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The Guardian World1 min read
Coachella campers are turning tents fancy - and not all Brits are happy
TL;DR
Coachella campers are upgrading their tents to luxurious setups, featuring full-size beds and showers. This trend, dubbed 'performative camping,' is causing mixed reactions, especially among British festival-goers.
Key points
- Coachella features luxurious camping setups.
- Campers are using cars to create elaborate tents.
- Trend is called 'performative camping.'
- British festival-goers are reacting negatively.
- Festival takes place in Palm Springs, California.
For anyone who has experienced the chaos of a British festival campsite, videos coming from Coachella could certainly raise eyebrows.
Some of those attending the much talked about festival, which takes place over two weekends each year in Palm Springs, California, are ditching hastily assembled pop-up tents and crumpled gazebos.
Instead, they're driving cars onto the campsite and creating an elaborate tent behind the car - with full-size beds, dressing rooms and even their own showers.
Car camping itself is nothing new, but the OTT way some Coachella campers are doing it this year is sparking conversation online.
It's even been labelled "performative camping" - where you make your pitch as fancy as possible and film it for social media clout.
Ali Calder's TikTok videos of her Coachella camp racked up millions of views last weekend.
"I got a three inch memory foam mattress pad so it felt just like my bed at home," Ali says. "For the tent itself I [built] walls and my decorations were super fun."
She also put up LED lights and brought her own shower and a cooler, which she "filled with drinks and snacks like hummus and salsa".
There was even a disco ball, an electric fan, a selection of blankets and a furry rug to complete the set-up.
The 31-year-old from Arizona, who is attending Coachella for the fifth time, tells me "half the fun" of car camping is "all the decorating and having a cool place to come back to".
There are several different accommodation options, similar to those offered at British festivals.
These include standard camping where you bring your own tent, and glamping which involves staying in more expensive pre-erected tents and cabins. This year, Coachella says car camping is its "most popular overnight option".
Ali says the cost to camp from Thursday to Monday was $500 (£370) - which included upgrading to a plot closest to the festival stages - and general admission tickets cost about $600 (£443) for all three days.
Many of Coachella's celebrity guests choose to stay away from the festival site, in hotels and rented properties, mirroring behaviour at UK festivals like Glastonbury.
Ali's TikTok video, which she says she posted "just for the memories", quickly attracted the attention of Brits.
"I couldn't stop laughing [at the comments] because obviously my setup was the ultimate girly glamping experience and people were sending me pictures of a chair in mud with a tent next to it," she jokes.
"No-one's really hating on [my set-up] and I mean each to their own. If that's your vibe, to just have a pop-up tent, then all power to you," she adds.
Q&A
What is 'performative camping' at Coachella?
'Performative camping' refers to the trend where festival-goers create elaborate and luxurious tent setups for social media visibility.
How are Coachella campers enhancing their camping experience?
Campers are driving cars onto the site and setting up elaborate tents with full-size beds, dressing rooms, and showers.
Why are some Brits unhappy with Coachella camping trends?
Some British festival-goers are raising eyebrows at the extravagant camping setups seen at Coachella, contrasting them with traditional British festival experiences.
Where does Coachella take place?
Coachella is held in Palm Springs, California, over two weekends each year.
