After Coachella Weekend one, the influencer event of the year has already infiltrated social media platforms with creators sharing their favourite looks from the festival
What is Coachella?
Coachella is an annual music festival held in the desert city of Palm Springs near Los Angeles. As one of the biggest music festivals in the USA, thousands travel from across the world to stay in the sweltering heat of Palm Springs. Beloved not only for its music, but the often star-sudded celebrity audience. The lineup for the first weekend included legendary Lady Gaga and the ultimate BRAT, Charli XCX.
Though Coachella made a name for itself as a music event, it’s recently become somewhat ‘exclusive’ since the celebs have descended on the festival. The excessive number of influencers taking over the scene could be to blame for the shift seen in the festival’s culture.
Coachella as an Influencer Festival
As a festival with a daily capacity of 125,000, Coachella opens its doors to the masses. Popular influencers on Instagram and TikTok spend their weekends taking the ideal outfit photos. Viewed as more than a festival, Coachella represents a huge marketing opportunity to influencers. By posting content related to the festival, audiences worldwide long for the chance to share in their experience. Global marketing agency Goat described the rise of influencer culture at the festival.
“Social media had a major impact on Coachella’s growth. Influencer culture and ‘festival fashion’ is now synonymous with the event. As content creators and celebrities began attending Coachella in droves, what they wore nearly overshadowed what was happening on stage.”
The Coachella Aesthetic
Coachella outfits have a unique aesthetic, not typically seen in other music festivals. Bohemian, groovy, and trendy features characterise the outfits that are seen in the desert venue. Unlike other US based music festivals such as Lollapalooza and Outside Lands, Coachella has now become a fashion landmark. With each year in the festival proving more and more competitive and adventurous with their outfits. Influencers and fashion brands now offer Coachella curated lines and merchandise and focuses on outfit choices as opposed to the music and performances.
Cowboy boots, flower hats, and cu accessories are all indicitive of Coachella’s festival “style”. This year, chunky belts and headscarves seem to be the trend, with most influencers referencing different versions of the Coachella aesthetic, with their own twist.
Fashion and lifestyle writer Eileen Cartter described the core Coachella aesthetic
“The eternal-summer “festival style” genre of dressing that Coachella defined over the last two decades: crochet micro-dresses, breezy camp shirts, mesh bodysuits, teensy crop tops, towering raver platforms, bare-armed throwback basketball jerseys, heeled cowboy boots, and five-inch-inseam swim trunks with not much else.”
Coachella 2014 and Fashion Nostalgia
For my fellow Gen Z’ers, we all remember the outfits that circulated on social media for Coachella between the years of 2014 and 2016. In popular culture, Coachella 2014 marked the significance of the Coachella Aesthetic. Celebrities such as Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Vanessa Hudgens and Paris Hilton are among a few who made their fashion mark at the 2014 festival. Recent Coachella outfits, still reference the early 2010s moments that are still iconic.
Kylie and Kendall Jenner: Coachella History
Kylie and Kendall Jenner are Coachella royalty. With years of attendance alongside other Kardashian/Jenner family members and celebrity friends, the sisters are known to provide iconic outfits that constantly resurface on social media. Each year, the internet waits excitedly for the outfits that the Jenner sisters will debut.
2014
2015
2016
This year however, the sisters took a more sophisticated and minimal look from both incorporating the yellow of one of this year’s most trending colours.
Coachella as a #Sponsored Event
Despite being one of the highest-grossing music festivals in North America. Coachella is a huge platform for influencer marketing and promotion, that now operates as a business and promotional opportunity for influencers. Most influencers will have to document their outfits and their getting ready process, typically in sponsorship with a brand. Influencers don’t document the festival itself. Rather their ‘experience’ of the festival, which includes get ready with me videos and outfit of the day videos.
“Companies recognize the opportunity to reach a highly engaged audience through influencer partnerships and experiential marketing at the festival. As a result, Coachella has become synonymous with influencer culture, with many influencers and celebrities attending the event each year and sharing their experiences across their respective channels.”
Where do Influencers Stay During Coachella?
For the average Coachella ticket holder, camping is the way to go. This is usually the most affordable and easy option, and can be bundled up in a package deal with festival tickets. Some however experience a bit more luxary. With the experience of a social media influencers being unquestionably different.
Trending brands and businesses now have ‘brand houses’ that host influencers and celebrities for the festival weekend. Using luxury villas and mansions near the festival, companies will transform the space with branded content that influencers can promote. This year’s brands include White Fox, Peppermayo and Revolve. Many UK influencers and television stars were flown out for Coachella weekend, including Love Island Winner Mimii Ngulube, Ami Charlize, and Sophie Piper.
2025 Coachella Fits
Given that Coachella has been nicknamed the ‘Olympics’ for social media influencers, the fashion choices rarely disappoint. 2025 is no exception, with influencers coming out in full force with their uniquely curated and often sponsored fits. The ‘traditional’ Coachella accessories made their way into many outfits, featuring flower crowns, coin belts, and cowboy boots.
Alix Earle
The ultimate IT Girl influencer Alix Earle delivered with her Weekend One outfits, pairing a leather tie romper with a chunky belt and knee high boots. Alix is favoured on TikTok for her partying outfits, and did not disapoint when it came to choosing her Coachella fit
Issey Moloney
UK influencer Issey Moloney recieved love on TikTok for her Coachella fit. Choosing bold jewellery choices with opposing patterns from the micro shorts and shawl top encapsulated the experimental ethos that Coachella fits are supposed to represent.
Darianka
Influencer and model Darianka caused a wave of nostalgia on social media with her Coachella outfit. Incorporating the 2014 Coachella core into her outfits, Darianka received 17.3 million views on just one video of a 2025 Coachella outfit video.
What’s Next for Coachella?
Despite an iconic legacy, many long-time attendees feel unsure about the future direction of the festival. With such proximity to Los Angeles, and an incredible marketability, is Coachella just a music festival, or a business and marketing stratergy for brands and influencers alike?
bility after a decade of immediate sell-outs. Journalist Emanuel Okusanya described the changes to Coachella and how it has stained public view of the festival.
“What Coachella might be facing is the end of the “monoculture” moment. There used to be a time when fans of alternative pop, rap, rock music — could go to Coachella and have all their music needs met. Now, the lineups feel scattered, and the audience feels divided. That’s not to say the festival is bad — far from it — but it no longer feels like the heartbeat of music culture.”
No matter the ticket sales, Coachella will always remain one of North America’s most popular music festivals. With an iconic legacy to stand upon, and a diverse lineup each year, Coachella welcomes not only influencers, but music lovers too.
