Coachella festival sluggish sales

Photo Credit: Coachella

The Coachella festival’s ticket sales slump continues as general admission passes remain available—alongside several hotel bundle packages across multiple price points.

Digital Music News reported on the slow ticket sales for Coachella over the last several years, using data gathered by SF Gate. From 2014 to 2022, tickets to Coachella sold out within a window of 40 minutes to 4 hours in those years. This year, tickets remain available well after their initial offering—continuing 2023’s sluggish sales for the festival.

Doja Cat, Tyler, the Creator, and Lana Del Rey are headlining this year’s festival, with a No Doubt reunion on the bill. But Doja Cat is fresh off of her 2023 fall tour featuring Ice Spice and Doechii.

Last year’s Coachella featured Frank Ocean as a co-headliner, with tickets selling out within a few days. However, Frank Ocean’s set at Coachella last year sparked ire from many long-time concertgoers for delays and what many described as a disaster set.

That set was supposed to feature an ice rink and several skaters, but after rehearsal and construction—the performance was called off while the festival was underway. Citing inside sources, Festival Owl says the change was at the behest of Frank Ocean. “Frank decided at the last minute that he no longer wanted it at all. All of the people walking around him at the start of the performance were actually ice skaters and were supposed to be skating as part of the production.”

“Coachella had to deconstruct the approved stage, melt the entire ice rink, and then set it up how Frank decided today with no warning. Which is what you ended up seeing and what caused the hour-long delay. If last minute changes weren’t made he wouldn’t have performed at all.”

With last year’s drama in mind, perhaps concertgoers are hesitant to throw thousands at Coachella again for a sub-par performance. Others point out the looming economic concerns with multiple job layoffs reported at major companies.

Reports suggest more than 25,000 tech workers were laid off within the first weeks of 2024—one of the worst weeks for Silicon Valley since the early 2000s. With so much uncertainty, people who previously spent disposable income on experiences may be tightening their belts.