As ticket prices continue to soar, festival goers are opting for ‘buy now pay later’ (BNPL) plans to afford Coachella tickets.
This year Billboard reported that around 60% of the estimated 80,000 plus Coahcella attendees in 2025 chose BNPL options in comparison to 18% in 2018.
The festivals BNPL plans work a little different to popular providers like Klarna. Unlike Klarna who charge interest to those who fail to make payments on time, the festivals system requires an extra US$41 flat fee to use, cancels orders if payments are missed and issues credits that can be used for next year’s edition.
This year, it was reported that Coachella tickets have risen to US$649 for the three day general admission pass, in comparison to the US$429 it cost in 2020 and US$375 in 2015.
Experts have warned that the BNPL options for festivals may not be entirely safe.
“The issue is that more flexibility also gives more opportunities to overspend,” Wesley Yin, a professor of economics at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Observer.
“It really requires a lot of personal awareness of finances and spending, and that’s not always easy for the typical consumer.”
BNPL providers don’t always require credit checks and a 2023 survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that those who opt for these plans display disproportionately low credit scores.
Not only have BNPL options become increasingly popular for festivals like Coachella, but also for concerts and other events.
