Coachella Wealth Gap
The Coachella wealth gap has been a pressing issue in what I think is overlooked and unaccounted for. The festival that previously just occurred along with the various statistics of what influencers payed to perform and stay there highlights the drastic economic disparity in the area. Half of the households in the area make less that $155,000 which is also the median net worth. The area persists more of the Latino community whom already face significant challenges for just whom they were born as. The prices for accommodations there are insane, including pizza ($34), coffee ($17), parking ($300), last minute tickets ($3000+), locker usage ($89), caviar + chicken nuggets ($100), loaded fries ($28), and airbnbs ($40,000+). I understand they can market their accommodations however they lease but it’s starting to become more of a VIP event because many individuals in the area and across the country couldn’t afford the ticket alone. If the goal is to raise more money they can make it more affordable and have more consumers in the pool.
I think that the price of Coachella is actually insane. I have watched videos of some influencers talking about the cost of their trip, and some of them genuinely say they pay hundreds of thousands of dollars just to attend a music festival for a weekend. These prices they set make it so average people who don't make a ton of money each year are not able to attend. I think this is getting rid of the true nature that music festivals are supposed to have, different people being able to come together to just enjoy some music.
ReplyDeleteWhat's even more interesting about this to me is I've seen some influencers coming forward and talking about the fact that the costs didn't used to be like this. Back when the concert was more about the music than the influencer Olympics the prices were more manageable, still expensive since it is a 'concert' atmosphere but more realistic. It's insane that they've jacked the price up to appeal to the influencer world and almost outcast any other music enjoyers. They try to make this better by offering us a free livestream of the concert but that just doesn't compare to the actual experience of being there. I feel like greed is a big factor in a lot of this and honestly, they could charge less if they wanted but they're more concerned with racking in as much money from influencers as they can no matter how that affects the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that's crazy about Coachella is that it used to not be so pricy and actually part of its creation has to do with combating high prices for concerts. I've seen stories from social media of people renting an airbnb for Coachella, only for the person to cancel right as they get there, leaving them stranded without anywhere to stay. Also staying in a hotel near the area is very costly along with ubering. Honestly, what a good time to not have the funds for Coachella because getting there and the prices sound down right miserable unless you're rich or are being sponsored by a brand to be there.
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