Decoding Coachella: Influencer Olympics or Spectator Sport?
Every April, the global elite flock to the Colorado Desert, armed with cowboy boots, flower crowns and portable chargers for this, one of the world’s most famous music and arts festivals. For those without a golden ticket, it’s a season of living vicariously through Insta-stories and tiktok, getting our fix through screenfuls of snarky fashion judgements and performance ratings. Welcome to Coachella 2024—where even if you avoided the barrage of T Swift and Travis dance-off clips, we've got the rundown of weekend one that will make you feel like you were front row and centre.
FROM ROCK ROOTS TO RING LIGHTS
Intended to be a one-off event, the first Coachella held in 1999 was an alternative rock line-up showcasing musical acts like Morrisey, Rage Against the Machine, and Beck. With its laid-back atmosphere and unique art installations, Coachella attracted an alternative crowd that were too young to remember Woodstock, but too cool for clubs. In 2004 Coachella welcomed Radiohead to their headliner stage, solidifying them as a major player in the festival scene. This mainstream success was reflected in the lineup over the years, as they opened the gates to more EDM, hip-hop and pop acts including Beyoncé, Daft Punk, Madonna, and Kanye West.
However, it appears all good things must come to an end, as the Coachella shine has seemingly dulled in recent years. Many have pointed fingers at the influx of influencers and an overbearing presence of brands, with Time magazine declaring the event “the Influencer Olympics”. Nme.com simply blamed the “distinct lack of vibes”, throwing shade at the “damp squib of a crowd” (ouch). Let’s take our 52INSIGHTS-magnifying glass to uncover the highs, lows and general un-vibey-ness of Coachella 2024…
STAGE SURPRISES AND SOUND SLIP-UPS: COACHELLA’S ACTS AND ACCIDENTS
While some poker-faced attendees were unperturbed, many of this year's musical acts were met with critical acclaim - with headliners including Doja Cat, Tyler the Creator and J Balvin winning praise as the Guardian dubbed Doja an “electrifying tour de force”. As mere spectators, it was the surprise collabs that had us shook. When Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish took the stage together it was a meeting of alt-pop minds, with the latter citing the former as a core influence.
The queen of Gen Z hearts Renee Rapp was also joined by Kesha, who took the stage with a reimagined version of her debut single ‘Tik Tok’. As she dropped the opening line “Wake up in the morning..”, both Rapp and Kesha screamed “like, F*** P. Diddy” while thrusting their middle fingers in the air to thunderous applause. Meanwhile, punk pop queens united as No Doubt shared the stage with Olivia Rodrigo. Gwen Stefani and Olivia belted out “Don’t Speak” together, and the crowd lost their collective minds. It was like gen X met gen Z, and they decided to coexist peacefully. Not to be outdone in the special guest department, Tyler, the Creator's headlining set pulled out several surprises. He was joined by A$AP Rocky, Kali Uchis, Charlie Wilson and Childish Gambino, with Uproxx declaring “Tyler showed what a headliner is supposed to be.”
However, with the highs come the lows and day one kicked off with a technical glitch during Grimes’ DJ set. Imagine a spaceship landing on stage, Grimes emerging like an otherworldly queen, and then… silence. The crowd shifted uncomfortably, waiting for the beats to drop. Only to be interrupted by her amplified screeches. From missing queues on transitions to music not playing at all, Grimes apologised to the crowd, explaining that her tracks had somehow been boosted to double their normal tempo and she was having trouble “doing the math”. The internet labelled her set "the worst in the history of Coachella."
Coachella fans also had their hopes set high for Hatsune Miku’s appearance at the festival. After all, she’s the beloved virtual pop star who’s wowed audiences worldwide with her holographic gigs. But when the moment arrived, it was a bitter letdown. Instead of the three-dimensional hologram they expected, Miku appeared as a mere flickering image on an LED screen. The disappointment was palpable.
