People tell us how much they spent on Coachella 2026

23 hours ago 3

Alongside the historical headliners, polarizing comebacks and astonishment guests, 1 of the astir buzzed-about discussions surrounding Coachella 2026 has been the unprecedented outgo of attending the sold-out SoCal megafest this year. General admittance passes to the three-day festival primitively retailed astatine $649 and $549 for the festival’s 2 weekends, respectively, with VIP tickets priced astatine double. But fans hoping to be aft Coachella sold retired were faced with a skyrocketing resale market, with Weekend 1 wide admittance passes going for betwixt $4,000 and $5,000 connected Stubhub successful the days starring up to the festival.

Of course, the walk conscionable gets you successful the gates. Additional costs tin see a shuttle walk ($130–$180), on-site camping ($150–$400+), and work fees ($50–$100). Nearby rental and edifice accommodations notably surge during Coachella’s 2 weekends, with the mean Indio Airbnb asking for $1,200 a nighttime — a 109% premium — during Coachella Weekend 2. Those driving into the festival faced precocious state prices, portion the outgo of nutrient and portion is besides connected the rise. Throw successful immoderate coveted Justin Bieber SKYLRK merch and the all-important Coachella ‘fit, and it comes arsenic nary astonishment that much than 60% of wide admittance ticketholders person opted to usage a outgo program to wage for the passes.

“I deliberation the occupation is little that Coachella is getting excessively costly than radical are getting excessively poor,” 1 attendee said of the compression helium and his peers are feeling erstwhile it comes to going to the festival.

Still, this year’s festival sold retired successful grounds time, and with astir 125,000 expected to be each time — they can’t each beryllium sponsored influencers — we had to know: How overmuch are radical spending, and however are they capable to spend Coachella? And is it worthy it?

Daphne Okoreeh

Wristband: VIP
Age: 35
Lives in: Corona

First clip astatine Coachella?: Yes
Occupation: ICU caregiver
Income: $170,000-200,000
Estimated Coachella spend: $3,000-4,000

I deliberation altogether I’m getting adjacent to $3,000 oregon $4,000. But camping’s $150, truthful if you’re gonna travel to Coachella, that’s the mediocre radical Coachella. We camp. With camping, my wristband was $1,443.86.

Why did you come?:
Justin Bieber, obviously. It’s a erstwhile successful a beingness thing.

Why VIP?:
The bathrooms are ever the fig 1 crushed we bash VIP [at festivals]. Do I truly deliberation it’s worthy it here? There’s not a batch of VIP access, truthful if I was to travel backmost again I’d bash an creator pass, I’d effort to find [one]. That’s wherever I consciousness similar you get much bang for your buck. If you’re gonna walk the money, you mightiness arsenic good bash Coachella the close mode and bash it similar that. But there’s a batch of GA areas wherever everyone tin go, truthful it doesn’t truly look similar there’s overmuch of a difference.

Why Coachella vs. Couchella?:
The people. Coming present I’ve met similar 10 antithetic people, a clump of girliepops. We had a bully time. I similar making caller friends ‘cause I find those friends to spell the adjacent festival with, and truthful I travel conscionable to [be with] like-minded radical who emotion music.

Was it worthy it?:
I would travel backmost astatine slightest 1 much time, depending connected who’s headlining. But I would decidedly enactment successful an Airbnb, a edifice — I’m not a camping girlie. I would enactment 2 different shifts conscionable to not person to campy ever again.

We’re fortunate to beryllium here, right? We enactment hard for our wealth and truthful I admit that we’re here. We weren’t fixed the pass. We earned it. We’ve worked for it. So I’m excited to spot what other it has to offer. We’re waiting for Justin. I privation I could campy retired [for him], but I’m conscionable gonna excuse my mode to the front.

Vanessa St. Clair

Wristband: VIP
Age: 40
Lives in: Menifee, Calif.

First clip astatine Coachella?: Yes
Occupation: ICU nurse
Income: $150,000
Estimated Coachella spend: $6,000-7,000

It was $3,500 to rent a country retired of someone’s house. Then positive the wristbands … astir apt astatine slightest 6 grand. I haven’t adjacent totaled up [food, portion and merch] yet. That’s astir apt astatine slightest different grand. It’s an costly weekend. You could spell to Europe.

A idiosyncratic successful a reddish apical smiles astatine Coachella.

Khai Edwards

Wristband: GA
Age: 35
Lives in: Los Angeles
First clip astatine Coachella?:
This is not my archetypal Coachella. This is similar my 20th. I’ve been present each twelvemonth for a cardinal years and I would support coming back.

Occupation: I privation I had a sweetener parent, but I bartend.
Income: $74,000
Estimated Coachella spend: $1,200

That’s country and committee and ticket. I’m a thrift store legend. I’ll thrift thing earlier I [pay marketplace price]. Same with my ticket. I’m like, I cognize I tin get my summons retail. I’ve had immoderate friends that person spent treble what I spent and I’m conscionable like, wow, I can’t relate.

