Technological problems, deadpan audiences, and influencers galore:  Coachella, held in the California desert of the same name, is a highly anticipated yearly music festival, with the first-ever event being held in 1999. Since then, the event has hosted dozens of renowned musicians, from alternative stars “Bjork” and “Oasis” headlining in 2002, to rock legends Paul McCartney and “The Cure” in 2009, to pop icons Harry Styles and Billie Eilish in 2022. 

The festival isn’t shy to famous attendees either, ringing in nearly 125,000 people each year, many of whom are A-list celebrities and influencers. Besides presenting various artists from a plethora of genres, the event is known for fans’ stylish outfits, an abundance of food vendors, and guaranteed Instagram-worthy photo backdrops.

Although Coachella, sporting star-studded performances and famed audiences, clearly has a lot to boast about, the festival isn’t unfamiliar with the bad, either. 

One of the most common complaints surrounding the festival is the sheer price. Tickets run for as high as $1,269 for VIPs, and that’s only to attend. Audiences still have to find lodging, travel to the venue, and pay for overpriced food. 

Others believe the event is only attainable for social media influencers, as the average person can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars on a ticket, travel, and lodging. This observation has led some to believe that it is unfair that “real” fans of performers are unable to attend, while influencers who go for the sheer fact of going for clout aren’t enjoying performances.

The artists themselves have also noticed this. Alternative rock band “Blur” announced on stage that American audiences would “never see them again” after repeatedly encouraging those in the audience to sing along, only being met with silence. 

While some performers may have had problems with audiences, others experienced technological difficulties on stage, making for awkward situations during performances. Hyper-pop artist Grimes experienced a disastrous set, and was seen screaming multiple times at things gone awry, explaining how she “is doing math in her head,” and “[wasn’t] mixing [tracks] very well.” 

Even famed singer Lana Del Rey experienced problems with sound during her first song “Without You,” with her microphone cutting out multiple times, leaving audiences unable to hear her. 

Despite these difficulties, this year’s Coachella festival has already cemented iconic pop culture moments. Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter, in her first time performing at the festival, debuted her new song “Espresso.” If Carpenter hadn’t already made her name as an icon of pop, her performance definitely did. 

Headliner Tyler, The Creator also had a successful set, bringing out multiple artists to collaborate with him such as singer Kali Uchis, rappers A$ap Rocky and Childish Gambino, and singer Charlie Wilson.

Even with such notable struggles, Coachella continues to be the place to be. The festival seems to be growing in traction and attendees. After all, aren’t all good things worth struggling for?