Coachella Hits Different, Depending on Your Salary
Even expensive festivals have a hierarchy.
Published April 16 2025, 5:30 p.m. ET
Nothing marks the beginning of festival season quite like Coachella. The annual music event that spans two consecutive three-day weekends is an experience many want to experience once in their lives, whether it’s for the performances, the chance to plan multiple iconic ‘fits, or just for the plot alone.
While most people desire to go to Coachella, the festival, like most events, is what you make it.
In addition to Coachella attendees having different reasons for attending the event, everyone has varying experiences when attending the festival. Of course, the internet wouldn’t be the internet if those online didn’t highlight the differences on TikTok in a trend called “Rich Coachella vs. Poor Coachella."
Here’s what to know about the trend sparking real conversations (and much more shady ones) about how the festival feels based on your tax bracket.
“Rich Coachella vs. Poor Coachella” highlights the festival’s haves and have-nots.
When Coachella 2025 began in April, those who were into watching the festivities from afar couldn’t help but notice the stark differences in how the event was handled for the wealthy guests versus the ones who likely saved up a few months after deciding to go.
As fashion editor and influencer Jessica Andrews (@dressupwithjess) shared on TikTok, the “rich” side of Coachella is filled with poolside drinks, onsite makeup artists, golf carts, passes to see the artists up close during the weekend, and a sprinter van willing to take you out of the desert heat and directly back to your hotel.
Jess’s voiceover from the TikTok accurately shares how being on the luxurious side of things is the best way to do Coachella.
“I just don’t think… at this age that I’m meant to live an uncomfortable life,” the voiceover in the clip states. “I don’t have the will.”
While tastemakers like Jess are sent to Coachella's “rich” side, others in the same desert aren’t as fortunate. In another post, TikTok user @soda.pop602 said the people who weren’t invited or had the funds to afford a luxurious villa rental, which, according to Booking.com, can set someone back $2,3000 a night, were left with not much bang for their buck.
In her post, the user highlighted how Coachella's “poor” side receives small tents, blowup pools, and a ridiculously long walk from their public bathroom. This shows just how different Coachella can be for those who live by the “we’ll barely be at the hotel anyway” life and prioritize the experience.
Social media commenters watching Coachella at home don’t believe in “Rich Coachella vs. Poor Coachella.”
Amid the chatter about the differences between Rich Coachella vs. Poor Coachella, some of us watching from the sidelines want the attendees to, in the words of Uncle Joey, “cut. It. out.” Based on numbers alone, if you paid to go to Coachella with your own money, and not a gift, chances are you’re doing better financially than you think.
According to the festival’s website, general admission tickets cost $599 (Weekend 2) or $629 (Weekend 1), plus fees. That doesn’t include travel costs, which can run for an extra $300 to $1,000 depending on your location, or tent rental, which can range from $149 for car camping to $300 for festival camping.
While general admission is arguably cheaper than VIP, which can cost $1,1999-1,269, in this economy, coughing up over $1,000 for general admission isn’t a small feat, as some users noted underneath @soda.pop602’s comments.
“If you can afford tickets to Coachella, you’re not poor,” one user wrote.
“Why not Rich vs Regular lol?” another asked. “No one there is poor.”
“Call it rich and ultra-rich,” a third commenter suggested. “ It costs like 1k to go to Coachella even if you’re doing it the cheapest you absolutely can.”
Others noted the classist tone between deciding who is “rich vs. poor” based on their vacation experience, and we’re not saying they’re wrong about that.