Coachella 2010: Say goodbye to single-day tickets

 
Interested in what Jay-Z and only Jay-Z will bring to the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival? Better make a weekend of it. This year, Coachella promoters are doing away with single-day tickets and offering only a $269 three-day ticket, a move, Goldenvoice leader and festival architect Paul Tollett said, designed to help enhance the experience for three-day pass buyers.

In cutting the single-day pass -- it is not available now, and there is no intention to make it available closer to the fest or even at the Coachella gate -- Tollett stressed other changes to this year's three-day bonanza of music in the desert. Camping prices have decreased, down from $55 per person to $57 per slot, regardless of the number of campers you can "cram into the spot," according to the festival website, and Coachella has added in-and-out privileges. 

"I understand that every time you make a change it’s great for some people, and it’s not great for others," Tollett said. "The other festivals around the world that have camping, you can buy only the pass. You don’t buy the single day -- Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, any of the super great ones."

But this decision wasn't based on me-too-syndrome. 

Tollett noted that the vast majority of Coachella attendees spring for the three-day pass. Since Coachella expanded to three days in 2007, Tollett said that more than 80% of concert-goers have bought multi-day passes. Cutting out the single-day, $99 ticket may result in alienating a number of fest-goers -- a financially sizable 20% of Coachella fans.

But Coachella, Tollett said, is a three-day event, and his goal is improving the experience for those willing to spring for the mutli-day ticket. Limited hotel rooms in the area, Tollett said, factored into his decision, as well as improving the daily traffic around the festival.

"The thing is," Tollett said, "there’s a lack of hotels in the Coachella Valley, and most have a three-day minimum. Many times what happens is people get a hotel for the three days, and only go to Coachella for one or two of the days. They hit Friday and Saturday, and go home or rest at the hotel on Sunday. That’s no problem, but the problem with that is that there are people who want that hotel and are going for three days. The single- and two-day people are clogging up the hotels and making it so people who want to go for three days can’t find a hotel."

The move has its detractors. The Coachella message boards are filled with angry fans, including those visiting from out of town for only a day, or those who don't want to spend the $269-plus service fees for the full ticket. An email to "info@coachella.com" generates an immediate auto-response, with the note that only three-day tickets will be available for 2010. 

For cost-conscious fans, Tollett emphasizes that Goldenvoice is once again offering layaway tickets, hopefully easing the financial strain.

"We’re really trying to make it great for the fan," Tollett said. "We understand it will affect some people who want to go for one day, but we have to protect the three-day people. It was a complex decision. We put some thought into it, and we’re trying our best to make it a good experience."

Those who purchase tickets on the day-of, Tollett said, will likely find pro-rated rather than single-day tickets available. 

-- Todd Martens

RELATED:

Coachella 2010: Jay-Z, Muse, Thom Yorke lead lineup

Ann Powers on Coachella's 2010 lineup: A model for recessionary times

Photo: The Coachella 2009 crowd. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[smitherssocal]

Its always nice when the geinuses at Goldenvoice make these types of decisions. No one is going to buy a 3 day pass to see Muse or Jay Z.

There will be single day passes when 3 day ticket sales tank.

Phil's comment about hotel bookings is total BS. I usually pick the strongest day and attend only one day.

Lolla, Outside lands all offer daily tickets. Perhaps I should spend my hard earned dough with the festival organizer that values my patronage.

Coachella is not a 3 day event. Its a 2 day event that over time has changed focus for more $$$.

[Greedy move by Coachella]

If 80% already buy the 3-day then why not let the minority 20% have the option of seeing what they wish? The real reason is they want to control re-sale market for single day tickets. In past years the 3-day pass was 3 single-day tickets, and people who wanted to go to 2 out of 3 days would just sell their extra day, but of course the organizer doesn't get to pocket that. It's nothing more than a money grab at the expense of fans which amounts to pure greed, especially in this economy. I still expect them to release a limited amount of single days close to the festival date.

[Single Days]

Does anyone know how these "festival passes" are distributed? i.e. Do you get 3 separate hard tickets for each day, or a single badge good for the whole festival?

