Coachella Music + Festival Review

By: Maria Salyards '28

A quiet clamor cuts through the air in a vast desert. Voices and laughter ripple through the dry heat, and if you look close enough, you can almost hear them echo off your phone screen feed. It’s a wild kind of energy, a buzz that rises as you scroll through the images of a giant ferris wheel casting shadows of endless seas of people, rows of porta potties in the background. And in the back lies the towering main stage where the music plays. The spectacle is a mosaic of sun-kissed faces, oversized sunglasses, bohemian-inspired outfits, and music. But more than the beat of the drums, it’s what happens when the beat of the drums intertwines with the clicks of cameras, the flashing of neon lights, and a palpable sense of “being seen” that defines what Coachella is for our young generations today. Music here is secondary; the real headliner is what pops up on your Instagram feed.

Coachella has always had a famed lineup of musical artists, from rock to jazz; it was once a place to discover new songs and jump to your favorites. But in our world today, the “Coachella experience” isn’t really about living in the moment; it's about curating the perfect Instagram post. 

• Influencer culture, how social media influencers, celebrities, and brands now use Coachella as a platform to promote themselves and their “status.” 

• Less for the experience and more for the content

• It's essentially become an international runway where who you're seen with, and what you’re wearing, matters more than what you’re hearing up on the stage…

How does this affect us, high school students?

Teens today, especially in high school, are in a constant battle to be “seen” and to curate an identity online. This isn’t just a trend; it can easily become a way of life. For many, Coachella represents the pinnacle of cultural currency. It is no longer about discovering an unknown rock band or getting lost in a massive wave of a crowd while your favorite artist performs. It’s about proving that you were there. In the right outfit. With the right people. 

Outfit obsession: Festival goers spend weeks or even months planning the perfect look, often influenced by influencers who wear the same thing online. The goal is to curate a perfect post with perfect pictures. Coachella’s fashion has been described as over the top because it's all about wearing clothes that stand out for the sake of creating the perfect image. You attend to be noticed, whether it's your wild outfits or accessories that scream luxury. 

Right people: The entire social dynamic is at play at any of these top-tier festivals. A space for elite socializing, this is where you see lines between VIP access and general admission. The social clout has become just as important, if not more, than the music itself. 

Media validation: The “Coachella experience” has been fleeced—a social media opportunity to get likes, comments, and followers. Even in the middle of the performance, you see people more concerned with capturing content than living in the show's moment. This essence gets lost when every second of your experience is being photographed or videoed for your online persona.

Of course, it would be impossible to talk about Coachella without mentioning the A-listers who use the event as their stage. From the Kardashians, who have turned the festival into their fashion runway, to influencers like Emma Chamberlain, who manages to make even a pair of dusty boots work, Coachella has become the ultimate area to promote celebrity culture. 

The key here is that Coachella isn’t just about being there, living in the moment; it's about what you look like there. Celebrities, influencers, and most festival goers aren't just attending for the music; they're attending because their presence fuels a cultural conversation. Billie Eilish, for example, when she stepped onto the stage on the first weekend of the concert, it wasn't just about the performance. It was about a moment of self-expression that resonated deeply with the audience, especially with younger generations who see her as a voice for authenticity in a world dominated by carefully curated content. Then there’s Bad Bunny, whose performance at Coachella, also on the first weekend, became a testament to the global reach of Latin music, shifting the festival’s narrative beyond just American pop and rock. 

It's a new kind of celebrity culture: not just about being famous, but about showcasing your fame in the right places and ways. 

Though even as the social media frenzy takes over, Coachella’s core still lies in its music. The festival brings together some of the biggest names in music, creating unforgettable performances that stick in your mind long after the final notes fade away. One of the most notable acts this year was Clairo, whose delicate, soft pop tracks felt like a quiet breath of fresh air amidst the overwhelming spectacle. Her performance brought a soothing vibe to the festival, almost as though you could feel the desert wind picking up the lightest notes of her songs and carrying them across the stage. Then, there was The Marias, whose dreamy, soul-enveloped the crow, inviting listeners to get lost in the rhythms and melodies. These kinds of performances remind you of the magic that festivals like Coachella used to offer: an opportunity to lose yourself in the music and truly immerse yourself in the sea of the crowd. 

But Coachella isn’t all about these calming songs. The festival also caters to the louder, raucous side of rock n roll. Performances by bands like The Strokes brought back that nostalgic, rebellious energy that made Coachella famous in the first place. 

As for fashion? Coachella’s fashion scene has always been eclectic, but it's taken on a more exaggerated form in recent years. There’s an unsaid dress code at Coachella, an implied rule that you need to push the boundaries of fashion. Think big, bold, and sometimes ridiculous. Fringe, neon, sequins, and oversized hats become the everyday look for those who want to blend into the crowd of influencers, who curate their entire outfits for maximum impact. But what’s fascinating is how fashion at Coachella has become a kind of statement, a visual language for a generation that thrives on aesthetic and instant validation. You’ll see ultra-glamorous looks that might belong on the Met Gala runway right next to someone rocking a grunge-inspired outfit. The key here isn’t necessarily looking good by traditional standards; it’s about making a statement.