People tell us how much they spent on Coachella 2026

Beyond the famous performers, unexpected returns, and special guests, a major topic of conversation around Coachella 2026 has been how expensive it was to attend this year’s sold-out festival in Southern California. While tickets originally cost $649 or $549 for the three-day event, depending on the weekend, and VIP options were twice that price, fans who didn’t buy tickets right away faced much higher costs. In the days before the festival, general admission passes for Weekend 1 were selling for between $4,000 and $5,000 on resale sites like StubHub.

Okay, so the ticket itself is just the beginning of the costs, let me tell you! You’ve got to factor in things like the shuttle pass – around $130 to $180 – and if you want to camp on-site, that’s another $150 to $400, easily. There are also service fees that add about $50 to $100. Honestly, finding a place to stay nearby is a nightmare. I saw Airbnbs in Indio going for around $1,200 a night during Weekend 2 – over double the usual price! If you drive, gas is expensive, and food and drinks inside the festival are getting pricier too. And don’t even get me started on wanting some cool merch or putting together the perfect Coachella outfit! It’s no wonder over 60% of people with general admission tickets are choosing to pay for their passes in installments – it’s a seriously expensive weekend!

One festivalgoer explained that the issue isn’t necessarily that Coachella tickets are getting more expensive, but rather that many people have less disposable income to spend on events like it.

Wow, Coachella tickets sold out faster than ever this year! With around 125,000 people coming each day – and let’s be real, most of us aren’t getting paid to be there – I was really curious about how everyone’s affording it. Plus, I kept wondering if all the hype and expense actually makes it a worthwhile experience.

Daphne Okoreeh

Wristband: VIP
Age: 35
Lives in: Corona

This attendee is a first-time Coachella visitor who works as an ICU nurse. They earn between $170,000 and $200,000 annually and plan to spend approximately $3,000 to $4,000 at the festival.

I’m estimating my total costs will be around $3,000 to $4,000. Camping is pretty basic – it’s the budget way to do Coachella. My wristband, including camping, cost $1,443.86.

Why did you come?:
Justin Bieber, obviously. It’s a once in a lifetime thing.

People often choose VIP at festivals for the nicer restrooms. However, at this particular festival, the VIP benefits don’t seem worth the cost. There isn’t much exclusive access, so I’d probably get an artist pass next time for better value. That feels like a more worthwhile investment. While there are plenty of general admission areas open to everyone, the difference between VIP and GA doesn’t feel significant here.

I come to Coachella to meet people! I’ve already made about ten new friends here, and it’s been great. I love connecting with others who share my passion for music because then we have people to go to future festivals with.

Would I go back? Probably, if the headliners were good. But next time, I’d definitely choose an Airbnb or hotel – camping just isn’t for me. I’d even pick up extra work to avoid camping again!

It’s great to be here – we all worked hard to earn this opportunity, and I really appreciate it. We didn’t just receive it; we earned it through our efforts. I’m excited to see what else is in store. We’re currently waiting for Justin, and I’m going to try and get a bit closer to the front while we wait.

Vanessa St. Clair

Wristband: VIP
Age: 40
Lives in: Menifee, Calif.

This person is attending Coachella for the first time. They work as an ICU nurse and earn $150,000 annually. They plan to spend between $6,000 and $7,000 on the festival.

Staying at someone’s house for the weekend cost $3,500, and wristbands were likely another $6,000. I still need to add up the costs of food, drinks, and merchandise, which I estimate will be at least another $1,000. It all adds up to a really expensive weekend – you could easily spend that much on a trip to Europe!

Khai Edwards

This attendee has a General Admission wristband, is 35 years old, and lives in Los Angeles. They’ve been to Coachella around 20 times, attending every year for many years and plan to continue doing so.

Currently, I work as a bartender, though I’d prefer to be financially supported by someone else. My annual income is $74,000, and I plan to spend around $1,200 at Coachella.