What makes it worthy the money? What keeps you coming back?:
The prices person kept going up, but unfortunately, successful a hyper-capitalist regime, that’s what’s gonna happen. But the radical — the radical are legit. There’s ever bully artists. I cognize this started arsenic an indie euphony festival, but they bash a truly bully occupation of including everyone. I’ve ne'er felt retired of spot here.

How bash you spend Coachella? Was determination anyplace that you chopped corners?:
Yeah. Wait until the past 2nd to bargain a summons and hold until a period earlier to get your Airbnb. Because radical get an Airbnb connected a outgo plan, and unfortunately, immoderate radical default and truthful those Airbnb hosts repost those listings. Our Airbnb was 30K similar a period ago. It was virtually fractional the terms 2 weeks ago. Just wait. People are gonna merchantability their tickets. Life happens for a batch of radical — radical get pregnant, radical get married, radical judge caller positions, they get a caller job, they can’t travel anymore. It doesn’t person to beryllium costly if you don’t privation it to be.

The resale marketplace was particularly costly this year. It sounds similar you had a antithetic experience?:
I ever get ace lucky. One twelvemonth — I’m a gamer, I play competitory video games — I bought my summons successful a match. My person and his woman had breached up and he’s like, “I’m not going anymore.” I was like, “Can I bargain your Coachella ticket?” I bought a Coachella summons connected PlayStation Party! This year, same. My person got sick and she couldn’t go, truthful I ended up being capable to bargain her ticket. There’s ever a mode without you getting taxed. There’s ever a way.

A antheral with sunglasses and a mustache smiles astatine Coachella.

Emilio Espinosa

Wristband: Artist Guest
Age: 29
Lives in: San Francisco

First clip astatine Coachella?: This is my 3rd time.
Occupation: I enactment successful originative strategy and I’m a DJ
Income: Around $145,000 a year, positive further income done DJing
Estimated Coachella spend: $2,000+

We received [our passes for free] from 1 of the managers of 1 of the bands that are playing. But we got flights truly late, and past hotels are insane successful Palm Springs and successful Indio. The nutrient prices are not that bad. We’ve been splitting food, truthful it’s been OK. Drinks are egregiously expensive, unfortunately.

Have you paid for a walk before? Would you wage to travel again?:
The past mates times I paid. It [originally] was not successful the cards to travel this year, but I deliberation successful the aboriginal I would inactive wage to travel to Coachella. We’re having a bully time.

Why did you come?:
The livestream made america privation to come. We wholly had FOMO and past we’re like, “We gotta go.” And past we had to conscionable fig it out.

Worth it?
Yes. I cognize what the vibe is present and each clip I’ve travel I’ve had conscionable specified a large time. It’s 1 of the biggest festivals successful the world. There’s radical from each implicit the place, and I’m ace grateful for each the euphony that’s present and each the radical that person travel down for thing similar this. It’s truly inspiring to spot each the artists. So being present makes it wholly worthy it, always.

I deliberation the biggest misconception is that it’s an influencer festival, due to the fact that I don’t deliberation it is. There’s radical from each implicit the world, each walks of life, making it hap to travel here. And that’s wherefore I person a batch of gratitude to beryllium here, due to the fact that everyone’s astir apt worked truthful hard to beryllium here. And if you conscionable travel with your champion friends, it’s not each astir like, photos and getting connected Instagram. It’s astir having a bully clip with your people.

Lola Lott

Wristband: GA
Age: 24
Lives in: Palm Springs

First clip astatine Coachella?: No, this would beryllium astir apt my sixth.
Occupation: Registered nurse

Betza Lopez

Wristband: GA
Age: 27
Lives in: Palm Springs

First clip astatine Coachella?: No, this is my sixth.
Occupation: Registered dental assistant

Estimated Coachella spend: About $1,000 each

Lola: We unrecorded successful the Coachella Valley truthful we don’t person to wage for lodging. But adjacent drinks and stuff, it’s the pricier broadside of it due to the fact that we conscionable bargain drinks here. We don’t truly bring thing with us.

How are you paying for Coachella?
Lola: We bash the outgo plan. I consciousness similar it’s antithetic present that, arsenic we’re older, we person much expenses. So it’s easier conscionable to conscionable beryllium disquieted astir similar $60 a period versus the full $650 astatine once.

If determination wasn’t a outgo plan, would you beryllium capable to spend Coachella?
Betza: If you prevention successful advance, I consciousness similar you tin spend it if you fund correctly, but yeah.

Lola: It’s conscionable having to deliberation ahead, like, “OK, if I’m readying to spell to Coachella, I request to beryllium mounting wealth aside.” For sure, it’s a small spot hard.

Is determination anyplace you chopped costs to beryllium capable to spend Coachella?
Lola: Going retired to devour much often. So I chopped retired that, for sure.

What makes the outgo worthy it to you?
Lola: I deliberation you truly get the astir retired of your wealth present ‘cause you person 3 afloat days of antithetic artists that you wouldn’t truly spot astatine different places, oregon you don’t truly person the accidental to spot astatine different spots.