This weekend saw Blur taking another whack at breaking the States by taking to the stage at Coachella. Collective hearts broke for Damon Alburn as videos of Blur’s failed set went viral. Previously, Damon Albarn's band Gorillaz reached incredible heights in the American charts; but it wasn’t the case with Blur. This weekend’s lacklustre performance proved that, but Alburn’s response was refreshingly nonchalant: “You’re never seeing us again so you might as well f*****g sing this”. Song 2 had a huge moment on TikTok over the last year which was a real hit at the performance but the back catalogue failed to land. This begs us to ask the question if they were the correct booking for Coachella, and if just having a stint on TikTok warrants a booking for a huge festival?
FASHION FACE OFF: COACHELLA’S DUELLING DRESS CODES
Music aside, Coachella style is always a huge talking point with many arguing that the days of peak Coachella fashion are behind us. This specific festival was always seen as a battleground for fashion identities, with influencers and celebrities alike fighting for the title of best-dressed. However, this year, the absence of Vanessa Hudgens, who has long been synonymous with Coachella fashion, sent shockwaves through the festival scene, marking the end of an era dominated by flower crowns and gladiator sandals.
This year, according to social media reporting, Coachella has been split between two distinct factions of fashionistas. On one side, we have those who stand firmly on the side of comfort, and insist a festival is purely for enjoying the music and those in attendance shouldn’t be so heavily scrutinised on what they choose to wear. In the other camp, influencers such as Madeline White, passionately express their love for the more outrageous, extravagant festival outfits. In a recent TikTok, she said:
“It’s a festival, that’s our only opportunity to do that because we can’t really wear that to go to the bar on a Saturday night. That’s what festivals are for, for fun and self-expression. Don’t worry about what the ‘cool police’ have to say about it.”
The clash between these two camps resulted in what can only be described as a fashion identity crisis, with Coachella's sartorial landscape undergoing a serious shift.
SELLING OUT OR CASHING IN? THE BUSINESS OF BRANDING AT COACHELLA
The subject of influencer culture must be discussed, with some citing it as the reason for the festivals lagging sales, and one tiktok user claiming (@theizzymohamed):
“I didn’t even know non influencers went to coachella lol it was sooo much fun”
With the festival being home to all things influencers, we have to ask, who’s winning? In the court of popular opinion (TikTok), it’s the wellness focused soda brand Poppi, and its strategic decision to focus on one single influencer (Alex Earle). The brand’s (rights-holder-avoiding?) ‘Coachearla’ promotion, drove a 200% spike in sales over the festival period and the partnership resonated with fans with tiktok user @holdensmith962 suggesting that: “Poppi x Alix Earle Coachella collab wins the influencer olympics”
The wellness soda also made an appearance at the ultra branded Camp Poosh. The annual summer camp themed event is one of many influencer compounds at the festival, including ones by Guess Jeans, True Religion, and many more. Brands were so successful at retaining influencers in their branded paradises that Instagram users poked fun at the fact that some did not even attend the festival itself, preferring to hang out in the influencer-filled compounds.
“As someone who’s been attending Coachella for the better part of the last decade, I actually avoid going into the festival if I can. Parties and activations outside the festival can be just as fun.” - Kristin Corpuz - Elite Daily
BRAND TAKEOUTS:
DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS: Coachella 2024 is officially the year Gen Z has taken over the festival, signalling a generational shift among attendees more interested in seeing Reneé Rapp and Ice Spice as headliners than Blur. Brands that play in the festival sponsorship and activation space should look closely at the demographic shifts at the festivals they’re investing in and ensure they’re showing up correctly for this audience.
FESTIVAL VIBES ONLY: Dive headfirst into the ridiculous festival mindset and meet your audience where they are. At Coachella this year, Amex created a youth-focused activation riffing on the trending “delulu” (delusional) theme where visitors could enter a manifestation room and get their fortune read. Focus on quality experiential moments like this that scream fun and escapism; it’s a FESTIVAL after all.
JUST ONE INFLUENCER: The power of just one influencer / Creator at a festival can change the brand’s fate in sales with immediate impact.
WHAT HAPPENS AROUND THE EDGES CAN BE MAGNETIC: The branded experiences that happen around the edges of festivals can compete with the main stage, so much so that people never leave them. When developing your brand’s festival strategy, it’s important to understand the festival-goer audience you’re after and what their ‘festival journey’ could look like with your brand in it.
