Food and drink prices cause TikTok users to fume at California music festival

Overpriced, inedible concessions at Coachella have outraged critics who are calling out the music festival for being a “money trap” as hundreds of thousands descended on the Southern California desert.

One influencer claimed she spent over $100 for her meal consisting of tacos and lemonade on the first night of Coachella on Friday, which pop megastar Lady Gaga headlined on the festival’s main stage.

Ruth Viveros, who has chronicled her experience in Coachella Valley since Friday, shared a glimpse into the food at the famous music festival.

In her TikTok video, Viveros raved about the lemonade despite the $17 pricetag for the mostly iced beverage.

She admitted it was her second cup of the citrusy drink, totaling $34 spent that day.

Viveros and her friend also ordered tacos — consisting of five tortilla shells filled with steak, onions and salsa — and a plate of nachos.

The entire spread of two orders of tacos, nachos and two cups of lemonade cost Viveros $102.

Viveros was not thrilled with the quality of the nachos.

“They’re not good, not good at all,” she said. “The tortillas are like freezing cold.”

TikTok users shared a similar opinion for the music festival fare calling out the pricing for the food.

“These prices are diabolical,” one comment read.

“Coachella seems like a miserable money trap that everyone falls for,” another user said.

“It’s literally the worst festival ever. Omg,” a third person wrote.

Other revelers fumed over the pricy concession items after paying a premium to access the festival grounds and parking fees.

“The fact that GENERAL ADMISSION is $600 and you still have to pay that much for mid food is making me irrationally angry,” another comment read.

The cost to attend Coachella varies by weekend. General admission tickets which allow attendees to access the venue for all three days on opening weekend cost $649 and $599 for its second weekend.

A Reddit user shared the high prices for a variety of alcoholic drinks inside one of the festival’s VIP tents.

The menu, shared to the Coachella subreddit, displayed a $23 charge for a Red Bull Vodka, $17 for hard liquors including Absolut Vodka, Jameson Irish Whiskey and Malibu Rum.

A White Claw Hard Seltzer would set back a customer $16 while beer was worth $15.

Sodas were priced at $7 and as a recent tradition for Coachella, water was being served for $2.

One user called Coachella food “expensive” as lower priced items are around $15 while “meals” average around $20 to $30.

High food prices aren’t the only problem revelers have experienced at Coachella this year.

On the festival’s first day, thousands were caught in “literal hell” when cars traveling to the area turned into a large parking lot, creating 12 hours of traffic while suffering in near-record heat blazed down on them.

“This is the worst organization I have ever seen at a festival and this is Coachella for god sakes [sic],” one person posted on Reddit. 

Last year, a festival-goer went viral after she spent $64 for cucumber water and two breakfast burritos.