Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Country Music Festival are typically discussed as a joint experience, as they are both music festivals that occur within the same two weeks in Indio, California. Coachella is an annual music festival, primarily tailored to rock-centric performers, while Stagecoach focuses on country music.

 

Both are hosted at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. In 2019, roughly 99,000 attendees gathered to enjoy live music, good company, and the cool California breeze on April 12-15 and 19-21. Spanning over these two weekends in April, performers of various genres come together to provide an interactive, exciting, and luxurious weekend of music and over the top performances.

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Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, and Ariana Grande headlined Coachella 2019, while performers, like Sam Hunt and Lynyrd Skynyrd were the main attractions at Stagecoach 2019. Other notable performers include Kid Cudi, Kacey Musgraves, Weezer, Khalid, Mac DeMarco, and Anderson.Paak. Artists from country, pop, rock, alternative, and other genres all band together to create an unforgettable experience for those passionate about music. 

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For this research project, I will be focusing primarily on Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival because it draws a larger crowd and has more name recognition. According to Mercury Insurance, Coachella is a “must-see event” and recognized as “the premiere Indie music festival anywhere” (“History of Coachella.”). 

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For those unwilling to pay $429 for a general admission ticket, the event was livestreamed on YouTube. However, those not in attendance miss out on the festival experience, full of art, activities, food and drink, camping, and overall energy manifested in the massive crowds. The festival has activity tents spread out at the outdoor venue, offering games and giveaways, in addition to art studio tens that provide spaces to make D.I.Y. crafts. The most iconic feature of the nonmusical experience is the infamous Ferris Wheel, which serves as a fun ride and central image in the back of attendees’ photos.

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The food and drink offered at this festival is far from what you would expect from an outdoor festival marketed to mass audiences. Fifteen carefully selected restaurants cater the festival from across the country, offering a wide variety of cuisine, including vegan and gluten-free options. Food and drink is taken seriously at this event, as it plays a crucial role in the extravagant atmosphere created by decadence and luxury. 

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In terms of the music experience, those in attendance have access to seven Coachella stages, each with its own lineup of artists and stage setups. The Dome is another important element of the music-centered community, as it serves at the location for many late-night parties and rages. Every night of the festival, attendees attend parties at the Dome starting at 1 a.m. 

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With all of these offerings, it is no surprise that people wait impatiently for tickets to go on sale. The high-priced tickets and costly accommodations do not stand in the way of participation and only exaggerate the high-quality, luxurious reputation of the music festival. Both Stagecoach and Coachella bring in immense cash flows despite the high costs to put on the events.

 

In addition to revenue generated directly by the festival, the concerts attract so many people that surrounding areas also benefit from the increased traffic. According to the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau, an estimated 9,000 people rent Airbnb accommodations. 

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One unique way Coachella generates even more revenue and opens up the festival to more people is their collaboration with Amazon. At the 2019 festival, Amazon opened its own storefront to give customers the chance to order festival essentials for delivery to an Amazon Locker located inside the gates of Coachella("Amazon Opens Storefront for the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival."). This partnership demonstrates the extreme profitability of Coachella and its mass commercialization.  

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Six days of music, food, and activities creates a mutually beneficial relationship between attendees, Coachella management, and Southern Californian cities. Despite massive costs associated with putting on a festival of such mass proportions, management brings in enough revenue to cover the costs and turn a profit, while creating a valuable, high-quality experience for attendees. Additionally, Southern California becomes a hotbed for tourists looking for places to stay and eat while the festival is not going on. 

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Unlike its predecessors, such as Woodstock, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival emphasizes profits by commercializing the music and offering extra amenities that appeal to the materialistic fans that seek a luxurious, extravagant music experience. Despite its economic incentives, Coachella still brings communities together with music.