In 2019, Jessie Ware faced a particularly challenging experience at Coachella. As a singer nominated for the Mercury Prize, she had high expectations for her set at the music festival. However, after a disappointing performance and technical difficulties, she considered leaving the music industry altogether. The clash between Ware’s more introspective music and the youthful crowd at Coachella made for a difficult atmosphere. At 33 years old, she felt out of place singing about topics like motherhood to an audience who might not fully appreciate her message. Even her own mother, who was in attendance, gave her honest feedback urging her to consider quitting music altogether.
Despite the challenges she faced at Coachella, Ware ultimately decided to continue with her music career. However, many artists and attendees are starting to turn away from the festival due to its association with influencer culture. In recent years, Coachella has struggled to sell out, with only 80 percent of its 250,000 tickets being sold in 2024. This decline in ticket sales could indicate a larger shift in the music festival industry away from events like Coachella and towards smaller, more intimate gatherings.
The vast desert skies and indifferent audiences at Coachella can make it challenging for some artists to perform there. In 2019, Jessie Ware had a particularly tough time after a disappointing set at the music festival. She considered leaving the music industry altogether after experiencing technical difficulties during her performance while also competing for audience attention with Cardi B on another stage.
Ware’s clash with Cardi B’s youthful crowd made for an especially challenging atmosphere as Ware felt out of place singing about topics like motherhood to an audience who might not fully appreciate her message.
Even Ware’s own mother gave her honest feedback urging her to consider quitting music altogether.
Despite these challenges, Ware ultimately decided to continue with her music career. However, many artists and attendees are turning away from Coachella due to its association with influencer culture.
In recent years, Coachella has struggled to sell out as only 80 percent of its 250,000 tickets were sold in 2024. This decline in ticket sales could indicate a larger shift in the music festival industry towards smaller and more intimate gatherings.
