Ah, Coachella. The only place you can pay $10 for a bottle of water and still feel like you're getting a good deal.
Believe it or not, Coachella wasn't always a giant Instagram filter. Before it was the marketing metropolis it is today, it was a hectic game in the desert on October 9 and 10, 1999. Without Uber helicopter riders or Walmart singers, Coachella's humble beginnings are crucial to its trailblazing legacy. . in the festival space.
Coachella now annually rake more than $100 million in revenue. And its impact on the local economy is even greater, since last year's festival Provide a blessing of 400 million dollars.
But it wasn't always the goose that laid Goldenvoice's golden eggs. After Coachella opened in 1999, its organizers collapsed under the weight of the dangers of hosting a first-year festival. That year they lost approximately a million dollars, almost bankrupting the company.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown of flowers.
“Breaking down a new festival in sixty days is financial suicide,” said Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett. The New Yorker in 2017. “But we didn't know.”
Tickets for today's Coachella start at $549 before fees and VIP passes will set you back $1,049. How much did tickets cost in '99? A scant 50 dollars, less than 10% of the current cost.
In 2023, that will allow you to buy chicken tenders and an oat milk latte.
Coachella 1999 cost $50 😭 today Coachella costs $600 + pic.twitter.com/n7h2hjRBKU
— Ángel Chávez 🇲🇽 (@CoachellaAngel) January 5, 2023
In retrospect, it was nothing short of highway robbery to pay $50 for a festival headlined by Beck, Rage Against the Machine and Tool. Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction, co-founder of the iconic Lollapalooza festival eight years earlier, played solo on the day of the opening.
Electronic music was a central focus of Coachella from the beginning. The Chemical Brothers, Moby, Fatboy Slim, A-Trak, Underworld, Thievery Corporation and Carl Craig's Innerzone Orchestra were just a few who appeared in '99.
See the original article for embedded media.
Before becoming a dance sanctuary for EDM fans at Coachella, Sahara Tent started out as a techno powder keg. Sahara's first lineup featured pioneering artists Richie Hawtin, Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson, among others, who set the stage for many totemic performances in their wake.
Who could forget Daft Punk's legendary 2006 pyramid show?
As early techno music hit Sahara, Amon Tobin, Nightmares on Wax, Kid Koala and more performed at the Gobi Tent. But the structure could not protect them from the scorching heat of the desert.
The sun at the Empire Polo Club was cruel, hitting the dusty bowl with a fist of over 100 degrees. In a moment, Koala sayinghis vinyl started to melt.
And so did Coachella's prospects. After suffering a defeat in 1999, Tollett planned a turn-of-the-century comeback in October 2000. However, he eventually canceled and instead teamed with Pasquale Rotella to produce Nocturnal Wonderland at the Empire Polo Club in September, strengthening his bonds. EDM.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Follow Coachella:
X: x.com/coachella
Instagram: instagram.com/coachella
Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@coachella
Facebook: facebook.com/coachella
thanks to our partners at edm.com
