Coachella: then and now

The festival’s transformation 20 years later

ISABELLA SANCHEZ / ASST. A&C EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

In the middle of April, thousands of people descended upon the desert dust and palm trees in Indio, California, to attend one of the biggest music festivals of the year. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival just finished both its debut weekend April 15 to April 17, and second weekend which began on April 22. It is a three day run consisting of dozens of musical performances from all genres on its numerous stages. 

After its three-year hiatus due to COVID, Coachella made a massive comeback this year with three household names for its headliners: Billie Eilish, The Weekend with Swedish House Mafia, and Harry Styles. Both weekends have the same musical lineup. 

From camping days to the festival becoming an influencer playground and a fashion hub, the desert festival has undergone its own evolution since its debut in 1999. 

It transformed into a cultural phenomenon with its colorful and urban monumental installations to its significant role in social media. Now, the focus in the media is on the music as much as it is on figuring out which celebrities attended and what they were wearing. What has caused this famous festival to become more than just a weekend of music lovers coming together for some of the best musicians? Over the 20 years that Coachella has been put on, three aspects of the festival have undergone their own notable transformations. 

The music 

Coachella’s early success has to do with its various performance lineups, which featured musical artists from all over the spectrum, such as Rage Against The Machine, Beastie Boys, and the Strokes. This paired with the idyllic desert setting made music fans give the young festival a chance. One of the bigger aspects of Coachella was about reuniting bands that otherwise wouldn’t be playing anywhere else or bringing artists out from retirement to perform. The nostalgia that Coachella brought started to fade out as they saturated their lineups with mainstream artists like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Lady Gaga. This year, the festival not only catered to mainstream music but also to a younger audience who listens to younger artists like Olivia O’Brien and Finneas. The entertainment for this year only proves how a festival that once had a cool and underground vibe has embraced pop music for a newer and more youthful generation. Most of the performers now weren’t even alive during Coachella’s debut in 1999. 

The fashion 

When it comes to Coachella, there is nothing more important than what outfits you are going to wear for all three days. Once Coachella became synonymous with influencers and Instagram, over-the-top outfits became a staple while at other music festivals outfits aren’t the first thing on their mind. Flower crowns have been traded for brand names, even some high end like Chanel or Prada. Coachella is not just about the music but also about fashion statements. Social media helped develop this atmosphere in which influencers, donned in the most trendy fashion fads, are being paid to go by brands. Celebrities and influencers’ Coachella looks saturate social media and all eyes are on them. Who wore what? Who was best dressed? Coachella has become no less a fashion moment than the red carpet at an awards show. Even the performers this year dressed glitzier and more stylish than before with Harry Styles in Gucci and Justin Bieber in Balenciaga. Whether you go to Coachella for the music, the parties, or the art, fashion is now an inseparable part of the Coachella experience. It’s just as much about what you are going to wear as it is who you are going to see. 

The social media utopia 

Coachella changed the landscape for music festivals starting in 1999 and now it deals with a different landscape appealing to Gen Z and certain social media audiences. The entire festival being documented on TikTok would be almost unthinkable in 2019, the year Coachella was held before COVID hit and shut it down for two years. While TikTok was just starting out in the social media world in 2019, now it is a cultural phenomenon where millions of people publish videos. In recent years, Coachella has become a place where regular festival-goers are accompanied by celebrities, especially models and actors. Photos of your favorite stars flood your Instagram feed during Coachella weekends, especially ones sent to the festival by brands. Coachella has become an influencer playground for social media stars to prance around in their expensive outfits and VIP passes, posting videos from only the most exclusive parties. Brands will host their own private parties within the festival weekend and will invite influencers to market them – aka to spam Instagram and TikTok with their trendy outfits and the amenities that only they have access to. The popular clothing brand Revolve even hosts its own festival separate from Coachella, called “Revolve Festival,” that is invite-only. Since Coachella’s inception in 1999, it has become less of a music festival and more a place to see and be seen on the internet. The laid back vibe it had before transformed into a bigger and much more branded scene. The ticket for Coachella not only includes great musical performances, but also an opportunity for trendy pictures and a possible celebrity sighting. If you weren’t able to snag a $449 ticket for next weekend, Youtube streams the festival for free. While it is definitely not the same experience as being there among the vibey crowds and desert sky, you can still listen to some great music without the stress of picking an Coachella-worthy outfit.