There has been an uproar about the turnout of multiple well-known music events in California, including Outside Lands and Coachella. In former years, these festivals have brought those with a common love of music together, where a beautiful scene of dancing, laughing and connecting with others was created. But these community traditions are slowly being stripped away by new expectations.
Teens and young adults have issued complaints of increased difficulty in attending music festivals today, with the main issue being that ticket prices have skyrocketed. In 2026, the average ticket ranges from $500 to $1,500. This is not only due to inflation adjustments, but as well as superstar prices, fees and online scalping. Despite these costly demands, the concert industry has made few, if any, attempts to address them.
Attendees are now split into two primary groups: those with or without financial freedom. Today, when you go online to buy tickets, there isn’t only general admission; there’s VIP, PIT access, premium tickets and then your standard admission. Yet, these exclusive tickets for people who can afford them are not seen at any artists’ sets.
Being at Coachella 2026 with an artist guest pass, I witnessed the general audience disengaged from the outside world. The backstage areas were left overflowing with phones. This crowd was predominantly influencers on brand sponsorships, taking videos for content or scrolling through social media. With their entire trip being paid for, there is no worry about pricing, unlike those who don’t have this luxury. The remaining groups at this event were the individuals who saved up to attend. Thousands of young men and women who eagerly anticipate Coachella work for multiple months to be able to hear their artists, even if it leads to a negative financial situation afterwards.
These issues have also been spotted at other large music festivals, as Outside Lands 2026 experienced the very same complaints. Multiple people were not listening, standing still and constantly leaving for over 30 minutes to an hour. Consequently, disagreements arose because of the divide between the audiences.
Music festivals are slowly becoming more disconnected, as the collective listening experience worsens when people aren’t showing up to appreciate the performances. But music companies are attempting to clear out groups outside of the higher-income bracket, despite the fact that these festivals were made for those who aren’t celebrities, influencers or elites, but rather crowds with shared interests looking for community in the music scene.
The first music festival of the 20th century, known as the Monterrey International Pop Festival, advocated for 1960s counterculture, which rejected traditional authorities and social hierarchies. This led to the success of the festival, featuring new rock artists apart from what was considered the social norm at the time. Correspondingly, today individuals are looking to branch out in their music that helps to go against the social class divide. This engaged in marking the shift to hyperpop.
This year, artists such as Frost Children, Underscores and Jane Remover are quickly gaining popularity, as they are creating eccentric, bold and unique music that you’re meant to move your body to. The bulk of their songs are now included at many techno, hardcore and electro events. The new favor of EDM festivals is driven by the notable differences in expectations. Regardless of the pricing being costly, they are made to be much more accessible. Popular techno music festivals such as Portola, HARD Summer and Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) offer generous prices. The original ticket pricing starts at approximately $300 per day, which is remarkably low in comparison to Coachella. And unlike multiple mainstream festivals, rave culture pushes a narrative of unifying with others and music through self-expression.
Instead of spending time on phones and in backstage areas, bonding at raves is done through your own customized outfits, posters, stickers and most importantly, kandi. Kandi is colorful handmade jewelry that is meant to be traded with others. These unique bracelets and necklaces not only allow for self-expression without the hefty price tag, but allow friendships to quickly blossom as you carry different traces of people with you throughout the night. Rave festival culture focuses on coming together with others, but it also helps to bring forth a new sense of freedom and individuality in yourself.
For a successful music festival, there should not be a sacrifice of financial freedom; there should be a link among people who wholeheartedly love the art of music. The rise in rave culture needs to continue its fight against mainstream music festivals; it’s beginning to bring back what society is losing at the festival scene: connection.
