At Coachella, everyone is an influencer. Even your Uber driver.

Key Points:

• Coachella has evolved from a music-focused festival into a major influencer-driven event, where attendees often prioritize creating social media content over enjoying the music itself.
• Influencers and celebrities, including Kardashian-adjacent brands, dominate the festival scene with exclusive parties, brand sponsorships, and luxury experiences, highlighting a divide between the affluent and regular festivalgoers.
• The festival's high costs and exclusive perks for influencers contrast sharply with the more limited and expensive options available to ordinary attendees, fueling both fascination and backlash against influencer culture.
• Despite widespread criticism of influencers for overshadowing the music and creating a spectacle of wealth, their presence remains integral to Coachella's marketing and future viability.
• The author experienced firsthand the pressures and competitive nature of influencer culture at Coachella, ultimately gaining some empathy for influencers while acknowledging the festival's challenging environment for non-influencers.