Coachella is *the *festival. The one that kicks off the season by providing us with endless pictures of stars lolling around VIP areas wearing a bit of fringing and a floral piece.
Sadly, the highlight of the SoCal calendar is beyond the pockets of most UK-based mortals. If you factor in your flights (it's approx £750 to get to LAX), ticket (£225, pretty average for a festival now) and a sick motel with a pool full of inflatables, you're looking well over the £1K mark. But, whilst we will face an Easter full of Lindt bunny bum, 'Young Hollywood' fashion types and every Victoria's Secret model that ever was, will be cavorting around Indio, California. Oh, and some of them?* Some* of the A-List attendees are getting paid big bucks to attend.
We know, life is cruel. In the same way that many celebrities are paid to sit on the front row at the various fashion weeks (sorry to break it to you yet again - but a lot of those front rowers aren't just there because they adore the designer), they're are also being paid to attend Coachella. Thought Coachella regular Kate Bosworth was just a fan of the sunshine, beats and warm bar? Nuh uh. It's been reported that she is asking for $30,000 - that's £17,000 - (and two VIP passes) to attend. Meanwhile Lea Michele has received a paycheque for £12,000 from Lacoste to wear their clothes whilst in attendance and Vanessa Hudgens is being paid £8,900 by, er, McDonald's (!?) to hit up VIP section. We* really* hope that they will be dressing her, too.
Meanwhile, we were a bit sad to hear that our favourite Breaking Bad boy, Aaron Paul, is asking for £8,900 and even a good Christian boy like Joe Jonas wants around the £12,000 for product placement. The product being him - and the placement being, well, Coachella.
I mean, we get the theory. Snazzy stars are a commodity; if they attend, then the paps attend and Coachella makes it into the papers. PR job done! But the obvious kicker is that that having a few million in your back pocket should ensure that you have the requisite funds to buy your own ticket. And isn't charging what a lot of people get paid IN A YEAR for FOUR DAYS in a field, a bit disgusting? Sorry for the capitals - but you understand our sentiment, right?
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Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.