Each April since 2015, I wrapped my bags and I went to the California desert for three days of music, warmth and unforgettable memories.
I dreamed of going to Coachella well before putting my feet on the festival’s field, and I still remember watching the official livestream from my room in high school.
When I finally got there, I felt like I was going into a dream – the energy, the setting and the performances were different from everything I had ever experienced.
I also had the chance to attend Coachella with various types of passes – General admission, VIP, press and artist – giving me a unique perspective on the many worlds of the festival.
Over the years, however, I have seen big changes at Coachella, for better and for worse. So when the tickets were sold earlier this year, I did not feel a traction to return to the desert as I always did.
Although the programming was filled with great talents, I knew that I would not have the same biological feeling that I used to start attending the festival.
So, for the first time in a decade, I jump Coachella.
The festival had always felt an escape for me
Coachella has always been my favorite game of the year. Ulanna Bento
Over the years, I have been able to discover “wow” moments, such as seeing the legendary Beyoncé 2018 set (now known as “Beychella”), looking at my favorite groups playing at sunset with the emblematic Wheel Ferris in the background, and testifying to the surprise performances of icons like Rihanna – which I found myself dancing next to the crowd.
I loved being surrounded by music fans sharing the same ideas that were delighted to see their favorite artists perform and discover promising talents.
It doesn’t matter where I was – in the pit, behind the scenes or on the grass – I had the impression that Coachella had a way to bring everyone together. This spirit of serendipity is part of what made him feel so special in the first place.
However, the festival atmosphere seemed to change over time
In recent years, it seemed that influencers were everywhere. Ulanna Bento
When I started attending the festival in 2015, Instagram was still a relatively new application and Tiktok had not yet been launched.
Although there are definitely influencers and celebrities who were trying to take the perfect photo at the time, not everyone was a content creator. Nowadays, however, Tiktok algorithm allows “normal” people to become viral.
According to my experience, the growing popularity of social media applications has moved the energy of the crude and not filtered to organized and performative festival.
During the recent years of participation in the festival, I saw more and more people using the festival to create content – many of them did not seem to be in Coachella for music at all. I still remember watching a group dancing on a live set during the shooting of a video and stopping immediately once they no longer record.
Soon, I felt like I couldn’t walk in the festival’s field without photobomber a brand shoot or watch someone try to manage the perfect Instagram moment.
I noticed that more participants chose complicated heels and outfits that could land them on the list of the best inhabitants of Coachella, but would probably not be well or would not be comfortable after a long day of position in the sand desert.
Over time, participation has become less on presence and more on presentation. Coachella felt like a secret world shared between music lovers and free minds. Now getting a ticket looks like another influencer rite.
The content is packed, filtered and published before the drop in pace. Although I know that I will feel a little Fomo when the messages start to roll this year, I agree with that.
businessinsider
