The Coachella music festival is a business opportunity for influencers, who spend weeks or even months planning their content strategy for the event. Sam Mintesnot, a content creator, had prepared extensively for Coachella but did not have a ticket days before the festival started, hoping for a brand invitation in exchange for creating videos. Coachella is in its 25th year and has become a fixture of online culture.
Coachella is sold out for both weekends, but viewers can watch a livestream on YouTube. YouTube's livestream covers seven stages and includes creator content and additional Coachella material, overseen by Matt McLernon, YouTube's senior manager of artist partnerships. Creators document the entire Coachella journey, including brand activations, freebies, and practical aspects like toilet queues and food options.
However, specifics on brand collaborations, such as how many influencers attend on invitations or the financial impact of their content, remain unclear, and criteria for brand selections like YouTube's are not publicly detailed. Comparisons to other festivals in planning and execution also lack definitive data.