Reckon Our Prices Are Bad? Here’s Coachella Drink Prices!

While Coachella is usually known for its huge line-ups, surprise collaborations, reunions, and “spot the celebrity/influencer” game (particularly during weekend one), the California festival has made headlines this year for a different reason: the price of drinks and food.

In a photo posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) by user @RaphPH, the drink prices at one of the Coachella bars are wild.

Let’s start at the top: a serving of Absolut Vodka costs a punter $17, while a double shot goes up to $28—and those prices do not include a median 8.5% sales tax. In Australian dollars, you’d be spending $26.36 or, with a double shot, $43.42 before GST.

A Red Bull Vodka will cost a Coachella punter $22 ($34.11 AUD), a White Claw Seltzer Mango goes for $16 ($24.81), Kim Crawford Prosecco for $17 ($26.35), alcohol-free Heineken costs $10 ($15.50), and soft drinks cost $8 ($12.40). At least bottled water is cheaper at a US festival than in Australia before tax, costing $2 ($3.10).

Responding to @RaphPH’s post, one punter wrote that the prices will only go up when you actually buy your drink: “To be fair the food and drink prices are sky high everywhere in America atm, and these prices will be without tax or tips which will add 30 percent.”

And if you thought the drink prices were bad, the food prices are downright ridiculous at Coachella. Taking to TikTok, @jackietanti revealed that she spent $64 ($99.21) for two pretty large burritos, a dipping sauce and cucumber water.

You can watch the TikTok and zoom in for a closer look at the Coachella drink prices below.

@jackietanti

$64 for two burritos and cucumber water !! #coachella2024 #coachellacarcamping

♬ original sound - jackie tanti

In other Coachella news, Blur frontman Damon Albarn lashed out after the audience didn’t join in a singalong during the tenth song of their set, Girls & Boys.

“You’re never seeing us again, so you might as well fucking sing it,” Albarn said. However, follow-up track Song 2 fared better, with the audience getting into the alt rock classic.

Discussing the latter song’s impact, Albarn commented, “This song has been so good to us… But I did get shown a TikTok of it being kind of performed by a vacuum cleaner, which is, you know… It is humbling and inspiring at the same time.”

This year's Coachella headliners are Lana Del Rey, Tyler, The Creator and Doja Cat, with No Doubt billed as special guests.

Elsewhere on the line-up, the 2024 edition of the festival locked in J Balvin, Deftones, Taking Back Sunday, Lil Uzi Vert, Justice, Peggy Gou, Ice Spice, Bleachers, Khruangbin, Lil Yachty, Bebe Rexha, RAYE, Sabrina Carpenter, plus Aussie stars Dom Dolla and Flight Facilities, and many more international acts.

Elsewhere at Coachella 2024, Grimes apologised for the “sonic chaos” of her set, Deftones revealed that their new album is on the way (they have a “whole record recorded”), Taylor Swift was spotted vibing to Dom Dolla, and in a surprise appearance, Olivia Rodrigo joined No Doubt on stage for a performance of Bathwater.

Wonder why US salaries are skyrocketing? Look at these Coachella prices pic.twitter.com/VUjF8FyH71

— Raph Pour-Hashemi 📸 (@RaphPH) April 13, 2024