Betza: I deliberation the experiences and listening to euphony and being capable to creation successful your ain world, I deliberation that’s fun.

Being from the Valley, what are immoderate misconceptions radical person astir Coachella?
Lola: The bulk of influencers, they spell to Weekend 1, and america locals, we already cognize like, “We travel Weekend 2!” Because it’s mode better, the vibes are mode better. Everyone’s present much for the euphony and conscionable vibing retired versus having to similar grounds everything, each azygous set.

Do you deliberation Coachella is getting excessively expensive, oregon is it conscionable rising with the costs of everything else?
Betza: I decidedly deliberation this twelvemonth is much costly than immoderate different year. But I deliberation that has to beryllium connected the headliners arsenic well. With Justin Bieber, I deliberation radical resold their tickets for a batch much money. I deliberation that’s an disfigured happening to do.

Lola: Yeah, adjacent for us, we’ve ne'er seen prices spell that high, adjacent with third-party sellers and each that.

Tara Dactyl-Fox, a.k.a “Grandmother Coachella”

Wristband: VIP
Age: 48
Lives in: Phoenix

Occupation: Teacher
Income: $60,000
First clip astatine Coachella?: No, this is my 26th, including 2 “Backyardchellas” I hosted during the pandemic. 2001 was my first.

Estimated Coachella spend: $1,000+
Camping is astir $500. I bash Lot 8 ‘cause I’m aged and I don’t wanna locomotion each the mode done camp. So I americium person to the beforehand entrances. But I divided it with my partner. Camping is wherever it’s at, due to the fact that you get present for Day Zero. Not everybody gets Day Zero. And we person our ain entertainment, a full DJ conscionable for us. And there’s truthful galore activities, it’s great. We bring astir of our ain nutrient and portion ‘cause I’m a large cook. So we conscionable marque our ain food. But I get Spicy Pie each day.

How did you wage for your pass?
I person escaped VIP for beingness — I won Carpoolchella successful 2008 erstwhile Prince played. I camped adjacent to neighbors and they were connected a brew tally and they enactment maine successful their car and they pulled america implicit with a Winnebago with streamers and a camera unit and said we won Carpoolchella. I don’t deliberation they anticipated maine doing it this long.

Would you inactive travel to Coachella if you had to bargain your walk and wage afloat expenses?
One 100 percent. This is my yearly mecca of art, friends, camping. I conscionable get to merchandise this weekend. ‘Cause I’m a teacher, it’s precise regimented and this is the 1 clip of twelvemonth I conscionable get to fto escaped and creation my a— off. I’m a speechmaking specialist, I thatch 3rd done eighth grade, and they’re 2 oregon much years down successful their reading. Actually, my seventh- and eighth-graders helped maine prime who I’m gonna see, ‘cause I don’t cognize each the caller stuff.

Who did they recommend?
Sabrina Carpenter. I had nary thought who she was. And each my Hispanic girls are like, “You person to spot Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G!”

How overmuch did a Coachella summons outgo erstwhile you archetypal started coming successful 2001?
$150. That was it. And they were insubstantial tickets, and insubstantial wristbands. And it was lone 1 day. We drove from Phoenix. We saw the amusement — it was like, Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers — and past we drove location that aforesaid night. And past they introduced camping, and we had to haul each of our bags from the car batch with dollies to our campsite. And they were like, “Hey, this is great. Let’s fto them campy with their cars,” which was amazing. And past they divided into 2 weekends. It’s been a ride.

If you did wage for your walk this year, would you inactive bargain a VIP pass? Is VIP worthy it still?
No. I’m a Very Important Pooper. I spell successful determination to poop. And there’s similar sneaky entrances into the stages. Not each my friends person VIP, truthful lone sometimes I’m like, “I’m gonna propulsion the VIP card.” Like for the Yuma structure past twelvemonth with Fatboy Slim. But I don’t bash it often. All the radical that I won VIP with, they’re raising families present and nary of them come. I’m the oldest one. I’m the past soldier.

How would you spend Coachella if you had to wage for your pass?
I utilized to acceptable up a abstracted slope relationship and it would automatically retreat however overmuch wealth it would cost. And truthful erstwhile it came clip for Coachella, I had each the money. Because I’m a teacher, I person to budget, you know?

What makes it worthy it to support coming backmost twelvemonth aft year?
Have you seen it?! This is freaking amazing! I conscionable privation everybody could person this play escape. And, sorry, Weekend 2 is mode amended than Weekend 1. Weekend 1 is each the influencers and similar the frat bros. Weekend 2, everyone’s astir the music, bully vibes, each the campground radical are amazing. They’ve already worked retired each the bugs connected the dependable system. I’m present to creation my a— disconnected and I’m present for the sound. I’m not present to beryllium seen oregon whatever. It’s conscionable the buzz, the energy. I wouldn’t commercialized it for the world.

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