That covers my lodging, food, and the event ticket. I’m really good at finding deals – I’d rather buy something secondhand than pay full price, and that includes tickets. I know the standard price, but I’ve seen friends pay much more, and I just can’t understand why they would.

Despite rising prices – which are expected in today’s world – the real value lies in the people and the artists. It started as an indie music festival, but it’s become a really inclusive event where everyone feels welcome. That’s why people keep returning.

Everyone always asks how I can afford Coachella! Honestly, it’s all about timing. I wait until the very last minute to buy my ticket, and I book my Airbnb about a month before the festival. A lot of people book Airbnbs on payment plans, and sometimes they have to cancel, which means those places become available again at a lower price – ours was cut in half just two weeks before! You just have to be patient. Plus, life happens, you know? People have unexpected things come up – pregnancies, weddings, new jobs – and they end up selling their tickets. Coachella doesn’t have to be super expensive if you’re willing to wait and look for deals.

Resale tickets were really pricey this year, but it sounds like you’ve had some good luck! I’m a gamer, and I’ve actually managed to snag tickets through playing competitive video games. One year, a friend couldn’t go after a breakup and sold me his ticket right on PlayStation Party. The same thing happened this year – a friend got sick and I was able to buy her ticket. I always seem to find a way to get them without paying inflated prices – there’s usually a solution.

Emilio Espinosa

Wristband: Artist Guest
Age: 29
Lives in: San Francisco

This attendee has been to Coachella three times. They work in creative strategy and also DJ, earning around $145,000 annually plus income from their DJ gigs. They estimate spending over $2,000 at Coachella.

I was lucky enough to snag free passes through a connection with one of the bands! Getting here was a bit tricky though – we booked our flights super late, and finding affordable hotels in Palm Springs and Indio proved nearly impossible. Luckily, the food hasn’t broken the bank; we’ve been sharing meals to keep costs down. But honestly, the drinks are ridiculously expensive, which is a bit of a bummer.

Have you attended Coachella with a pass before? Would you consider buying one again? I’ve paid to come the last couple of times. I didn’t originally plan on coming this year, but I would definitely pay to come back to Coachella in the future – we’re really enjoying ourselves.

We saw the livestream and didn’t want to miss out, so we decided to come. It was a bit of a spontaneous decision, and we just made it happen.

Absolutely! I always have an amazing time here. It’s a huge festival with people from all over the world, and I’m so thankful for the music and everyone who came out. Seeing all the artists is really inspiring, and that makes the experience completely worthwhile, every time.

A common misunderstanding is that this event is just for influencers, but that’s not really what it is. It brings together people from all different backgrounds and places, and everyone has worked really hard to be here, which I’m very grateful for. It’s not about taking pictures for social media; it’s about enjoying time with the people you care about.

Lola Lott

Wristband: GA
Age: 24
Lives in: Palm Springs

First time at Coachella?: No, this would be probably my sixth.
Occupation: Registered nurse

Betza Lopez

Wristband: GA
Age: 27
Lives in: Palm Springs

First time at Coachella?: No, this is my sixth.
Occupation: Registered dental assistant

Estimated Coachella spend: About $1,000 each

Since we live in the Coachella Valley, we save money by not needing to pay for a place to stay. However, things like drinks add up quickly because we buy them at the festival instead of bringing our own.

How are you affording Coachella tickets?

Lola: We’re using the payment plan. It feels different now that we’re older and have more bills. It’s much easier to manage $60 a month instead of paying the full $650 all at once.

Would you be able to go to Coachella without a payment plan?

Betza: If you save up beforehand and budget carefully, I think it’s possible, but it would be tough.

Lola explains it’s about planning for future expenses, like saving money in advance if she wants to go to a festival like Coachella. She admits it can be a little challenging.

Did you have to make any changes to your spending to be able to go to Coachella?

Lola: I definitely stopped eating out as much.

What do you feel you get for the price of admission?

Lola: I think it’s a great value because you get to experience three full days of performances by artists you wouldn’t normally be able to see elsewhere.

I enjoy being able to get lost in music and dance freely – it’s a really fun experience.

