While Coachella is so well documented on social media that sometimes it’s like we’re there ourselves, actually paying to be there in person is another whole story. From different ticket pricing tiers to accommodation, food, flights and outfits, Coachella is certainly a hefty investment for a weekend event.
However, as we see every year online, it’s the place to be.
From celebrities to influencers, Coachella often delivers the best music festival line-ups of the year.
Running over two weekends in April between 10-12 and 17-19, Coachella is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (for concert and cost reasons).
WHO spoke to festival-goers at Coachella during the first weekend about just how much it costs to attend the music festival, and all we can say is no wonder people are calling the prices “criminal” online…
How much have Coachella 2026 festival-goers spent this year?
Intrigued to hear whether the prices are truly that bad, presenter and former MAFS bride Tahnee Cook spoke to festivalgoers on the ground for WHO to see how much people had spent in total.
“Well, we have gone to a few places before Coachella, but including the ticket and everything here… upwards of $10 to $15k maybe,” one festival-goer told us. “But it’s all worth it.”
While some music lovers thought these prices were worth the savings drainage, others are choosing to live in blissful ignorance and make it “Monday’s problem.”
“I don’t want to think about it,” another festival attendee said. “3k each minimum, pounds. [So] $6-7k AUD plus.”
For those opting for the non-camping option, they had to commit to the splurge.
“I spent more because I can’t camp,” a Coachella 2026 attendee said. “So a little bit more, but I haven’t really calculated it yet, that’s Monday’s problem.”
However, if these honest reflections are ruining your dreams of attending Coachella one day, some festival attendees have proved that it is possible to ball on a budget.
“I think probably, a grand, minimum. Not terrible,” one person said. “Balling on a budget.”
“Less than a thousand,” another budget-savvy attendee said. “I’m a camper.”
What are the different ticket prices and passes?
When it comes to Coachella passes and ticket prices, there are not only a mix of General Admission (GA) and VIP tiers, but also Resale tickets sold at even higher prices.
Adding on-site accommodation and other essential costs, Coachella adds up to be quite the expensive weekend.
While Justin Bieber receives $10M for his headliner performance, attendees can fork out upwards of $2,000 USD for one weekend.
Tickets were sold in September 2025, with resale tickets soaring in April 2026. Here is a breakdown of the ticket tier costs below:
- General Admission: $649 USD for weekend one and $549 USD for weekend two
- General Admission (+ shuttle): $779 USD for weekend one and $679 USD for weekend two
- VIP: $1,299 USD for weekend one and $1,199 USD for weekend two
- Resale: Starting at $800–$860 USD for single-day resale but often exceeding $2,000-$4000 USD for the 3-day weekend.
If you’re already stressing about these prices, you might freak out at the actual spending costs on flights, on-site accommodation, food, drinks, and merch.
For the more financially savvy, there are camping options for on-site accommodation.
For ‘car camping’, this can cost around $160 USD for 3 nights minimum. There is also tent camping which involves sleeping in pre-set tents from $690 USD for two people and over $3,000 for premium Lake Eldorado 4-person tents.
If you’re a celebrity or big-spender with cash to burn, there are also luxury accommodation options ranging from Safari Cabanas to high-end suites and villas that can exceed $10,000-$70,000 USD.
Factor in other essential costs like shuttle passes ranging from $130-$180 USD and overpriced food such as $23 USD burritos or $28 USD loaded fries.
Factor in the cost of flights to get to there in the first place and you could be draining your whole savings for one weekend.
Worth it? Apparently yes to some!
Who is performing at Coachella 2026?
The headliners for Coachella 2026 are Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Karol G, and Anyma.
Artists like XX, the Strokes, Addison Rae, young Thug, KATSEYE, BIGBANG and Jack White also feature amongst this year’s sub-headliner list.
If you did fork out for those 2026 Coachella prices, at least you’ve got an incredible weekend of music to look forward to!
How can you watch the Coachella performances in Australia?
If you’re like us, living vicariously through influencers and celebrities on social media, you can also look to YouTube for a livestream of each of the festival’s seven stages.
If you missed the performances live, the streams are said to play reruns once between each of the days of the fest, and after this time period, you can soak up the Coachella magic on the official Coachella channel.
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