. Over the past 25 years, public\u00a0perception\u00a0of Coachella has come a long way from its humble origins as a\u00a0protest against\u00a0rising concert ticket prices. When you think about Coachella, chances are,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not simply the performers coming to mind. The values backing Coachella\u2019s creation \u2014 community, accessibility, and appreciation of music \u2014 have been overshadowed by extreme commercialization and superficiality.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Coachella\u00a0dates back to\u00a0the 1993 war between Pearl Jam and Ticketmaster. Angered at inaccessible ticket prices and skyrocketing service fees, Pearl Jam\u00a0refused<\/a>\u00a0to play at any Ticketmaster\u00a0venue. Instead, the band set their sights on the Empire Polo Club in Indo, California. Proving that the Polo Ground could handle large crowds, Pearl Jam\u2019s protest planted the seed for Coachella. The first festival, held in 1999, was nearly shut down for insufficient funds. After skipping a couple of years and reformatting,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0built up a rapport as the country\u2019s most elite music festival.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The valley of Coachella, which inspired the festival\u2019s name, is\u00a0largely misconstrued\u00a0as a celebrity hub with a tourism-based economy. However, the\u00a0region<\/a>\u00a0relies heavily on agricultural production.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0an intense class divide between the high population of farmworkers, many of whom are immigrants, and celebrities in their winter homes. The festival\u2019s inaccessibility is only worsening this divide. Guests are mostly celebrities and influencers, many of whom are invited in collaboration with brands. For the average person, attending Coachella would either be a poor financial decision or a cause of immense stress. Three-day passes for this year\u2019s festival\u00a0cost<\/a>\u00a0anywhere between $549 and $1,399, and\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0not counting\u00a0additional\u00a0costs of shuttle passes, on-site\u00a0camping\u00a0and service fees. When an event is entirely inaccessible to the majority who inhabit its namesake valley,\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a clear problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n Consumerism has slowly saturated the fabric of Coachella. With every passing year,\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0an increasing focus on which brands are sending influencers,\u00a0and\u00a0which brands have pop-up stands inside. Between performances, guests may be entertained by booths providing free merchandise and services. Social media\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0flooded with videos of the performers;\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0all\u00a0who\u2019s\u00a0wearing what and which brands sent them there or gave out merchandise. For those not in attendance, performers are eclipsed.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0instead placated with superficial objects to consume in a shadow of experiencing Coachella. We may not be able to see Sabrina Carpenter or Ethel Cain, but we\u00a0can\u00a0march ourselves down to the store and buy the eyeshadow\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0wearing or the vodka\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0drinking.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n I can still recall my first impression of Coachella. Circa 2016, I watched a group of my favorite YouTubers posting outfit inspiration, all glitter temporary tattoos and flower crowns and loose tank tops over lace bralettes. As a middle-schooler in suburban New York, I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0know what Coachella was. I assumed it was like a party, or a big fashion show. My awareness was limited to the influential people in attendance and the makeup brands that paid for their stays.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n I will unabashedly admit that perusing Coachella looks\u00a0remains\u00a0a guilty pleasure of mine. Primarily drawing inspiration from 2010s boho fashion, the Coachella aesthetic features loose layers,\u00a0scarves\u00a0and a lot of lace. When dressing for the festival, influencers know that\u00a0they\u2019ll\u00a0be seen.\u00a0Even in the past ten years, expectations for Coachella\u2019s guests have become incredibly unrealistic.\u00a0Calling back to Kendall Jenner, no one at Coachella in 2016 batted an eye at people showing up in outfits from mall brands and handmade flower crowns. It was merely the vibe at the time. Now, influencers pay thousands for designer clothes and stylists to dress them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s\u00a0a sort of capital in self-presentation at such spotlit festivals. Last year, influencer Katie Fang was\u00a0ridiculed<\/a>\u00a0to no end for her Coachella outfit. I\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0remember who headlined, but I can remember how, in the following weeks, it was impossible to\u00a0scroll\u00a0any social media site without coming across someone mocking Fang\u2019s stylist. The transition of Coachella\u2019s emphasis on what the guests are wearing over the performers themselves fully overshadows both the focus on music and the festival\u2019s original spirit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Coachella culture is in serious need of reform. In an ideal world, the festival would lower ticket prices and limit brands\u2019 abilities to advertise. Unlikely as this may be, I have hope that they can return to their roots. Music is an essential part of\u00a0the human\u00a0experience; it\u00a0shouldn\u2019t\u00a0be limited to those who can pay their way in.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dailycampus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tuesday-25-26-Daily-Campus-1.jpg?resize=696%2C870&ssl=1\")
A group of friends taking photos at Coachella. Coachella was originally created in protest of Ticketmaster and its venue. Photo courtesy of Coachella on Facebook<\/p>\n