Are VIP Coachella Tickets Worth It?
A Coachella VIP ticket costs twice as much as a regular general admission ticket at $1000. So – is the 2x price worth it?
There are some misconceptions about what comes with VIP tickets. First – what VIP tickets DOESN’T get you:
- Free drinks
- Backstage access
- Golf cart rides
- Front of stage access
To access the perks above you’d need an artist pass, backstage pass, production crew pass. None of these are available for purchase – except with the Yurt resort camping package which comes with 2 artist passes. This package starts around 25k though so it’s not for the plebs.
So, what do you get with the basic VIP Coachella ticket?
VIP entrance – the VIP entrance is a shorter walk from the parking and rideshare area. It’s about 15 minutes compared to 30 min to the regular GA. Security here is also significantly faster than the general admission – if you hate waiting in line and tend to arrive at peak hours, the 2x premium might be worth the price.
VIP Bathrooms – These special bathrooms have air conditioning and are generally cleaner than the portapotties / general bathrooms. Wait times are minimal. You can find these in the VIP area and teh VIP rose garden. If you’re anywhere else in the festival there will definitely be toilets closer to you.
Rose Garden VIP Area – An area near the Mojave tent with roses. Good for some shots on the ‘gram but not much else. You can’t hear much music, and can’t see any stages. It is quite relaxing with a selection of high end food and drinks, but definitely not worth staying here for too long.
Main Stage VIP Area – This area is right by the main stage and has a lot of shaded areas as well as day beds to lie on. Food and drink options are excellent – definitely better than normal GA, and lines are generally much shorter. You can also get a pretty good view of the main stage. If you’ve been to Coachella you know that you can only drink in the beer gardens. If you plan on hanging out at the main stage a lot and plan to on getting lit, this VIP area is the perfect spot for you.
HOWEVER, one caveat – at night when the main headliners come on, all the VIP ticket holders end up here, which means it often ends up getting even MORE crowded than GA.
One thing to note about the VIP ticket – its generally harder to sell than the regular ticket. You’ll often have to eat a loss if you try to resell.
Verdict: Not really worth 2x the price. Especially if you plan on exploring the festival, checking out different stages, art installations etc. MAYBE worth the price if you hate waiting in lines, really need the nice bathroom, and/or want to hang out at the main stage all day.
