From muddy fields and a message of peace to desert concerts and fashion, Woodstock and Coachella have shown how much music festivals have changed over the last 50 years.
The iconic 1969 Woodstock festival and the ongoing Coachella festival stand as iconic bookends in the music industry.
While both concerts are represented by massive crowds, each tells different stories about youth culture and the spirit of new generations.
Festivals background
Woodstock
Before Woodstock ‘69, the U.S. got involved in the Vietnam War. In 1965, the U.S. military escalated its involvement when it sent combat troops to the Gulf of Tonkin.
The war was controversial for its unclear justification, a military draft that targeted the poor, and unfiltered media coverage that exposed American eyes to what war really is.
The Vietnam War gave Woodstock a purpose: to show peace and love through the passion of music, which gives Woodstock their famous slogan of“Three Days of Peace & Music.”
Woodstock was a three-day long music festival that indulged in diverse genres of music performed by artists in front of a large audience. It featured different types of music such as jazz fusion, rock, folk and blues and did two more events in 1994 and 1999, all in New York.
Coachella
In 1993, Pearl Jam would host a concert at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. where nearly 25,000 people watched them perform.
This large audience concert sparked an idea for concert planners Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen. In 1999, Coachella went live for its first festival.
Coachella is an annual festival held every year at Empire Polo Club that consists of numerous genres, unique clothing fashions and attractions over consecutive weekends.
It is hosted annually by Goldenvoice, a Los Angeles based concert promoter, and allows people to express themselves through fashion, art and music. Coachella is known as an “outlet for expression.”
Festival conditions to be cautionary of
Woodstock
Woodstock’s festivals had an average attendance of 400,000 to 500,000, but the real number of people who attended is unknown due to people sneaking in.
Woodstock had multiple different festival locations with Woodstock ‘99 being held on Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, N.Y. Woodstock ‘99 is notorious for its heat, shoulder to shoulder audience and poor infrastructure.
Coachella
Coachella’s festivals have an average audience of 125,000 people, but it’s more spacious than Woodstock.
Coachella is held in the Colorado Desert, so attendees prepare by wearing comfortable shoes, breathable fabric, hats & sunglasses to protect them from dust storms and temperatures that can exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
People have claimed to get blistering sunburn and walk away with blisters on their feet from standing all day.
Iconic Performances
Limp Bizkit, Woodstock 1999
Limp Bizkit, a famous metal band known for their intense music and famous album “Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water,” is currently on tour as of late 2025 and into 2026.
Limp Bizkit’s performance during Woodstock ‘99 shocked the general public when riots broke out after the song “Break Stuff” was performed from the band’s 1999 album “Significant Other.”
During the performance, fans started tearing plywood off structures and throwing them into mosh pits.
After the performance, the band was blamed for inciting riots and chaos during their performance.
Benson Boone, Coachella 2025
Benson Boone, a famous American songwriter known for his high-pitched vocals, performed a cover of the rock band Queen’s song “Bohemian Rhapsody” during his 2025 Coachella performance with Queen guitarist Brian May.
During the performance, May performed his famous solo on the electric guitar during the song Bohemian Rhapsody. It was the first time he performed since suffering from a minor stroke that paralyzed his left arm in 2024.
Boone’s debut at Coachella was a mark in modern history music because of his dynamic energy and passion to shed light on the band “Queen.”
Ticket Prices
Woodstock
Tickets for 1969 Woodstock festival were sold at $18 in advance, and $24 at the gate for the full three-day music festival. These tickets are equivalent to $150 today.
Organizers for Woodstock set ticket prices cheaper than usual to have higher attendance and allow younger people to attend the festival.
During the original Woodstock 1969 festival, organizers were overwhelmed by the number of people sneaking in and were forced to declare it a free festival.
Coachella
A general admission pass for one weekend at the 2025 Coachella festival started at $499, not including taxes and fees.
For people seeking an exclusive experience, VIP passes began at over $1,000, giving access to special viewing areas and vendors.
Prices for this festival increase every year: prices started at $375 in 2015 and will start at $649 in 2026.
Ticket prices are high for this festival allowing people to express themselves through design and fashion.
