Ever wonder what Coachella is really like for ‘mere mortals?’ A woman has gone viral online after she documented the reality of attending the music festival when you’re not ‘a celebrity or an influencer’ – and it may not be what you expected.
The woman, named Jax, was at both weekends of Coachella this year – which took place on April 15-17 and April 24-26 and saw performers like Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and The Weeknd take the stage – and she has attended the event five other times in the past.
Each year, a slew of influencers and famous faces flock to the dessert of California to attend the sought-after event.
And while most of them make it look like a luxurious and extravagant affair – often posting videos and photos to their social media accounts from lavish hotel rooms or stunning mansions that they rented out for the weekend, and sharing clips of themselves dancing, singing, and having the times of their lives – Jax has revealed that it’s not always that glamorous.
A woman has gone viral online after she documented the reality of attending Coachella when you’re not ‘a celebrity or an influencer’ – and it may not be what you expected
The woman, named Jax, was at both weekends of Coachella this year – which took place on April 15-17 and April 24-26 and saw performers like Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and The Weeknd
She opened up about what it’s like for those who don’t have VIP passes or a five-star resort to stay in, and it turns out, it’s a very different experience
She opened up about what it’s like for those who don’t have VIP passes, access to delicious lunches served by private chefs, or a five-star resort to stay in, and it turns out, it’s a very different experience.
She slept in a tent on nearby camping grounds – forcing her to trek back and forth from the campsite to the festival – and cooked her own meals on a hot plate.
According to Jax, she arrived in Indio, California – where the festival takes place – at 6AM on the day before it was set to kick off. She and her friends rented a tent and were staying on camp grounds nearby
Jax’s weekend consisted of blisters, lots of walking, spending hours in the hot sun, and very little sleep – however, it did seem like she had an amazing time anyway.
She shared her experience in a series of TikTok videos which have now gone viral – with the most-watched one gaining more than 10 million views.
Jax responded to a Coachella vlog that was posted on the video streaming site by an influencer named Kate Bartlett, which showed her being served delicious-looking steak for lunch, getting her makeup done by a professional, being bused to the festival on an airconditioned shuttle, and watching the performances up close from a VIP section.
‘That is not what it’s like. Maybe if you’re rich or an influencer, but I’ve been to seven Coachellas and let me show you what it’s really like for us mere mortals,’ Jax began in her own video.
According to Jax, she arrived in Indio, California – where the festival takes place – at 6AM on the day before it was set to kick off.
After arriving at the grounds, each cars had to be searched by security (pictured). Jax and her crew then took time to set up their tent
The camp grounds offers many ‘cool’ activities like BINGO, ring tosses, human tic tac toe, giant flip cup, yard pong, and capture the flag
Unfortunately, Jax said they ‘barely’ got to do any of them because it was ‘too hot’ and they were too tired from ‘lack of sleep.’ She is pictured on the camp grounds
She and her friends spent the first day shopping, snacking, drinking, and getting to know the others who were also staying on the camp grounds
After arriving at the grounds, each cars had to be searched by security. Jax and her crew then took time to set up their tent.
‘Day Zero, 6AM, barely slept [so I could] pack, and you’re in line to get your car searched for paraphernalia,’ she said, as a montage of clips showed her and her squad waiting in line and parking. ‘If you pass security, the fun begins.’
‘You set up camp, then you walk around the camp grounds, ‘suss out the vibes. Once you immerse yourself, you’ll likely love camping like I did.’
Jax suggested that people get there early like she did to ensure they get a good parking spot.
She continued, ‘By this time some people are still just arriving and they get a far [parking] spot, so pro tip: come early.
‘The camp grounds offer so many cool activities like sound baths, dodgeball, and so much more, and we barely do any of them. Sadly, it’s just way too hot… and lack of sleep!’
Other activities offered on the camp grounds included games like BINGO, ring tosses, human tic tac toe, giant flip cup, yard pong, and capture the flag.
The next morning, Jax started her day off by eating scrambled eggs (left), which they cooked themselves. She was thankful she brought her own coffee (right) since the lines were ‘so long’
Rather than having her makeup done professionally, she did it herself in a ‘janky makeup station’ she created in the tent
Jax’s weekend consisted of blisters, lots of walking, and hours in the hot sun – however, it seemed like she had an amazing time anyway. Her friend is pictured on the camp grounds
They spent the first day shopping, snacking, drinking, and getting to know the others who were also staying on the camp grounds.
‘Insider tip, only on Day Zero do they give you an opportunity to snag vintage Coachella merch,’ she shared.
‘Then you walk back to your safe haven to snack, drink, make some friends, team bond, and then nap to prepare for the night.’
She ended the night with a ‘not-so-silent disco’ party.
The next morning, Jax started her day off by eating a plate of scrambled eggs, which they cooked themselves on a hot plate in their tent.
While Bartlett revealed that she was offered a platter full of fresh fruit in her video, Jax joked that she had the choice between eggs or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
‘Day one, pro tip, bring your own coffee, the lines are so long in the blazing sun,’ she added. ‘Yes we are so posh, we have eggs for breakfast.’
Rather then getting her glam done professionally like Bartlett did in her vlog, Jax did hers herself.
After doing her makeup, Jax then headed to the festival – they walked, since there was no shuttle provided for them – and watched their first performance of the day, Still Woozy
Although she said the guests with VIP tickets got to stand in front of them so they were farther back from the stage, she added that she was ‘still vibing’
She of course made sure to stop and take some social media snaps at various photo spots
She set up her own makeup station in her tent – complete with a mini fan due to the blazing heat.
‘Here’s my janky makeup station, but it worked,’ she said, while showing off her set up.
‘I’m proud of my makeup station, we had a fan because my foundation was melting as I applied it… You know the sweat bubbles on your nose?’
She then headed to the festival – they walked, since there was no shuttle provided for them – and watched their first performance of the day, Still Woozy.
She gushed: ‘Something as simple as knowing you’re about to see great music with great people is such a wonderful feeling.’
Although she said the guests with VIP tickets got to stand in front of them so they were farther back from the stage, she added that she was ‘still vibing.’
She made sure to stop and take some social media snaps at various photo spots, and said they drank ‘everything that was offered to them.’
Each year, a slew of influencers and famous faces flock to the dessert of California to attend the sought-after event. Social media star Kate Bartlett is pictured at Coachella
Most of them make it look like a luxurious affair – however, Jax has revealed that it’s not always that glamorous. Influencers Bartlett and Lauren Wolfe are pictured at Coachella
‘That is not what it’s like. Maybe if you’re rich or an influencer, but let me show you what it’s really like for us mere mortals,’ Jax said on TikTok. Bartlett is pictured at Coachella
‘You usually do photos right when you come in so you can get them out of the way so you can enjoy what you really came for: the live music,’ she shared.
‘We drank everything that offered to us that was sealed, like win bags or vodka pops. We shot-gunned beers, really just enjoyed sharing and reciprocity.’
For lunch, Bartlett was served cauliflower and steak, while Jax had hot dogs that she and her friends made themselves.
After a long day of partying and enjoying the music, Jax walked back to her tent with ‘numb’ feet and went to bed at 4AM. The next morning, she recalled waking up ‘feeling like a zombie’ but ready to ‘do it all over again.’
‘Wake up feeling like a zombie for day two with big a** blisters from your fashion statement decisions,’ she said. ‘And you do it all over again.’
Throughout the weekend, she also saw Masago, Disclosure, Flume, Megan Thee Stallion, Eilish, 21 Savage, Big Sean, Slander.