Celebrities ‘Being Paid To Attend Coachella’

Coachella, one of the world's most recognisable music festivals, has become a hotbed for celebrity sightings in recent years – and there may be a good reason for that.

According to a New York Daily News' gossip column Confidenti@l, stars are being paid up to $20,000 to attend the festival by companies looking to cash in on viral marketing opportunities.

Glee's Lea Michele is reportedly being paid $20,000 by clothing company Lacoste to wear their gear at the festival, while Disney's High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens has lined up a $15,000 deal with McDonalds (maybe she has to carry a Big Mac and fries around for the weekend?).

The column also reports that Breaking Bad and Need For Speed actor Aaron Paul is looking for $15,000 and two VIP passes to show up, with Joe Jonas (of Disney band The Jonas Brothers) asking for somewhere under $20,000. British fashion blogger Louise Roe wants $5,000 and three tickets.

The news should be good timing for Aussie C-list celebrities, who now have a benchmark to start hitting up Aussie companies to pay for them to be seen at Splendour In The Grass. We'd love to see a couple of ABC3 presenters and Rhonda from the NRMA TV ads walking around as human billboards.

Headlined by OutKast, Arcade Fire and Muse, Aussie acts including Flume, The Preatures, Jagwar Mar, Flight Facilities, Empire Of The Sun and Anna Lunoe are booked to place the event, happening twice later this month. The rest of you who haven't got Coachella tickets can keep bidding on auction sites.