California is once again buzzing with joy and excitement as Coachella returns in its full swing. Coachella is the annual music and arts festival, considered a major cultural event, held at the iconic Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. This popular festival attracts music lovers and art and fashion enthusiasts from across the US as well as other countries. While the event is always in the news, this year, its grabbing headlines for the wrong reasons. Attendees have been complaining about the sky-high prices of food items at the festival.
This year the event was packed with some epic punches with outstanding performances by Lady Gaga, Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Green Day, Travis Scott, Post Malone, Hanumankind, and many other famous artists.
Expensive snacks and beverages at Coachella
The event is held across two weekends, of which the first set of Coachella’s performances was from April 11 to 13, and the second is set to take place from April 18 to 20. However, after the first weekend, several videos about the food at the festival went viral on social media. Users criticised the food, citing the exorbitant rates for snacks and beverages.
According to The New York Post, influencers who attended Coachella on April 11 claimed high prices were charged for meals. An influencer, Ruth Viveros, asserted that she spent over $100 for her meal consisting of tacos and lemonade. Additionally, she added that the taste/quality was found to be sub-par. She said in a post on social media, “They are not good, not good at all… The tortillas are, like, freezing cold.” While many people reportedly slammed Coachella in the comment section of her post. Many other content creators also show similar disappointing experiences with the food at the festival.
However, Coachella’s official website shows an entirely different picture. Their website states, “Our food program features new and exciting restaurants from coast to coast, as well as your favorite staples, offering a wide variety of cuisine that pleases any festival-goer. Vegan & gluten-free options available.” According to the website, the price of general admission tickets for the first weekend started at $649 (approx Rs 55,000), and second weekend tickets cost $599 (approx Rs 51,000). Other facility costs, including VIP passes, parking, shuttle bus tickets, etc., are separate.
