The Coachella Curse: The grim reality of the world's most glamourous festival

It's widely considered one of the largest – and glitziest – music events in the world, but all is not well for festivalgoers among the palm-strewn plains of Coachella Valley.

The reality of the event seems a far cry from the polished content splashed across our feeds, with embattled attendees facing a spate of complications at this year's affair, from hiked food costs to wind-felled tents.

Watch the video above.

Overall, the glamorous image Coachella has curated over the years is leaving some revellers less than impressed.

The event comes with a hefty price tag, with prospective partiers expected to shell out anywhere from $2,500 to $4,500+ per person for a full weekend trip.

Having fought tooth-and-nail to secure tickets and accommodation to the highly coveted festival, for some, the biggest challenge would come before they'd even set foot on the grounds.

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Ticketing troubles

Many have found their ways into the festival barred after scams, hacks and voids alike rendered their tickets invalid.

Just days before the festival began, reports of widespread ticketing issues emerged – from cancelled purchases, to hacked accounts – prompting many to vent their frustrations via social media in the hopes of a resolution.

Per the NBC, a number of festival hopefuls have faced difficulties with online ticket reseller Stubhub – with one, Marshall Ordish, receiving an email stating his pre-purchased ticket was "no longer available."

While he was offered a refund for the last-minute cancellation, that did little to fix the wider issue; he'd already shelled out eye-watering amounts on non-refundable accommodation and travel costs.

"Stubhub was just not providing accurate remedies to this situation. Nobody wants their money back and to not go. Everyone wants to go," he claimed.

Ordish was not the only one to face obstacles at the 11th hour; fellow festivalgoer Megan Henry had also been hit by ticketing woes when her account was hacked.

"Someone hacked my Coachella account, deactivated my band, sold my ticket and withdrew [the money] last night at 3:30am and now my life feels like it's ending," she said in a Tiktok detailing the incident.

Upon contacting Coachella's customer service team, she discovered she wasn't the only one experiencing this issue.

"They said it was happening to about 15 to 20 people and there's a breach in the system," she later told NBC.

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But while both she and Ordish were eventually able to get their festival bracelets back, others were not so lucky.

Some attendees desperate to get a glimpse of their favourite artists resorted to unauthorised channels to do so, later finding upon arrival that their tickets had been voided by the seller.

According to a Reddit thread, if a wristband is reported lost or stolen and replaced, the original, unauthorised wristband will be deactivated – meaning the person who had purchased the ticket would be left without.

"How could I be so naive?! I'm heartbroken," one such scam victim commented in the Reddit thread.

"Going to go cry some more now."

Flyaway tents

If the realities of festival camping weren't harsh enough, add a little wind to the mix and they become darn-right unbearable.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW_2A6Kk9Dx/

One windswept attendee, Melissa Gasia, has given followers a candid glimpse into the grim reality of camping at the event; when tents and marquees meet nature's fury.

"Coachella camping got strong winds this year. We got home seeing all these canopies and tents ruined," Gasia revealed.

But she went on to add that despite Mother Nature throwing a spanner in the works, every camp that was disassembled was eventually rebuilt.

"It was mostly back to normal again the next day like nothing happened,"

She said while she "wanted to show this side" of the stereotypically glitzy festival, it was an "easy fix for most and everyone got back to party mode again for next day."

Food and beverage costs

Festivals are notorious for borderline-extortionate pricing when it comes to their food and beverage offerings – but perhaps none more so than Coachella Music Festival.

The costs of a meal at the event have been well-documented over the years, with many continuing to call out hiked prices at the 2026 iteration.

One girl showed off her Coachella meal, which included Island Noodles for $23 and carne asada fries for $28, while admitting the portion was small even if the food was "really good."

Commenters were quick to condemn the pricey fare, with many expressing relief that they were not in attendance at the event.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXA_wAtlKeD/?img_index=1

"I am so glad I have no desire to go to anything like this," one person wrote. Another added, "More and more I'm convinced I wouldn't enjoy this even if it was free."

Realtor James Seur also shed light on the cost of food and bev at the festival, posting a series of snaps to Instagram detailing a number of food trucks' excessive price points.

According to the post, a Spicy Tuna Bowl from food vendor Sweetfin will set you back around $AU32, while at Dave's Hot Chicken, a chicken sandwich with fries is going for $42.

And the drinks were not exempt from Coachella-flation, with one attendee, Cristina Gonzalez, sharing that she and her friends had shelled out around $71 for three coffees.

"The pricing is ridiculous. So sad that they make it this expensive. What world is 15 for coffee ok? Why?" One disgruntled commenter wrote.

https://www.tiktok.com/@cristinaggonzalez/video/7627975069804842254?embed_source=121374463%2C121468991%2C121439635%2C121749182%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121497414%2C122221973%2C122122240%2C121351166%2C121811500%2C121960941%2C122122244%2C122122243%2C122122242%2C121487028%2C122258714%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%2C121885509%3Bnull%3Bembed_masking&refer=embed&referer_url=www.unilad.com%2F&referer_video_id=7627188910321421581

Lines, lines and more lines

With over 125,000 people on average descending upon Coachella Valley each day, extensive wait times coming in and out of the grounds are arguably to be expected.

But these expectations did not prepare some attendees for the brutal reality of getting to, from and through the festival gates.

While Coachella's 'Any Line, Anytime' shuttle passes are available for for around $140-200 each, these passes proved an inefficient method for some.

"The biggest clusterf--k in my six Coachella's," one disgruntled Reddit user said of the shuttle's wait times, which were said to be upwards of two hours.

"I am in disbelief that they run this festival every year and still can't figure this out," they added.

The thread was flooded by other users with similar experiences, with another detailing their own wait-time anecdote.

"I nearly called 911 for myself two years ago. I was about to pass away waiting on the shuttles for 3+ hrs. Pretty sure we got back to our Airbnb at 3/4am. I hate it so much."

Others who braved the traffic jams to drive to the event claimed the trip took upwards of two hours, plus 30 minutes spent at security check.

"How long does it actually take to get into Coachella if you're driving? Anywhere from 1-3hours!" They captioned the video of their trip.

And if the wait times getting into the festival weren't long enough, this did not account for the lines awaiting attendees inside the festival.

Videos circulating on social media have shown massive crowds snaking through the festival grounds, with revellers shielding themselves with umbrellas as they waited in the scorching sun for food and toilet facilities alike.

"Imagine purchasing tickets for Coachella just to spend your afternoon in a Starbucks line," one person commented.

All in all, the footage and anecdotal evidence emerging from the event paints a less-than-glamorous picture of the star-studded luxury event – and it's safe to say it's quashing FOMO far and wide.

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