WESTFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Ticket prices for major music festivals have skyrocketed, with base admission to Coachella starting at $649 before travel, food, or accommodation expenses.

Christopher Gullen, associate professor and chair of the communications department at Westfield State University, said social media and influencer culture are driving prices out of reach for average fans. “A lot of festivals that were intended to be, okay, this is for young people who, it can be affordable. Now that social media has gotten involved, now that influencers have gotten involved, they’ve started making deals, it’s getting more and more and more and more expensive,” he explained

Many people are going to social media to discuss how expensive music festivals like Coachella have become. People can livestream festivals and watch them online, but Gullen noted that won’t stop social media trends changing the original purpose of these festivals. “And, at that point, you wonder, are the people there because they actually believe in the festival, what the festival is about?” he asked.

Gullen said people will start to find alternative ways to see the big artists take the stage. “I think you’re going to see rival festivals that are going to pop up, that are going to, you know, say, ‘Oh, we’re the cheap alternative to Coachella, Coachella Lite.’ I don’t know, that’s a possibility. I think also people are going to look overseas to certain festivals,” he added.

Sarwaan Ansari has attended Coachella twice in the last three years, but he said there are cheaper ways to see your favorite artists. “But I see those DJs like constantly in my own city, so like, I could see them one off and spend like $50, $60, maybe $100 to like see them,” he added.

He said, from his personal experience and friends at this year’s Coachella, it seems like you have to ask yourself if it’s worth all that money. “It’s like, do you want to go to Coachella or do you want to do a whole European vacation? Like, you’re kind of essentially, yeah, you’re kind of comparing the two. Like you could do a lot more with the amount of money,” Ansari said.

Ansari said he can see a future where maybe people stop attending festivals if the prices don’t go down.

Copyright 2026 Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.