16 Coachella Attendees Revealed Their Job, Yearly Salary, And Whether They Regretted Their $600 Admission Ticket
Coachella Music and Arts Festival is one of the most popular and expensive music festival experiences in the world. It's notorious for attracting influencers who are only in it for the photos, and for depleting bank accounts (or maybe just mine). I went during weekend two this year since it's known to be less packed and attract a different, more low-key crowd. I've long wondered who the hell is even attending Coachella and how they can even afford it. So, this year, I decided to ask around.
For reference, weekend passes start at about $600 for general admission and over $1,000 for VIP, just for the ticket. I stayed in their El Dorado campgrounds in a two-person lodge by the lake — the general admission price cost me $4,287.
Here are 16 Coachella attendees who revealed their jobs, annual salary, and their uncensored thoughts about the music festival — plus, the anonymous portraits I drew of them in exchange for their honesty.
Note: Some names have been changed to honor anonymity.
"I know he's not here, but Frank was always the most overrated person on the lineup. I'm here to see Rosalia — she deserved a lot more love from the organizers.
Also, I'm glad I got VIP, but the VIP section for the main stage just ain't it."
"My hot take is that Rosalia should have been a headliner. I've been loving all the outfits I've been seeing and the people I've been meeting.
Now, excuse me, I really have to finish my take-home exam."
"Skrillex, Four Tet, and Fred Again are saving weekend two.
And yes, my child is a water bottle."
"The lineup wasn't as exciting this year, but Coachella is always good vibes. Especially weekend two.
It's his first Coachella, and my seventh. El Dorado camping is the best way to do Coachella — less lines, we're by the lake, and they provide the setup. Honestly, regular car camping is way too rough."
"My hot take is that Calvin Harris is the most overrated artist on the lineup. Don't get me wrong — I intend to enjoy it. But I'm way more excited for Kaytranada."
"The main stage kind of sucks. People who don't go to the other stages more often are missing out. And Flo Milli deserves an even bigger crowd."
"I'm into the whole lineup. I don't think anyone's overrated.
This is my first Coachella ever. We came up here to watch the sunset, which is the Thursday night tradition, but missed it. I'm just enjoying the vibes, anyway."
"Bad Bunny threw it down. Other than that, Coachella's fucking overrated."
"We don't think Frank was injured. Coachella pulled the plug on him.
And I've been seeing a lot of girls with rhinestones. I'm not mad at it."
"The vibes are immaculate. Anyone who doesn't do camping is missing out. It's part of the experience, and our neighbors are incredible. It's a real community."
"I'm loving the vibes and the people. This is my first Coachella. We're staying in the two-person lodges in the exclusive El Dorado campgrounds. The lodges are cramped, but no way am I doing a tent."
"I didn't tell my girls I'll be seeing BLACKPINK — they love them, so I'm prolonging the fallout of their jealousy. I love Coachella, and I'm going to keep doing it.
The campgrounds are too huge, so I brought a bike. It's my second year doing it."
"My hot take: Frank Ocean is trash. The most overrated artist on the updated lineup is Bad Bunny — I'm still gonna see him, of course. Not enough people talk about DPR LIVE."
"I can't wait for Porter Robinson's set. As for my hot take? It's good Frank Ocean canceled. His exit opened up slots for performers who actually want to be here. I'm so excited for Skrillex's return."
My final takeaway: The average salary of the people I talked to was around $84,000/year, with slightly less than half of them earning under $50,000/year — I suppose many people at Coachella aren't necessarily swimming in income. Over the festival weekend, people typically spend at least $1,000 in total. Since only one of the 16 attendees I talked to was underwhelmed by the festival, I'll go ahead and say it: Coachella is worth it. And while it is much hotter the second weekend, the crowd is definitely much more chill than the premier/influencer weekend — it's my preferred crowd. And look, we know Coachella is overhyped. But after investigating other people's points of view, there's good reason for the hype.
