Coachella, Outside Lands, Lollapalooza and Governors Ball all have something in common: they are insanely expensive. Ranging from $395 to $475 for general admission tickets alone, avid festival goers have emptied out their bank accounts for what some might say is the best weekend of the year.

    Despite being a two month paycheck for most, the experience outweighs the cost, making it completely worth it. During festivals, you are able to see multiple music artists in one weekend and can get, or rather earn, a spot as close to the stage as you want. Standing third row at Coachella for Kendrick Lamar rather spending over a grand to see him alone on a stadium tour is a convincing possibility.

According to Lollapalooza’s website, they have over 170 performances at eight different stages throughout the span of four days during the Chicago Festival. Even though you can’t be in multiple places at once, customizable set schedules allow you to see exactly who you want to see.

Going to a music festival isn’t just any ordinary experience; people come together in ways they haven’t before. Everyone is there to celebrate being alive with good music and delicious food. People look out for each other, to a certain extent, and make sure everyone is nothing but happy.

Others might disagree and say there are more important things to spend money on. On average, music festivals can add up to about $1,000 all together. When attending Coachella, gas, food, transportation, clothing, hotel room or camping pass are all necessary, added expenses. According to Time, the cheapest route for their 2017 festival consisted of buying the ticket as soon as they’re released for $399, setting $50 aside towards gas for a round trip, $113 for a car camping pass, and then split among multiple people, $50 for food and water, and $15 on possible drinks, totaling $627. On the pricier side, out-of-towners have to add about $280 for a plane ticket to LAX, $474 for a general admission pass with shuttle pass, about $300 for a hotel, and $100 for food and water. That rings up to an immense total of $1,154. Although the cost of music festivals vary depending on how far you live from the location.

It is true that you can use the money spent on this one weekend for more important necessities such as paying bills, groceries and vacations, but you can’t judge it until you experience it.

The music festival industry is growing rapidly every year, a reason tickets sell out in minutes to younger generations more and more every year. Growing audiences directly influence the 47.3 million one festival in Indio made alone. Hopefully, as time goes on music festivals will decrease their prices due to competition between other music festivals. 

    Nothing will ever beat seeing your favorite music artist live surrounded by others that appreciate it just as much as you. It’s the ultimate escape from reality, until you get home and your savings have a dent.