Coachella, the modern day Woodstock and a yearly event since 1999. If you’re not familiar with Coachella, it’s a gigantic music and art festival. Music is the main event and art for ambiance. The annual three-day event has more than 60 artists performing simultaneously on several different stages.
The genre of artist includes indie rock, electronic, hip-hop, and whatever other category you consider your favorite band. Just to name a few, former Coachella performers include Daft Punk, Radiohead, Madonna, Paul McCartney, John Legend, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
So, on March 2, 2010, I went online to purchase my tickets for Coachella with the plan on going Saturday and Sunday. I looked at the line up and knew Saturday and Sunday would be perfect because The xx and MGMT were playing those two days. I went to the ‘buy tickets’ tab but realized I couldn’t purchase single day tickets!
I didn’t understand what was going on; I only had the option to buy the whole events’ three-day pass. Purchasing a three-day pass for a little over 300 dollars is definitely out of my budget and I wouldn’t be able to make it to Friday’s event, even if some good bands were worth ditching work.
Two days later, March 4, the Los Angeles Times wrote an article titled, “Coachella’s 2010 ticket policy inspires online petition.” So it wasn’t a lie, I’d have to pay an extra 100 dollars, plus the extra costs of food and rooming for Friday. A number of regular Coachella goers were upset and a Facebook group was created to petition the event. How could Coachella not allow single day tickets?!
The Los Angeles Times explained why Coachella would do such a thing. “In an earlier interview with Pop & Hiss, Goldenvoice leader and festival architect Paul Tollett said his primary goal was bettering the experience for those who opt to buy three-day passes, pointing to a lack of hotel rooms in the Indio area as well as increased festival traffic for those coming down for just one day.”
"We’re really trying to make it great for the fan," Tollett said. "We understand it will affect some people who want to go for one day, but we have to protect the three-day people. It was a complex decision. We put some thought into it, and we’re trying our best to make it a good experience."
Okay, I understood why they created this policy after reading the article but being a ‘getting by’ college student, I can’t afford to miss a day of work and pay about 250 extra dollars to attend Coachella on Friday. Truly sadden by this reality. You might think it’s just a music concert, but it’s no ordinary one. A whole line up of great artists, the chill vibes, feeding the souls of many, and experiencing all outside on the grass…I’ll be missing some of my favorite bands and a memory that will never be made.
Sorry Coachella, I’ll reunite with you once I make enough money.
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