Every member of the huge crowd, at one of the largest music festivals of the year, is pondering the same question:  is it worth it?  Photo courtesy to photographer Calder Wilson.

  Coachella 2026, also known on social media as “Bieberchella,” has drawn a lot of attention online. Many San Luis Obispo High students have talked about the festival, and some even attended. Over the years, however, people have said that Coachella is not the same as it used to be because of changing lineups. For many, it now seems less about the music and more about the flex of attending the festival or showing off their outfits.

  “I think Coachella lives up to the hype when the lineup is good, if the lineup sucks, like there’s really no hype and it’s just kind of fell off since, you know, past years. So it depends,” said senior Taryn Weller. 

  Depending on the line up is what it determines the hype of the festival and who people are most excited to see 

  “I think it was definitely worth the price with the amount of artists you get to see. A normal concert costs around $300, but for three days seeing around five artists per day is $700 total,” said senior Ruby Ancheta. 

  More time and money spent but you get more time at the festival than at an actual concert and get to see a variety of artist instead of just one.

  “I think it has become more about social media because all the influencers go, and it becomes more about, like, their outfits. rather than the music that’s actually playing there,” said senior Ruby Blackburn.

  Coachella today feels less about the music and more about the image, which is why it continues to spark so much conversation among students and on social media.

For those too broke to make it, you can always live stream it for free after you finish watching TNN…