[Morano]

Goodbye Coachella. We had some good times together.

[Sum1]

Goldenvoice says 80% of people buy 3 day passes? Why was Friday absolutely dead last year? I doubt those numbers are accurate. Goldenvoice, stop the nonsense. Cave in now before later, you'll have tons of fans left over still. Or do you want this to become vegoose?

[sum1]

Also, if you want to sell more 3 day passes, be consistent. It's every other year now, you have good undercard bands and lame headliners, or vice versa. Maybe you could find a way to have a consistent lineup and more people would be attracted to 3 days. This year it's pretty good headliners, but mostly mediocre chick bands and some drowsy string strummers. Good luck, but not too much.

[Karma Police]

If you believe that the decision to abolish single-day passes was made with the fan's best interests in mind, then i've got a bridge i'd like to sell you.

Nice attempt at damage control, Goldenvoice. But the corporate machinations at work here are totally transparent. And it doesn't look like i'm the only one hoping for this scheme to crash, burn and inevitably result in the same freedom of choice Coachella-goers have had for the last decade.

If it doesn't, i'll be pouring one out for the Coachella that once was - and putting my concert dollars elsewhere.

[Angel]

Line up looks great.. Wish they let a few other great LA bands in the party like Voxhaul Broadcast, ect...

[JAHWA]

BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!! BUY THE DAMN TICKET AND HAVE A GOOD TIME... REGARDLESS! PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BITCH AND COMPLAIN AS LONG AS SOMETHING ISN'T CONVENIENT FOR THEM. NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE, ESPECIALLY A GOOD TIME. FRIDAY & SATURDAY HEADLINERS SUCK ASS, BUT THAT WON'T KEEP ME FROM HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE... AGAIN! COACHELLA, I LOVE YOU... TILL THE END!!!!

[happy coachella]

Every single one of you is a hater!!!
I'm happy this year they're only making it possible for 3-day concert-goers to attend! Single day people don't appreciate the beauty of Coachella there for should not be allowed in on the fun.

Suck an egg haters! :P

79 days left!

i <3 Coachella

[Fan]

I was going to go to Coachella for the first time ever this year. It was great that I was getting to see Muse on Saturday. I've got a job and I live in another city so I simply cannot go on Friday and I could only stay half of Sunday to get back, so, really, $270 for only one day I can actually enjoy? It's just not going to happen.

[$$Coachella$$]

This is nothing but a cash grab for Goldenvoice and means less choice for concert-goers. 3-day-only passes means more expensive tickets, less work for the organizers, it means that more people will have to camp and potentially more food and beverage sales since people will be living there for three days (no outside food or beverages allowed). Anyone who thinks they're looking out for the fans is a tool or a fanboy.

Give us back the option of choosing what days we want to go, or you won't get my money Coachella.

[Sunshine]

Please! Please! Please put the single-day tickets back on sale !!!

[Fonzie]

Coachella has officially "jumped the shark". It's time to move on and support the next honest music festival, where organizers care about the music, fans, and the experience of all who want to attend, not just those who are willing to shell out $300 for the weekend pass.

Seriously, if you'd like to increase traffic and 3 day attendance, then concentrate on the acts and entice us to be there all days.

Make no mistake about it, this move is about money and nothing else!

[BYE BYE COACHELLA]

VOTE WITH YOUR WALLETS

Don't be bullied into buying 3 day passes. If you don't agree with this decision, don't give in! If enough of us boycott the 3 day passes, they will have to release single day tickets. Trust me, 3 day passes will NOT sell out. Do your part to keep them honest!

Worst case, you can always buy 3 day passes the day of the show, but we have to stand up to these greedy promoters.

[Rick]

LAME. Just another plot to make more money out of this event. This is a classic rape to the Coachella fun and they're are only doing this to cash in on the Coachella die-hards. This is totally unfair and subjects people to see lame bands no one wants to see or stuff no one has ever heard of. LAME, LAME, LAME!!

