Have you ever considered attending California’s biggest annual event, but you’re not sure if you have enough cash to splash? Here’s how much it costs to attend the 3-day Coachella festival.
California’s Biggest Festival
Coachella is a three-day music festival held in Indo, California, in the Coachella Valley. Every year huge crowds converge on the desert town to watch the world’s most famous musicians and artists perform live.
Two Weekend Extravaganza
It has an interesting scheduling model that few live events could pull off. Coachella takes place across two back-to-back weekends. Every artist appears in the same lineup, from Friday to Sunday.
Identical Festivals
Essentially, Coachella takes place twice, over three days on the first weekend and three days on the second. Attendees purchase tickets to just one 3-day weekend, allowing the venue to accommodate twice as many people as it could otherwise.
2024 Coachella
Coachella 2024 recently played out across two weekends in April. As hundreds of thousands flood into Coachella Valley, it raises an interesting question about how much festivalgoers have to shell out to attend the star-studded event.
General Admission Ticket
To purchase a basic general admission ticket for all three days on a single weekend, the official Coachella website charges as low as $499 plus booking fees.
Access to Venue and Campsite
General admission gives attendees access to all of the venues at the event, as well as access to the festival campsites for both weekends.
3 Tiers, Shuttle Options
There are 3 tiers for general admission tickets, and attendees can also purchase GA tickets with a combined shuttle pass to and from the festival. Ticket prices with shuttle included start at $619.
Resale Tickets
If you miss out on tickets through the Coachella site, you can also purchase tickets through resale vendors like StubHub and Vivid Seats. These tickets can be anywhere from $415 to $530.
VIP Pass
For passionate festival-goers with more disposable income, a VIP pass can also be purchased for more than twice the cost of a GA ticket, at $1,069 plus booking fees.
Extra Perks
VIP packages grant festival-goers access to all VIP areas, which include VIP sections by the main stages, specialty food and beverage vendors, shaded seating areas and exclusive rest areas like the Rose Garden, and more.
Additional Add-Ons
Additional purchases can also be made for accommodation purposes, which include camping passes, camping bundles, storage lockers, hotel rooms, and more.
More to Consider
But costs for a Coachella weekend go far beyond the ticket price. Music lovers must also consider accommodation (if necessary) transport to and from the festival, food and drink, and any other expenses they may incur over three days.
Round Trip Shuttle
While many choose to drive from Los Angeles to Coachella, the festival also offers a round-trip shuttle service which takes attendees to the venue in the morning and takes them back to the city each night.
LAX and Hotel Transport
The daily round-trip shuttle to LAX costs $299 plus fees, and shuttle passes to nearby hotels in the area cost $140 plus fees.
Flying Into LA
For concert-goers who live out of LA, or even out of California, the price is even heftier. Most attendees fly into LAX and can spend several hundred dollars on return tickets depending on where they are flying from.
Driving Also Costs
Those who choose to save money by driving to the festival may find that it’s not as affordable as they expect.
Parking Pass
Parking passes for the entire three-day weekend will still set attendees back by $249 plus fees. Traveling to Coachella with friends will help to mitigate the parking costs.
Hotel Prices
Hotels near the venue can range from $350 to $700 for a mid-range room for two people for the entire weekend, though of course hotel prices can range higher.
Food Costs Mount Up
Food at the festival is also relatively pricey. This year, for example, a Caesar salad at one venue cost as much as $25, three tacos for $19, and $21 for a tuna burrito.
A Hefty Package
While Coachella is an amazing entertainment experience, potential attendees for next year’s event should take the cost into account, as even the most basic weekend package will set you back by $1000.
The post – The Cost of Coachella: How Much Would You Pay? – first appeared on Wealthy Living.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / astarot.
The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or replace professional financial advice.
