How much does it cost to go to Coachella? The eye-watering all-in price

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, one of the biggest annual music festivals in America, is only weeks away. Per usual, the festival will be a three-day event during two different weekends in April, with some of the biggest names in the music industry as headliners.

The star-studded festival will run from Friday 12 April through Sunday 14 April, before its second weekend on Friday 19 April to Sunday 21 April. Some of the highly-anticipated performers at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California - which is about a two-hour drive from Los Angeles - include Lana Del Rey, Tyler the Creator, Ice Spice, Doja Cat, and Gwen Stefani’s iconic band, No Doubt. Many celebrities have also been known to attend the event, with Vanessa Hudgens being unofficially dubbed the Queen of Coachella for her iconic outfits over the years.

However, going to Coachella doesn’t necessarily come cheap. Some tickets range from the hefty price of $499 to $1,000. There are also other finances that some attendees have to consider, beyond just the cost of admission. Many fans often pay for transportation to California for the weekend, whether it’s a drive to the desert or a plane to Los Angeles. Some people also pay for hotels during the festival, along with food and drinks throughout the day.

Here’s a rundown of how much it approximately costs to attend the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

How much are tickets?

For general admission to the three-day festival, fans can expect to fork over more than a couple hundred bucks. According to Coachella’s official website, general admission passes cost $499 plus fees. With this ticket, guests are allowed entrance to the venue and camping areas all weekend.

If you want to splurge a bit, you can purchase VIP passes for Coachella at $1,069 plus fees. Along with entrance to the venue and GA camping area, these ticket holders are allowed into VIP areas. These areas have special food and drink vendors, air-conditioned restrooms, shaded seating areas, and full cash bars. VIP sections are located adjacent to the Main Stage and inside the Rose Garden.

While tickets for the first weekend of Coachella are currently sold out, there are still available tickets for the weekend of 19 April to 21 April.

How much does it cost to travel to Coachella?

If you’re based in California, you may only need to worry about travelling to and from the venue during Coachella weekend. Without traffic, the drive from Los Angeles to Indio is a little more than two hours. The parking passes for the entire weekend typically cost about $249 plus fees.

However, the festival advises against driving from LA to the venue. One option is taking the round-trip shuttle service, which picks up guests near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and drives them directly to Coachella. The shuttle,  which costs about $299 plus fees, will drive you back directly to LAX at the end of each day. If you’re staying in a hotel in Indio, there are also shuttle passes that will pick you up nearby and take you back each day, with the passes costing $140 plus fees.

If you’re travelling to Coachella from other parts of the country, the cost goes beyond just the shuttle service. For example, a flight from New York City to Los Angeles lasts about six hours. According to Expedia, a flight from New York that departs on 18 April and returns on 22 April ranges from $317 to $500. There are also different arrival and departure options, such as the Thursday before Coachella or the Monday after the event.

How much is it to stay in California during the weekend of Coachella?

If you’re based in Los Angeles, you may not need to worry about finding a hotel in Indio for the weekend. However, there are options for you to camp out at the venue throughout the three days. As noted on the event’s website, car camping is an “overnight option that lets you park your vehicle on the campsite and build an awesome weekend oasis”. Fans are also allowed to have as many people as they’d like in their overnight camping site, with each site costing $149 plus fees for the weekend.

For those who aren’t based in California and don’t have a car to camp out in, there are many hotels located near the venue. Some of the featured hotels shown on Coachella’s website include Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa, Embassy Suites by Hilton La Quinta, Homewood Suites by Hilton La Quinta, and Miramonte Resort and Spa.

The prices for rooms at these hotels can vary. One room for two people at Homewood Suites by Hilton La Quinta ranges from $378 to up to $661 for the weekend of 18 April to 22 April. However, some hotels can be even pricier. Depending on the type of hotel suite, a room for two people at the Renaissance Esmeralda can range from $2,800 to up to $8,900 for the same weekend.

What food will be at Coachella and how much is it expected to cost?

When you’re spending all day at the venue in the desert, one of the most important things is eating food and staying hydrated. Luckily enough, there’s a range of options to choose from, with the most popular one being the Indio Central Market.

Some of the options at the market - which is under a large, shaded tent - include Battambong BBQ, Cena Vegan, Farmhouse Thai Kitchen, Burger She Wrote, Tacos 1986, Ramen Hood, Sumo Dog, and Prince Street Pizza. Although the cost for food at Coachella isn’t specified on the website, how much you spend on food and drinks can vary.

However, guests at last year’s Coachella festival said that food came at a hefty cost - with two coffees and two burritos priced at a whopping $64.