Desperate Times AI Music
Coachella, one of the biggest and most iconic music festivals in the world, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the virus, and while the festival seemed to have a huge crowd in 2023, there are concerns that this could be the final nail in the coffin for Coachella.
Let’s take a weary step back in time and see how music has been shaped much differently since the virus…The virus hit the music industry hard, with concerts and festivals cancelled or postponed around the world. While the return of live music has been eagerly anticipated, it’s clear that things will never be the same and many people just don’t want to get out of their comfort zone anymore.
The risks associated with holding large-scale events have increased, and many artists and fans remain wary of returning to the festival circuit for a plethora of reasons. Not only is money a lot tighter now, but some are still a bit uncool with being around tons of people and even more-so, don’t want to leave their houses because most of the time, you can view what’s going on for free at home.
The cancellation of Coachella in 2020 and 2021 was a major blow to the festival, which has become a cultural institution since its inception in 1999. The festival has always been a place where music lovers could come together to celebrate their favorite artists, discover new music, and immerse themselves in a unique festival experience.
While Coachella had announced its return in April 2023, there were doubts that the festival could bounce back from the losses of the past two years. The festival’s reputation has taken a hit, and many artists and fans may choose to skip the event in favor of smaller, more intimate gatherings, if they want to go anywhere at all.
Additionally, since the virus, the rising costs of hosting a festival and the potential risks associated with holding large-scale events could make it difficult for Coachella to turn a profit because prices have gone way up to recoup money from a few years back that was lost.
The music industry has been forced to adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic, and Coachella will need to do the same if it hopes to survive. This could mean rethinking the festival experience and finding ways to make it more sustainable and appealing to artists and fans alike. It could also mean exploring new revenue streams and partnerships to offset the costs of hosting the festival.
If you ask Diplo, he feels the huge acts are all gone and there’s really no one changing music anymore. He said via The Hollywood Reporter: “I think they honestly might be having a hard time booking headliners. There’s not much left. We kind of left the era of great superhero acts, like the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Daft Punk … Now they book acts like Bad Bunny and Blackpink, who are cool, but they’re just the most Top 40 there is. It’s almost like they’re stadium acts.”
It’s clear that the festival faces significant challenges in the years ahead. Whether Coachella can adapt to these challenges and continue to thrive remains to be seen. I personally don’t feel that music ever really stops in a live sense, but attendance will drop in the future, which could cause for some hard financial times for the circuit.
