Coachella didn’t start as the influencer Olympics. It started as a borderline financial mistake.
In 1999, promoters from Goldenvoice launched the first festival in Indio, California. Tickets were cheap. The lineup was legit. The vibe was cool, and they still lost money. Badly.
The following year? They didn’t even hold the festival. That’s how close this thing came to becoming a footnote instead of a cultural juggernaut. So if you’re picturing Coachella as this perfectly engineered, instantly iconic experience… it wasn’t.
It was built. Iterated. Refined. And eventually, somewhere along the way, it became something far more powerful than a music festival: It became a platform people use to be seen. That’s the angle most church leaders miss (if they’re actually familiar with Coachella to begin with.)
Coachella Isn’t About Music Anymore (And That’s the Point)
Here’s the reality: Coachella is no longer primarily a music event, it’s a content engine. Brands build activations. Influencers build outfits. Attendees build their personal brand. The music? Almost secondary.
People don’t just go to Coachella to experience something. They go to Coachella to BECOME something. And Coachella leaned into that instead of fighting it.
- Picture-perfect installations
- Highly designed spaces for photos
- Exclusive parties that signal status
- Branded environments that feel like mini-worlds
- Every inch of the festival is engineered for share-ability. Not accidentally. Intentionally. But before you start rolling your eyes and muttering something about “worldliness,” stay with me. Because this isn’t about copying Coachella, it’s about recognizing a shift in human behavior.
People Don’t Just Attend Experiences Anymore. They Curate Them.
There was a time when people went to events to consume. Now they go to events to create. Create content. Create identity. Create a story about themselves.
Maybe you’ve found yourself frustrated at all the people with their cell phones out at a concert, or Disneyland fireworks. Perhaps you’ve even said, “Just enjoy the moment.” But the world has shifted. People aren’t just enjoying the moment, they ARE the moment. By live streaming and sharing the content, they are associating themselves with that particular moment. It’s part of who they are (or want to be.)
And whether we like it or not, that instinct shows up at church too.
People are asking (subconsciously):
- “Is this a place I’d invite someone into?”
- “Does this reflect who I am becoming?”
- “Would I be proud to share this?”
Not in a shallow way, but a human way. Because identity has always been formed in community. Coachella just made it highly visible.
The Church Problem: We Design for Attendance, Not Expression
Most churches are built around one primary goal: Get people in the room. Which makes sense. Gathering matters. But here’s the problem…
We rarely think about what happens after they walk in.
- Is the environment thoughtful?
- is it intentional?
- is it something someone would want to bring a friend to?
Or is it…functional? Because Coachella isn’t functional. It’s crafted.
Every detail says something. And that’s where the challenge gets real for church leaders.
Coachella’s Real Genius: It Curates Micro-Environments
Coachella isn’t one experience, it’s a hundred smaller ones layered together.
- A chill lounge space
- A high-energy stage
- A branded pop-up
- A hidden speakeasy-style party
Different vibes. Different energy. Different entry points. All within the same event.
So people don’t just attend Coachella…
They find their Coachella.
Now compare that to most churches:
One room. One experience. One tone. You either like it… or you don’t. There’s very little room for discovery. Very little sense of, “I can find my place here.”
This Is Where It Gets Uncomfortable
Because the takeaway is not: “Add a photo booth and call it ministry.” The takeaway is this:
“Are you intentionally designing environments that help people engage… or just hoping they will? Because Coachella doesn’t hope. It engineers.”
- They think about flow
- They think about where people linger
- They think about what gets photographed
- They think about what feels exclusive vs. accessible
Nothing is accidental.
Meanwhile, churches will spend months crafting a sermon series… and about 17 minutes thinking about the lobby.
Practical Shifts (That Actually Matter)
Let’s make this real. Not philosophical. Not abstract.
1. Audit your environments like a first-time guest
Walk your campus like you’ve never been there. What feels intentional? What feels like an afterthought?
2. Create multiple “on-ramps” to engagement
Not everyone connects the same way. Where can people linger, talk, explore, or decompress?
3. Design for invitation, not just attendance
Would someone feel proud bringing a friend here? Not because it’s flashy… but because it’s thoughtful?
4. Think in moments, not just minutes
Where are the memorable touchpoints? The places people pause, connect, or say, “That was different”?
5. Stop ignoring the in-between spaces
Lobby. Kids check-in. Coffee area. Parking lot. These aren’t transitions. They’re experiences.
The Deeper Truth
Coachella became Coachella when it stopped trying to be just a concert…
…and started becoming a place where people could see themselves.
That’s why influencers show up. That’s why brands invest millions. Not because the music is better, but because the experience is designed with people in mind.
And here’s the part that should hit home for church leaders:
We have the most meaningful message in the world.
A message about identity. Belonging. Transformation. Purpose. And yet…
We often put that message inside environments that feel like they were designed as an afterthought.
Coachella doesn’t have a better message, but they are relentless about the environment that carries it.
Maybe it’s time we were too. (Also, Justin Bieber with his laptop and a YouTube playlist was brilliant!)
dc.
