The world-famous yearly music festival, Coachella, is back in business once again. With the release of the artist lineup that is expected to perform on April 10-12 & April 17-19, 2026. Huge stars such as Sabrina Carpenter, Katseye, Sombr, Laufey, and The Strokes are making an appearance and performing in front of hundreds of dedicated fans from around the globe. Still, what are the public’s true thoughts on the people there for our entertainment, and the festival
itself? Dedicated music fans, Alexa Rodriguez, here at Downey High School, along with Delilah Ortiz and Amy Masuno, provide their insights on the ever-popular music festival and its artists.
itself? Dedicated music fans, Alexa Rodriguez, here at Downey High School, along with Delilah Ortiz and Amy Masuno, provide their insights on the ever-popular music festival and its artists.
The lineup of artists includes more than just big-time stars. Some lesser-known musicians, such as The Chats and Green Velvet, are in attendance for the upcoming Coahcella festival. Rodriguez, a longtime music enthusiast, is most ecstatic about The Stokes and David Bryn, an ex-member of the popular band The Talking Heads. She says, “ I am very excited to see The Strokes, actually. They’ve been one of my favorite bands for a while, and I would do anything just to see them live. I’m also excited about David Byrne because he used to be part of one of my favorite bands, The Talking Heads.” Rodriguez herself is very excited for the music festival’s occurrence this upcoming April. Even stating that if given the chance to attend, she’d absolutely go.
More on the topic of attending the festival, Ortiz states, “ Even if I had the chance, I wouldn’t go, because there are only two artists that I like”. This begs the question: are the people in charge of selecting the musicians who perform inclusive enough for all music fans? Is there something for everyone? Billboards article, titled Coachella’s Music Evolution: Genre-By-Genre Breakdown states, “The sonic history of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is as diverse as the demographic that attends the three-day music extravaganza each year. Since its inception in 1999, the number of genres constituting each fest has expanded as the number of performers has doubled over the past decade and a half.” Even though Coachella has always included a wide range of musical options, including indie, alternative, rap/hip-hop, electronic, dance/house, rock, punk, pop, and several other genres, each year the percentages of artists within these genres change.
The question remains: do the line-up of artists justify the high ticket prices? All three artists—Rodriguez, Ortiz, and Masuna—believe that, to some extent, these prices are not justified. Rodriguez makes an excellent point when she says, “It’s justifiable since these artists have made a significant impact and have many fans. Organizing a festival is very expensive, and it requires a lot of money to maintain, so high prices can be reasonable. However, I feel that
these high prices exclude many genuine fans and instead only allow rich people who may not even be fans to attend. This makes it difficult for true fans to see their favorite artists because of the cost.”
In the end, the Coachella festival continues to be a significant event on people’s calendars, drawing attention from fans worldwide. Thanks to the inclusion of both big-name artists and emerging talents, many music fans, like Rodriguez, express enthusiasm for the featured acts. However, others, such as Ortiz, feel that the lineup may not cater to all musical tastes. Ultimately, Coachella will continue to strive with high numbers of attendees each year and continue to be one of the biggest music events to exist.
