Coachella 2023: Inside the festival's brand houses

Coachella's one of the world's most high-profile music festivals - but it's almost as famous for brands as it is for bands.

Taking place over two weekends every year, with 2023's second leg currently under way, it brings 250,000 people to the Californian desert.

But it's also a magnet for companies and content creators looking to make deals and boost their followings.

So it's probably no surprise it's been dubbed the "influencer Olympics".

A major part of this image is brand houses - luxury villas, hotels and mansions booked up to a year in advance to create an "end-to-end experience" for celebs and internet personalities.

Brand houses usually have a theme and are elaborately decorated to match.

This year, US fashion giant Guess created the Guess Compound, with a brightly coloured beach house vibe.

Huge names including David Dobrik and Alix Earle were spotted there, after being flown to the event in a branded private jet.

The luxury continued after they touched down, and they were showered with free treats like spa days, makeovers, dinners and parties.

Most brands will also hand out complimentary products and merch, along with food and festival wristbands.

These would normally cost $549 (£441) for general admission, or $1069 (£860) for the VIP experience, which is what companies often opt for.

The benefit to brands is obvious. Alix Earle's Coachella content got more than 119 million views on TikTok, most of which included a reference to Guess.

Sophie Stanford has more than 1.5 million followers on Instagram and regularly posts fashion and beauty content.

No stranger to Coachella, she's been five times - three of them brand trips.

Influencers and celebrities are often chosen if they already have a relationship with a brand, and Sophie has been with make-up company NYX twice.

One year NYX hired out a hotel, creating styling spaces and hosting dinners and talks for their guests.

Sophie found that she spent the most time in the VIP area, not seeing the actual music, but that it was a great opportunity to boost her numbers.

Sophie says that for her it is work, not play.

"For me it kickstarts my festival content for the year. Coachella has so many eyes on it, it's a great marketing tactic," she says.

After 2023's first weekend, she racked up one million views on a video in just a few days - something not typical for her.

"I'm very professional when I'm on a press trip, and I'd always stick with the brands who would just be in VIP," she says.

"You just kind of stay with them all day, and you'd never really see that many acts.

"I always kind of felt like I was doing what the brand wanted me to do rather than going off. Obviously, I'm pretty sure you probably could go off, but I didn't want to go off on my own."

Sophie, who self-funded her previous two Coachella trips, says she finds it easier to enjoy the festival that way.

"The last two years I've actually paid for myself to go because I wanted to experience Coachella as a normal person," she says.

"I actually prefer it. Once I've created my content, I have fun."

Companies spend huge amounts of money to book out desirable properties for Coachella.

For the last two years Kourtney Kardashian's wellness brand Poosh has hired out Buena Vista, a huge 40-acre estate with a pool, lake, sports courts and more.

The price for a four-night stay during the same weekend next year is $300,000 - but a company will rent it for much longer to prepare for and clean up after the event.

Lois North, head publicist and founder of Pia Publicity, works with brands to in the run-up to Coachella and sends creators to the festival.

She thinks brands are spending more on the festival, and the focus has changed in 2023.

"From the moment the creator walks through the door you want that to be content-worthy experience," Lois says. "Brands go over the top."

"This year especially there hasn't been as many paid opportunities so they've had to go out their way to make sure as soon as someone walks through the door they want to get their phone out."

It seems to be a win-win situation.

Influencers who go to Coachella see an increase in their engagement, and if they tag or wear a particular brand, then that's more advertising.

Flourish reported that, in 2022, 43 million people viewed Coachella content. Popular Chip's statistics say that Coachella posts received 12.6% more views than usual.

Jaden Patel is a 24-year-old from Wolverhampton, who started saving up for Coachella last year as soon as he heard rumours Frank Ocean was performing.

And he got to see him last weekend during the first leg of the festival.

He told Newsbeat food and drink was very expensive, but "it felt like much more of a complete experience than a UK festival".

Jaden also says there was a "great mix" of people, and doesn't regret spending his cash on the tickets.

"Everyone was extremely friendly. That's what I was so surprised about, everyone was so welcoming," he says.

"I did make a lot of friends there that said they're going to be coming to the UK.

"Pretty much everyone loved the UK accent like you would suspect."

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