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The sun still beats down on the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, but the spirit of Coachella is fading fast.
Once the undisputed king of music festivals, this year's event, which kicked off Friday April 11, has now become a symbol of “cultural decay”.
A place where genuine fans are drowned out by influencers posing in sponsored swimwear, where legendary artists are met with indifference, and where logistical chaos has left ticket-holders stranded for hours without basic amenities.
As the 2025 edition stumbles into its opening day, the festival's identity crisis is impossible to ignore.
Reports that it is being attended by a sea of fashion and beauty influencers is hitting the headlines.
And the 12-hour queues to get in the festival, few toilets of which most were overflowing, and gridlocked entry points have sparked comparisons to the infamous Fyre Festival, with frustrated attendees taking to social media to demand refunds.
"This is the worst organisation I've ever seen at a festival," one car camper tweeted on Thursday April 10 after waiting overnight without access to food or bathrooms. "And this is Coachella, for God's sake."
The festival's seeming decline has been years in the making. What began in 1999 as a countercultural oasis - born from Pearl Jam's defiance of Ticketmaster - has devolved into what Blur's Damon Albarn last year bluntly dismissed as a "conspicuous consumption festival."
During the band's 2024 set, Albarn famously lashed out at the apathetic crowd, snapping, "You'll never see us again, so you might as well fucking sing it!"
His frustration was echoed by Andy Lewis, a bassist who toured with Paul Weller and recalled his own Coachella experience: "Nobody cared who we were. It's not a music festival; it's a 'we're here and you ain't' festival."
This year's line-up, which includes headliners Lady Gaga, Green Day, and Post Malone (Lady Gaga as a last-minute headliner), has done little to quell the backlash.
Even the usual A-list draws are slipping away: Rihanna reportedly turned down a headline slot, unwilling to disrupt her Fenty empire for a festival that no longer commands prestige, while artist of the moment, superstar rapper Kendrick Lamar cited scheduling conflicts.
Their absence underscores a broader exodus of artists and fans alike. A recent US survey found 75% of respondents believe influencers have "overshadowed Coachella's musical purpose," with 68% condemning the event's corporate takeover.
The irony is palpable. Coachella's 2025 meltdown comes just as social media stars face growing scrutiny for fake attendance—a trend exposed by singer Loren Gray in 2023.
"A lot of influencers don't even go to the festival," she revealed. "They rent Airbnbs, shoot content in the desert, then leave."
Meanwhile, brands continue to flood the grounds with paid celebrities like Love Island's Maura Higgins and YouTuber Saffron Barker, whose partnership with White Fox Boutique epitomises the festival's shift from music to marketing.
Yet the most damning indictment may be the crowd itself. Last year, Blur's set - packed with '90s anthems like Girls & Boys and Song 2 -was met with near-silence from Gen Z attendees more focused on their Instagram stories than the stage.
Footage of Albarn's exasperation went viral, with fans branding the audience "a disgrace."
Similar scenes have plagued other acts: Liam Gallagher was heckled at Lollapalooza, while Royal Blood mocked indifferent crowds at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. Even Bob Dylan's legendary 1966 Judas! moment feels quaint compared to today's sterile disconnect.
As Coachella's 2025 gates finally open, the question isn't just about surviving this weekend's chaos - it's whether the festival can survive itself.
With sales slumping, artists snubbing, and influencer take over, the once-mighty event is facing the writing on the porta loo walls and may be aptly remembered not for its music or artistry, but losing lost its way in the desert.
Weekend One Lineup:
Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone serving as headliners.
Justin Bieber fans are hoping he is in Palm Springs this week because he's planning to make a surprise stage appearance.
The Peaches star has never headlined the festival, but he has performed as a special guest as recently as last year when he joined Nigerian artists Tems and Wiz Kid during their set.
