The music might be world-class, the line-ups stacked, and the “vibes” unmatched — but for many Coachella attendees, it’s the food prices stealing the spotlight.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!As the 2026 edition of the festival kicked off in Indio, California, social media was once again flooded with clips of eye-watering receipts, with festivalgoers revealing just how much it costs to eat across a single day.
And the numbers are staggering.
With general admission tickets already costing between $549 and $649 – many assumed the biggest expense was already out of the way. But once inside the festival gates, the spending doesn’t stop.
In fact, for some, it’s only just beginning.
TikTok creator GirlBossTown shared what she called a “realistic” day at Coachella — and the numbers quickly added up.
Her first day included $28 for loaded fries and $23 for noodles, with another clip showing a $28 baked potato that left viewers stunned.
“That is a wild amount to pay for a baked potato,” one person commented, while another added: “The mark-up on those baked potatoes must be insane – the food vendors must be making bank.”
Elsewhere across the festival, prices continued to climb.
Cristina Gonzalez showcased a $23 burrito, while another attendee revealed a $32 version that viewers said looked “nasty” and should be “$15 max.”
Even drinks weren’t spared.
One influencer spotted a strawberry matcha priced at $24.70, calling it “diabolical,” while others were left questioning how anyone was managing to keep up financially.
“How can anyone afford this?” one commenter asked — a sentiment echoed across nearly every viral post.
And then came the extremes.
One festivalgoer documented spending $530 at a pop-up from upscale restaurant Nobu, with bento boxes including edamame, fried prawns, sushi and sashimi.
“This is not worth [$530]”, one person wrote. “I can’t believe you paid that much”.
“What the hell,” another added.
Even relatively simple meals raised eyebrows.
Two slices of pizza came in at $31, while a teriyaki chicken bowl cost $37 — prompting one attendee to admit the pricing was “crazy” and that “the conversion hurts.”
Across the board, the reaction has been consistent.
“These prices hurt my wallet and I’m not even there,” one user joked, while another admitted: “I will not understand why they charge so much for food and drinks when the tickets are expensive anyway.”
Others were more blunt: “That feels so expensive.”
But not everyone was quick to blame the vendors.
Some pointed out the hidden costs behind operating at a festival like Coachella — from high vendor fees and commissions (which can reach up to 30% of sales), to the logistics of setting up in a remote desert environment.
Add in staff accommodation, transport, long shifts in extreme heat, and premium wages, and suddenly those prices begin to make more sense — at least from a business perspective.
Still, that hasn’t stopped the backlash.
“If I was a vendor at Coachella I wouldn’t raise my prices because I’d get all the business,” one person suggested, while another joked: “I’d bring coolers and would be grilling, just saying”.
For many watching from home, the viral posts have had an unexpected effect — easing the fear of missing out.
“I am so glad i have no desire to go to anything like this,” one user admitted, while another added: “You know you have free will. This seems like the opposite of fun.”
And yet, despite the complaints, the lines remain long, the posts keep coming, and the spending shows no signs of slowing down.
Because for those inside the festival, the experience still outweighs the cost — even if it means paying $30 for a chicken sandwich or $24 for a drink.
Featured image credit: TikTok/@GirlBossTown/@cristinaggonzalez (Screenshots)
