The infamous Coachella has gone from being an inclusive, free music festival into an influencer fiasco. Still, many who don’t attend Coachella still have opinions on every aspect of the memorable event. 

 “It’s kind of more tailored to like people who can afford it and influencers and I feel like it should be available to more people,” senior Eman Hussain said.

Whether it be commenting on the newest outfits that influencers are wearing, the set list for the concert, the artist’s performance, or the crowd’s enthusiasm, watchers at home are the people that make the great occasion of Coachella as significant as it is.

“It used to be a free event where you can express your love for music. Now it’s kind of just became a celebrity and influencer event,”  freshman Brianna Carra said.

Now when many think of Coachella, they imagine the extravagant, planned outfits that those who attend walk the festival in. Because of the exclusivity of Coachella, the outfits are almost as or just as memorable as the music.

“They can set a lot of trends, specifically for fashion,” Carra said.

With countless watching at home observing and criticizing every outfit online, those who attend treat the event like a Met Gala. Many plan months ahead with DIY clothing or hire stylists. While this adds to the cost and sense of importance to the event, many feel this added effort is worth avoiding public humiliation.

Still, influencers are seen wearing the same outfits numerous times or even just a t-shirt and jean shorts. Some feel as if Coachella should go back to being about self-expression through outfits instead of a cash grab towards those avoiding being ridiculed online since it is taking away from the event’s true meaning.

“I feel like you don’t really need a stylist for Coachella, I think you need more of you,” Carra said.

This Coachella has been especially notable as Justin Bieber has fans calling the entire event “Bieberchella”. The pop star that gradually lost significance as he grew up has made a comeback by performing his old songs with the same enthusiasm as when he played them in the 2010’s. The initial Bieber Fever that so many felt for Justin those years had returned.

“He performed after a long time, so I think that’s a win,” Hussain said.

Since Coachella is such a notorious event, not only are the outfits expected to be over-the-top, but the performances as well. If an audience feels that an artist isn’t putting in enough effort into their voice, the singing, and the production, it falls flat, even for Bieber.

“Justin Bieber’s one, that one was just kind of YouTube-ish…because I saw Sabrina and Addison Rae, those were pretty good performances,” said Carra.

While many loved the throwback to his later works, others were underwhelmed by how low-effort the performance seemed. Fans criticized as Bieber spent his time on stage playing music videos of his younger self in a hoodie, especially when compared to fellow headliner Sabrina Carpenter’s choreographed performance. Whether it was seen as lazy or candid, Justin Bieber’s performance was unanimously the most divisive show of the event.