The Effect of Social Media on Coachella 

By: Tatjana Mandic

For the past 20 years, thousands of music lovers and influencers have traveled to Palm Springs for the famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, one of the most popular music festivals in the world. Held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, this event has two consecutive weekends with three main headliners each day.  This year’s lineup includes Bad Bunny, Black Pink, and Frank Ocean. 

Since the rise of social media and smartphones, it has become more than just a music festival. In the last few years, Coachella has become the main event for social media influencers, instead, they can capitalize on their fame while promoting popular brands. 

The first weekend of Coachella has come to a close, there is no doubt you have seen an Instagram post or TikTok from influencers you follow, reminding everyone that they are either attending or recovering from Coachella. The annual music and arts festival has become a hotspot for businesses to utilize modern social media influencer marketing.

Since Coachella is a huge commercial opportunity for brands, artists, and influencers, using social media is the perfect advantage in creating “buzz” surrounding the festival. Depending on an influencer’s popularity, some are offered a complete package of everything complementary. However, some pay out of pocket to attend the festival and seek out brand collaborations, where they get paid to promote the brands online.  Many brands that attend Coachella host invite-only parties or events to entertain those influencers who are capable of highly promoting their brands. For example, Revolve, a large fashion brand, hosts an exclusive party near Coachella’s location, where only elite influencers fill the guest list. Another example would be the brand Celsius. The energy drink company hosted an event to promote their new flavor release alongside influencers to post about it at their Celsius Oasis Vibe House Party. Lastly, there is the well-known skincare brand Clinique. This brand held a pool party with influencers at their “Hydration House” to publicize their new line of summer skincare products. 

Coachella is known as the most stylish festival, and with that comes the ability to influence fashion trends. Style trends for the year are determined by the collaborations present at the festival. This year’s media platforms, such as TikTok, have incorporated a series called “Coachella 2023 Olympics,” where individuals post videos rating influencers’ outfits, makeup, and hair. Once the video is posted, fans get a chance to vote on which influencer slayed. 

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