By Ally Uhlendorf
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Coachella, one of the largest music festivals in the country held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, is typically an instant sell-out. The festival consists of two weekends full of live music and entertainment, taking place this year on April 12-14 and 19-21. Between the popularity of the attendees and influencers at the festival and the overall hype surrounding the Coachella season, the festival is normally a hit.
The festival was founded by music promoters Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999, and is run by Goldenvoice. This year, the public is not thrilled with the lineup, causing the festival’s sales to decline in comparison to previous years.
According to SFGate, tickets went on sale Jan. 19. As of this week, almost two weeks later, tickets are still not sold out for both weekends — for the first time in a decade.
In previous years, purchasing tickets for Coachella was an almost impossible process. Tickets typically sold out immediately, and fans would wait for hours in the queue to attempt to purchase a wristband. Between 2014 and 2022, tickets sold out in a window ranging from 40 minutes in 2015 to 4 hours in 2022.
Last year, the tickets sold out within days — although the ticket sales were “sluggish” compared to previous years, taking days instead of hours to sell out. However, as of Jan. 23, the 2024 sales have fallen behind 2023’s sales for the festival.
For the first weekend, tier three General Admission tickets (starting at $599) and tier two VIP tickets (starting at $1,269) are still available. For the second weekend, all tiers for General Admission tickets (starting at $499) and VIP tickets (starting at $1,069) are available.
On Jan. 16, Coachella posted the official 2024 lineup on Instagram — and fans were not very pleased with the festival’s picks. The festival will be headlined by Lana Del Rey, Tyler the Creator and Doja Cat, and includes additional performances by Sabrina Carpenter, Ice Spice, Lil Uzi Vert and many more.
Many fans are claiming across social media that the setlist is “underwhelming” and that it is one of the “worst Coachella lineups ever.” The comments on the official lineup announcement are flooded with hatred against the choice of performers.
However, this is not a new complaint that the festival has heard. Last year, Coachella faced criticism following Frank Ocean’s controversial set. The artist, as well as the festival, were labeled as scammers after Ocean delivered a rather lackluster performance and dropped out of the second-weekend performance, leaving fans extremely dissatisfied.
There were some positive comments regarding this year’s lineup, though. Some fans of Lana Del Rey and Sabrina Carpenter were elated to see their favorite artist taking the Coachella stage.
According to InEvent, “Coachella is estimated to have generated over $1.5 billion in revenue for the local economy, with much of that coming from ticket sales, merchandise, and sponsorships.”
Compared to the support surrounding similar music festivals occurring around the same time, such as Las Vegas’ Lovers & Friends festival — which includes performances by Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg and Janet Jackson — Coachella is definitely receiving the most disappointment from its fans and usual concert lovers.
Although Coachella has dealt with lackluster lineups and disappointed fans in the past, this year’s sale speed has raised more concern as to how long this disappointment will last and how it may impact the future of the festival.