As someone who grew up in the Coachella Valley, I always get asked what the festival is really like. The biggest thing is this: all those influencers you see flooding social media? They’re usually at Weekend 1. We locals? We wait for Weekend 2. Trust me, it’s a completely different experience. The energy is just better – people are there to actually listen to the music and enjoy the atmosphere, not just document it for Instagram. It’s about the music, pure and simple, and the vibe is so much more relaxed.

As a huge Coachella fan, I’ve been wondering if the ticket prices are getting a little out of hand, or if it’s just that everything is more expensive these days. I was chatting with Betza, and she totally agrees this year feels pricier than ever. She thinks a lot of it comes down to who’s headlining, too. Apparently, when Justin Bieber played, people were reselling tickets for way more than they paid, which she thinks is pretty unfair.

Lola: Yeah, we’ve honestly never seen prices that high, even factoring in sales from other sellers.

Tara Dactyl-Fox, a.k.a “Grandmother Coachella”

Wristband: VIP
Age: 48
Lives in: Phoenix

This person is a teacher with an income of $60,000. They are a Coachella veteran, having attended 26 times, including two home-hosted events during the pandemic. They first went to Coachella in 2001.

Coachella typically costs over $1,000. Camping is around $500, and I prefer Lot 8 because it’s closer to the entrance – I don’t want to walk far! My partner and I split the cost. Camping is the best part, though, because it lets you get there for Day Zero, which isn’t available to everyone. We even have our own DJ and lots of activities. We mostly bring our own food since I enjoy cooking, but I always treat myself to a slice of Spicy Pie each day.

Someone asked how I got my festival pass. I actually have a lifetime VIP pass because I won a contest called Carpoolchella back in 2008 when Prince performed. I was camping and got a ride with some neighbors who were getting beer. They ended up winning the contest, and a Winnebago with a camera crew pulled us over to announce it! I guess they didn’t expect me to still be using the pass after all this time.

I’d definitely still go to Coachella, even if I had to pay for everything myself. It’s my yearly escape for art, friends, and camping – a chance to really unwind. As a teacher, my life is very structured, so this is the one time of year I can just let go and dance. I work with students in third through eighth grade who are significantly behind in reading, and actually, my seventh and eighth graders helped me choose which artists I want to see because I’m not familiar with all the newer music.

They recommended Sabrina Carpenter. I didn’t recognize the name at all! But all my friends who are Latina kept telling me I needed to check out both Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G.

Back in 2001, Coachella tickets were only $150. They were physical tickets and wristbands, and the festival only lasted one day. We used to drive from Phoenix, see bands like Daft Punk and the Chemical Brothers, and drive back home the same night. Later, they added camping, and we had to move all our gear from the parking lot to our campsite using dollies. Eventually, they allowed camping with cars, which was a huge improvement. Then they expanded to two weekends. It’s been quite a journey watching the festival evolve!

Someone asked if a VIP pass was worth it, even for those who already have a regular pass. My answer? Not really. I mostly go to the festival to use the restrooms, and I’ve found secret ways to get to the stages. I only use my VIP access occasionally to help friends, like when Fatboy Slim played in the Yuma tent last year. But honestly, most of the people I used to share VIP with are now busy raising families and don’t come anymore. I’m pretty much the only one left from our group who still goes.

If I had to buy a Coachella pass, I’d save up by opening a separate bank account. I’d set it up to automatically transfer money into it each month, so by the time Coachella rolled around, I’d have the full amount covered. As a teacher, budgeting is something I’m used to!

Seriously, this event is incredible! I wish everyone could experience a weekend like this. And honestly, Weekend 2 is where it’s at – it’s just a completely different vibe than Weekend 1. Weekend 1 feels overrun with people just trying to be seen, but by Weekend 2, everyone is there for the music and the amazing energy. They’ve also fixed any sound issues from the first weekend, which is huge! I’m here to lose myself in the music and just dance, and that’s what makes it so special. The whole atmosphere is electric – I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

2026-04-22 20:33