Coachella, one of many world’s most iconic music festivals, has been curating “you needed to be there” moments for almost three many years. However behind these Instagram-worthy moments lies a troubling new actuality: for almost all of attendees, the expertise is simply attainable by month-to-month installments.
In accordance with a latest Billboard report, a staggering 60% of basic admission ticket-holders used fee plans to assist fund their Coachella journey in Indio, California this 12 months.
Attending Coachella has at all times include a hefty price ticket, however it has soared in recent times. Basic admission passes began at $599 in 2025, not together with further bills for primary human wants comparable to lodging, transportation and meals, all of which have confronted inflationary worth hikes.
Mark Owens
To alleviate the monetary burden, month-to-month fee plans allowed potential attendees to order tickets with a down fee as little as $49.99. The one price incurred for using this service is a flat $41 versus dealing with the looming rate of interest out of your bank card.
This system launched again in 2009, aiming to make Coachella extra accessible to a broader viewers. Nonetheless, this 12 months’s dubiously record-breaking variety of fee plans displays broader cultural and financial tendencies close to the swelling price of music festivals.
Whereas short-term mortgage providers like Purchase Now, Pay Later (BNPL) present monetary reduction up entrance, they’ve the potential to stretch budgets, encourage irresponsible spending and compound debt.
“[Coachella’s] vibe, FOMO-driven, culturally iconic, pushes followers to prioritize experiences over financial savings, a mindset amplified by social media’s flex tradition,” wrote Forbes’ Jack Kelly.
Roughly 80,000 to 100,000 followers reportedly opted for fee plans to attend this 12 months’s competition in SoCal. Coachella is now scheduled to return to its longtime house on the Empire Polo Membership over two 2026 weekends: April 10-12 and April 17-19.