[Angel of Self-Promotion]

"Line up looks great.. Wish they let a few other great LA bands in the party like Voxhaul Broadcast, ect..."

[aduncan]

poor decision

[We're reeaally trying]

"We're really trying to make it great for the fans, (by forcing them to spend more money). "We understand it will affect some people who want to go for one day (but I really don't care about that), we have to protect the three day people (from the people who couldn't spend as much money as them). It was a complex decision (until we remembered we really like money). We put some thought into it (and realized ch-ching!) and we're trying our best to make it a good experience (when we look at our bank accounts later).

[scott]

In response to "Single Days": At festivals like Bonnaroo, you are given a wristband upon entering and cannot take it off for the rest of the three days. That's your proof of admission if you want to leave and come back later. There are not individual tickets for each day. I imagine that's how it will be for Coachella this year.

The only reason this is an issue is because people don't like having something and then having it taken away. Coachella probably shouldn't have been offering single-day passes to begin with. At Bonnaroo, single day passes aren't available, and no one cares. You either make the investment or you don't.

Having everyone there for all 3 days makes for a better festival experience. You get more real music fans, not just those who come for one or two bands.

[can't wait for april]

so i only went 2 days last year, and was kicking myself for not staying for the third. it is what it is, just buy the pass already. i think its awesome, this will filter out the one-day-passers that are there just to see jay-z. wtf!
you can't be in 2 places at one time, and this line up looks pretty f-ing rad, im gonna be runnin my booty around the field like crazy, and see what i can see... you never get it all. last words, $300 is worth one day at coachella... great bands, great friends, and great memories (and pictures)... you can't beat it! buy the pass! see you all there:)

[Not cool]

I too feel that this is not fair. In some ways, I do feel like some of the people who said it will weed out the riff raff who are there to see Jay Z. But not really, because it will just weed out the people who can't pay the 3 day pass price, such as people like me who love music and only want to pay for one day and see as many bands that happen to all fall on that day. And I don't see how it makes the festival experience better. I could give a damn about the festival experience - I'm there to hear music and I don't care who else is there or is not there! And the bs about the hotels being the reason. Puhlease, that is the strangest excuse. At least come up with a good excuse. I too feel that we should boycott 3 day passes and they will hopefully release one day as it gets closer.

[Joe]

Coachella already started on its path to devastation last year with the major price hike? Packaging 99 crappy bands with 3 good ones to make money. Not exactly "cool" in my book. There will be a bunch of rich, boring people there, and most will probably leave Friday night. I remember the good old days, there were "good" bands and the price was cheap.

[marko]

I do not buy Tollet's reasons at all.

This is nothing more than damage control.

Take out the camping variable and Lolla, Roo, Reading, and Glato all sell single day passes. The hotel arguement is completely FALSE as well. Sure the area around Indio proper fills up, but if your willing to drive the 30 minutes from Palm Springs, then there are more than enough hotels in the area.

We can debate the strength of the lineups all day long, but honestly, Coachella has gone down hill since 2004. maybe 2006. It has stayed crowded, thru tough economic times, and good. So this move claiming to be in the name of the fan is BS.

I know poeple who WORK on Friday in LA till about 6, so that basically cuts Friday out for them (remember when this was a 2 DAY event?) So $300 for 2 days? I don't think so, the line up has never been THAT strong.

Let's hope they keep their word though, let's hope NOT to see single day passes. Give them a year to see what's up, if it works then nothing will change if the attendance drops (which it WON'T) then maybe the single days will come back. Don't hold your breath though I remember when they said they would cap attendance at 50,000, next year they had over 62,000. It's all about the $$$$.

[Raider Ralf]

I think this idea is great! MOST single day attendees are there for one band. They can care less about what being at Coachella (the WHOLE experience) is all about. Seriously, I look forward to this event more than my birthday or Christmas. So I put money aside from every check to save up for Coachella. If you really are there for the experience and the memories and the music, you shouldn't have any excuses on not attending this year or any year for that matter. Charge it, save it or put it on layaway but stop crying that you can't afford it.