Do you find yourself with a faint sense of claustrophobia at Coachella these days? Perhaps it’s the enhanced security (who make the TSA look like 4th Amendment activists), or possibly the visual overload of the inescapable explosion of advertising – but chances are, that feeling you’re getting is likely due to the fact that, year after year, attendance numbers for the Coachella Arts & Music Festival keep hitting record highs. Looking at the ticket sales for Coachella 2013, the pace doesn’t seem to be slowing – despite the festival’s expansion to two weekends.
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In 1999, the festival’s first year in operation, only about 25,000 music fans made the trek out to the polo fields of Indio to see the likes of Tool, Rage Against The Machine, Beck and Morrissey over two days in October, and as a result organizers suffered severe financial losses. After taking the next year off to regroup, Coachella returned in force in 2001, and has since exploded in a nearly 400% daily attendance uptick between its inaugural year and 2012.
Going bankrupt is no longer a concern, either: Last year, ticket sales brought in over $47 million for event promoter Goldenvoice, and an economic report said the festival brought in $254.4 million for the town of Indio. A deal was recently announced as well that keeps the festival in Indio until 2030.
For a breakdown of per-day attendance figures dating back to 1999, based on information from Coachella organizers, Goldenvoice and the Indio Police Department, Digital Music News has put together this informative chart breaking down the figures:
With the confidence of having at least a semi-permanent home, organizers now have the opportunity to fine-tune the desert music marathon for an even greater festival experience. And if you want to see what it takes to set up facilities for 80,000-plus Coachella attendees, take a look at this video, produced by The Do LaB, the company behind many of the amazing structures and circus-style atmosphere featured at Coachella each year.
Check out our ongoing Coachella coverage, and we’ll see you on the fields of Indio!
