Coachella, More like “Nochella”

By Nirupama Shivakumar May 21, 2025

As attendees get higher up in the air, they beginto hear the soft clunking of metal and feel the warm, Southern California air hitting their face gently as they look over their shoulder to see the beautiful desert landscape and thousands of people in colorful outfits running around on the ground below them. They can slightly feel the base of

the performer’s instrumental set, and as they get closer to the floor, they can smell the overpriced festival food and other’s fragrances, which have since worn off and are replaced with sweat and agony from spending hours in the hot sun listening to concert after concert. The iconic “Le Grande Wheel,” is a fixture of the Coachella festival, an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

Coachella consistently features a diverse lineup of musical artists from various genres—rock, pop, indie, hip hop and electronic dance music—as well as art installations, sculptures and a variety of quality food and drinks, offering participants an authentic festival experience. The show was first founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999, and is organized by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents. Attracting almost 125,000 people from all over the world, especially its celebrity audience, name brand sponsors and social media posts contributes to Coachella’s exceptional popularity.

This year, Lady Gaga returned to Coachella’s main stage to present her elaborate five-act show “Mayhem Ball.” The performance used tracks from Gaga’s new album, which many fans viewed as a symbolic exploration of Gaga’s musical journey. Green Day made their Coachella debut on Saturday, April 19 by delivering a high energy

performance that showed their punk rock legacy. Post Malone headlined Sundays by performing songs from various times of his career, which many fans felt highlighted his evolution as an artist. Finally, Travis Scott, who has recently grown immensely in fame, presented a showcase called “Travis Scott Designs the Desert,” which introduced an entirely new era of his music of rap, dramatic effects and a different style of songs.

Senator Bernie Sanders made a surprise appearance as the opening act for singer-songwriter Clairo. He delivered a speech criticizing President Trump, the fossil fuel industry and the wealthy elite and advocating for economic, social and racial justice and denounced the current state of the U.S. healthcare system, according to The Nation. He also called for climate action and women’s rights, praising Clairo for using her platform for good causes, including supporting women’s rights and advocating for peace in Gaza. His statements were met with an uproar from many fans as they were surprised by this political expression.

Green Day’s lead singer also altered the lyrics in “American Idiot,” to say he was not a part of the “MAGA agenda.”. He also sang the altered lyrics “runnin’ away from pain like the kids from Palestine” in the song “Jesus of Suburbia” to demonstrate the shifting political climates and how large performers and events are showing their

influence through something everyone loves and enjoys, which is music.

In addition, fashion has always been a prominent part of Coachella’s culture founded upon self expression and trend setting. From its early days till now, Coachella’s style evolution is symbolic of shifts in fashion and societal values. Popular fashion trends and notable outfits that people enjoyed were its usual classic, grunge and hippie style.

“I think Coachella is such a fun festival, even though I just follow it on TikTok. I enjoy seeing the creative outfits people put together and seeing who is performing each year. Attending someday is an experience I want to have in the future,” Junior Kelsey Lulenski said.

Traditional BOHO festival attire was well received this year, seeing a comeback with crocheted clothing, fringe accessories and flowy outfits. This style of outfits was popular all across social media and became consistent with the Coachella theme of previous years. However, despite this idealized culture, influencers like Katie Fang, Haley Baylee and James Charles faced criticism on social media for their festival attire. Some critics commented that their outfits lacked originality, did not capture the festival spirit and looked overly commercialized. For example, James Charles

wore high waisted black jeans and a top fans believed were questionable.

“I did not go to Coachella as the ticket prices are quite unaffordable for high schoolers to attend. This year, I did notice the unusual backlash Coachella was receiving on social media, such as not treating celebrities and normal attendees the same way. I had heard things about how people were separated at the event based on their wealth and relevance” Senior Ashton Ancheta said.

Coachella will always be a huge festival, but as the years go by, and as political climates shift, people may see these expressions of tension in the performances. Despite the tension and criticism Coachella has begun to receive, it remains an influential music festival hundred of thousands look forward to each year.

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About the Contributor

Niru Shivakumar is a Senior at Leland High School and is a staff writer for The Charger Account. During her free time, she enjoys playing sports, hanging out with her friends, and listening to music.