The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival sets the stage for the biggest music moments every year and its star studded lineups, coupled with its distinctive social media presence, makes it an ordeal for concertgoers to obtain tickets, but that’s not the case this year.
Tickets for the festival officially went on sale on Friday, Jan. 19 and are still available for purchase on their website as of today, Jan. 25. This is the second time in a row where Coachella has failed to replicate the success of previous years where tickets sold out in mere minutes.
On Twitter, people attributed the slow going ticket sales to a declining economy, which has reduced the amount of disposable income available to many Americans. In fact, according to a recent report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, a quarter of all U.S. renters in 2022 spent more than 30% of their income on rent and other home expenses, with another quarter spending up to 50%.
But, a report from the Commerce Department flips this speculation on its head. The commerce department found that the economy remained strong due to an increase in consumer spending and a solid labor market. So if the economy isn’t to blame on Coachella’s slow going ticket sales, then what is?
Others on Twitter pointed to lackluster headliners.
Headliners this year include Tyler, the Creator, Doja Cat, and Lana Del Rey, with artists like Peso Pluma, Ice Spice, and Lil Yachty rocking the other stages. Even though none of these artists have reached the success of music giants like Drake or Beyoncé, they are some of the biggest artists around who have continuously pushed the mantle forward in fashion, performance, and production.
As others have pointed out though, a lot of these artists are coming off recent tours like Doja Cat who performed over 20 shows last year for The Scarlet Tour in support of her fourth studio album, Scarlet.
Again, the real answer may be more complex.
For the 2022 edition of Coachella, although pre-sale tickets sold out quickly in anticipation for a long awaited Frank Ocean appearance, when regular tickets went on sale, it took a few days for the tickets to sell.
Maybe people are saving their money for the Lovers and Friends Festival in Las Vegas this May, which will feature Usher, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, Lil Wayne, and more.
Or maybe the old adage has reached Coachella’s door: all good things come to an end. Probably not.
Coachella will take place over two weekends from April 12-14 and 19-21 in Indio, California. Get your tickets here.