11 Facts About Coachella, Many Attendees Go into Debt to Buy Tickets - First Held in 1999 with Financial Losses

Coachella was first held on October 9-10, 1999, at the Empire Polo Club, Indio, California - United States. Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen from Goldenvoice are the two figures who initiated the festival. 

At that time, Coachella's mission was to be a platform for indie artists and musicians who were not popular on the radio or mainstream media. However, over time, Coachella has also featured big names and even became a reunion stage for them. 

According to Kompas.com, in the early years of Coachella's organization, Goldenvoice, as the organizer, never made a profit. Coachella was affected by the Woodstock riots, a music festival that resulted in dozens of casualties. 

Music festivals were considered dangerous, but Coachella improved. The ticket sales that initially lasted for just one day were changed to 3 days. Coachella gradually became a respected music festival. 

First held in 1999, Coachella took a break in 2000 and returned in 2001 for 1 day. In 2002 it was held for 2 days and 3 days in 2007. From 2012 until now, Coachella has been held for 2 weeks every April. 

Coachella has become one of the largest festivals with the highest revenue in the world. According to Kumparan, in 2017 this festival made a profit of 114.6 million dollars from 250 thousand attendees. 

It's no wonder the profits are so large considering the ticket prices are not cheap. In 2025, Coachella tickets reached 599 dollars or equivalent to 10 million IDR. Billboard stated that the high ticket prices forced 60 percent of attendees to go into debt through a paylater system. 

In fact, the ticket price does not include accommodation costs, food purchases, merchandise, or even transportation. According to Billboard, attendees are estimated to spend around 1000 dollars or about 17 million IDR per person. 

In addition to featuring music performances, Coachella also showcases interesting art installations. The stage design and venue are always eye-catching. Visitors come dressed in a variety of fashion styles ranging from bohemian to streetwear.

In an interview with The New Yorker, Paull Torrett stated that he personally selects the entire Coachella lineup each year. Paull himself negotiates extensively with major artists before they perform on the Coachella stage.

As a music festival packed with visitors, there is a long line of cars entering Coachella 2025. According to CNBC News, attendees were stuck in their cars for up to 10 hours. The line to enter car camping at Coachella took up to 12 hours. After successfully entering the parking and camping areas, visitors still had to wait for hours to enter the venue.