From Dream to Disaster: The Hidden Issues at Coachella

Olivia Davis

Reporter

   Every year during spring, social media platforms and “for you” pages become filled with Coachella content from influencers. Coachella is a popular festival that hosts popular and some unpopular music artists annually. Most of the attendees at this festival are famous influencers that have been sponsored by brands like Coca-Cola, Neutrogena and Rhode. These brands will pay for their entire ticket and housing which cost thousands upon thousands of dollars. Although Coachella is shown as a cute festival for people to see their favorite artists, it is more dystopian and more economically and environmentally harmful than it may seem on the outside.

   During this week videos on YouTube and TikTok have shown up on my “for you” page giving tours of influencers’ Airbnbs or condos. I came across a specific video by Hailey Sani. She was giving a tour of her villa that she was staying in and gave a tour of the Cafe. Among the things in the cafe, there was a station where influencers could get IV drips. While watching this video, I had to rewind and double check that I had heard her right. IV drips in a cafe seems like something that we would only read in a book. Even though Coachella is viewed as a place where anybody from any social class can come and celebrate, in reality it is an exclusive event. A ticket for just a shuttle and weekend event is almost $600, which is about half of what the average person makes in one week. 

   Another downfall is the amount of trash and waste that Coachella has caused over the years. “Coachella creates 106 tons of waste per day, and since the event spans six days per year, it generates 636 tons of waste in total,” according to  Amaryllis Sun with the Spectator. Coachella is one of the main contributors to waste in the United States. During the Coachella weekend, traffic can become backed up and cause citizens who live in the area to come face to face with disruptions in their routines.

    On the internet, Coachella is shown as an inclusive festival that allows one to be carefree, but this is simply not the case. Coachella is home to multiple issues, such as waste, traffic blockages, DUI’s and dystopian ideals that are so far fetched.

Photo Credits: Venga Store