With Coachella’s opening weekend setting the scene, we’ve already shared the thoughts of many on just how this year’s festival is shaping up. Is Coachella really the worst festival on earth? Discuss…
Certainly the tales of carnage and despair on social media would suggest that there’s no love flowing in any direction with even comparisons to the famously ill-fated Fyre Festival being bandied about.
“Coachella borderline turning into fyre fest this year…… oh i’m sat, people waiting 12-18+ hours to get in for car camping, people shitting & pissing on the sides of the line in bushes, coachella not giving anyone water while they bake in their car in line” being a typical post.
coachella borderline turning into fyre fest this year…… oh i’m sat, people waiting 12-18+ hours to get in for car camping, people shitting & pissing on the sides of the line in bushes, coachella not giving anyone water while they bake in their car in line …. phew omfg?😭April 11, 2025
Now, adding fuel to that fyre… sorry, fire, and more credence to that claim, is American musician, actor and comedian Reggie Watts who has taken to his Instagram to share a lengthy post that only puts the boot in further and confirms everyone’s worst suspicions on where the famous festival in the desert is heading.
“I’ve been to Coachella a handful of times now, and while the scale is impressive, the soul feels increasingly absent. The experience is confusing and impersonal – checkpoint after checkpoint, wristband logic puzzles, security everywhere. Most people on the grounds move like walking credit cards, pinging from one branded experience to the next.
“There’s no real sense of love coming from the festival toward the people. No care. No reverence. Just vibes curated for influencer culture. You’ll catch glimpses of something real – an artist outpouring their heart out on stage, a sudden wave of connection – but those moments are fleeting. They’re easily lost in the chaos, buried beneath the logistics, the brand activations, the overpriced everything.
“Plastic, garbage, thrash in the desert wind. Leaving is especially grim… There are independent festivals run by people who give a shit – about the music, the artists, the fans, the land. They treat performers with care and build environments where real community can take root. That’s where the magic is. That’s what’s worth supporting.”
So far Watts’ post has so far earned a significant 25,798 likes, with other artists such as Bonobo and The Kills‘ Alison Mosshart chipping in to agree in the comments.
Bonobo said: “very much agree” with Watts, while Mosshart contributes: “Perfectly said Reggie”.
Watts suggests that “there are better ways to do this” in his post. And with tomorrow's show being headlined again by Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone, time will tell if Coachella 2025 can get its act(s) together.
