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Illustration by Annelise Capossela/For The Washington Post; iStock
What’s at stake for creators at Coachella
For creators like makeup artist Sydney Morgan, Coachella is both an “I made it” moment and the most demanding work trip of the year.
“Weekend one is very much the ‘Creator Olympics’,” said Morgan, a beauty creator with more than 20 million followers across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram who is attending the festival for her fifth time this year. Instead of going with a brand, she planned to self fund her weekend this time around – though she later landed a YouTube deal to help cover her costs.
Morgan estimates she is investing $10,000 to attend, between festival tickets, outfits and renting an Airbnb with six other creators (which needs to be both walking distance from the festival and have a pool for creating content). It’s the least she’s ever spent to attend, after cutting back on other costs, such as not hiring a stylist. But it’s worth it, she said, because Coachella is an investment.
While the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is best known as a major music event, the festival and the constellation of exclusive brand activations orbiting it have become a cultural and commercial apex for the creator economy. Millions of dollars are on the line for creators and brands chasing a breakout moment that boosts followers, amplifies cultural influence and drives real revenue.
In the weeks leading up to the desert weekend’s kickoff this Friday, social media feeds have filled with aspiring influencers angling for tickets and brand deals, planning and making outfits and content, or lamenting their lack of party invites or being uninvited. For those who do secure their way, the payoff can be substantial: a rare convergence of visibility, networking and potentially career-defining content opportunities.
“There are so many times girls go from literally zero to 100-kind-of vibes just from Coachella content," said Amanda Smith, a talent manager at UnderCurrent Talent. “You could genuinely go from 60,000 to 300,000 followers in just a couple of days … that can really only be done at Coachella.”
That potential payoff means that for creators who manage to secure a spot on the list at any Coachella-adjacent event, the festival is just as much work as play, if not more.
Inside retailer Revolve’s Coachella strategy
The Coachella ecosystem extends far beyond the official festival grounds, and no brand has capitalized on the space better than Revolve, a fashion retailer that is returning to the desert for the ninth Revolve Festival headlined by Don Toliver this year.
Unlike Coachella, you can’t just buy wristbands to Revolve’s event (though top buyers of the fashion retailer are invited), adding an extra degree of FOMO and exclusivity. Raissa Gerona, the chief brand officer of Revolve who leads creator strategy for the brand’s festival, shared with me how she and her team plan every detail for months and how they pick which creators get invited.
“I always know that it’s very close to Revolve Festival when my DMs are popping – it’s just like, ‘Hi, my name is; I’ve followed you for this; how can I get invited?’” she said.
The company’s entire brand marketing team of around 60 people have been planning this year’s Revolve Festival since late last summer – and would have started immediately after last year’s event if not for the fact that they are repeating venues. In addition, a production agency has already been on the ground for over a week building out the setup for this year’s “The Grand Revivre” themed event, Gerona said.
In her view, the relentless cold emails and messages from aspiring attendees are proof of the return on investment of Revolve’s creator-centric approach and how such events have helped the brand build its identity and convert content into actual site visitors and purchases.
The Takeover
🫧 Reale Actives hit $1 million in sales in less than five minutes
🎰 Vegas influencers say middle class tourists are being priced out
🏰 The New York Times profiled the Plus Size Park Hoppers
⭐ Assistants vs. Agents is launching a live weekly show
💼 OpenAI bought TBPN and says the show will remain editorially independent
🗳️ Two veteran Democratic strategists started a TBPN-inspired politics show
🎙️ Red Seat Ventures announced creator platform Speakeasy, developed within Fox
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The Group Chat
FIRST IN VERIFIED: The Democratic National Committee will host Carlos Eduardo Espina, one of the top political creators and among the most followed Spanish-language creators in the country, at the DNC’s spring meeting in New Orleans this week. Espina will deliver remarks to the DNC’s full membership during a general session about how he built his platform, the need for authenticity online and how Democrats can improve their digital outreach – particularly to communities Espina has experience mobilizing, such as young and Latino voters.
Espina recently starred in a Spanish-language ad for James Talarico’s Texas Senate primary, was a top surrogate for the campaign and is being courted by 2028 candidates. In a statement, DNC Chair Ken Martin said Espina’s “story is inspiring and instructive on how to break through the noise online with authentic, consistent engagement.”
The remarks are the DNC’s latest foray into engaging and building relationships with creators. According to a DNC official, the committee provides messaging guidance to creators and has built a creator network with a reach of over 75 million followers.
Close Friends
Brand win: Staples baddie Oblivion visited HQ.
Brand misfire: European Wax Center’s 11 minute grace period for Jake Shane.
‘Summer House’ drama social star: Adam Glyn scored interviews with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Andy Cohen and Kyle Cooke.
Can’t stop watching: moon content, particularly that from astronaut Victor Glover’s daughter Maya Glover.
Main character of the week: the Bryant Park bouncing bird.
New series I’m obsessed with: Knox’s post-lunch walks, boyfriend predicting my brain and Gen X parent karaoke.
A parting question: are you a creator?
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