When people think of Coachella they think about fashion trends, brands and influencers.
It’s gotten to the point that fashion and brand activations are more often prioritized over the music.
It’s a pretty safe assumption because the online discourse over the music festivals relies heavily on those topics.
That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with the extravagant outfits and fun content, but what happened to music festivals being all about music?
Obviously, Coachella is one of the biggest festivals of the year and since it’s in season everyone has seen all the influencers and brands taking over their screens.
Brands especially look towards Coachella as a marketing opportunity, wanting to showcase their products and reach these large audiences.
What has been the talk of the town on social media has been the disappointment in people’s outfits or that people aren’t doing enough.
It’s almost sad how upset and disappointed people are at what other people choose to wear to a festival.
There has hardly been much talk about the artists and the performances.
The only artists that are being talked about are Lady Gaga’s, Clairo’s and Green Day’s performances.
Even with that, it still does not remotely compare to the heavy amount of online discourse over people’s outfits.
Of course, a majority of people’s algorithms are very different and some may see more music-based content.
However, that does not mean that influencers aren’t talking over the internet.
That’s not to say that there is anything wrong about it but what happened to music festivals being all about music?
Coachella seems to be one of the only music festivals that revolve more around fashion and brands than the music.
“Coachella is the ‘It Place’ for influencers,” says Mariah Espada from Time Magazine.
Coachella seems to have been taken over by influencers wanting likes and views, hungry for any chance at fame.
It comes across as camping grounds for influencers looking to take a good Instagram post rather than a music festival.
That is not to say that every single influencer taking over Coachella does it in such a fame-hungry way.
TikToker, Ysabelle Wallace, is popular for her annual Coachella series named “Ourchella.”
She vlogs her weekend at Coachella and it’s almost as if the viewers are just a FaceTime call away from the festival.
Her festival content really draws people and it makes them want more of her content.
Influencers like Ysabelle do Coachella in a way where it doesn’t come off as if she’s there for money and views.
She’s there to enjoy herself and allow her followers to tag along from afar.
A good number of people would love to see Coachella appreciated for what it is.
Which would be the music.
It’s time to start coming back to its core and to stop prioritizing everything but the music.
As well as reminding influencers that you can have fun and not take things so seriously.
