It's the festival to trump them all, and after two years of cancellations (including the notable absence of crochet and fringe from our social feeds), Coachella is back, baby. But despite Harry Styles unveiling a couple of new songs it's not all rosy out there in Colorado Desert. Not at all. A growing tide of voices that attended Coachella over the weekend are calling out Revolve Festival, a traditionally exclusive influencer and celebrity only sideshow. Some are even comparing it to the cursed Fyre Festival.
Granted, we didn't actually attend Revolve Festival, hell, we weren't even in the same country. But thanks to a stream of TikTok videos and unsolicited Instagram pics, we were sailing through the air on that flying swing ride in spirit. This also put us in the unique position to hear the criticism levelled at Revolve Festival. Below we round up everything we know so far.
View this post on Instagram
What is Revolve Festival?
Revolve Festival is one of many branded events created to coincide with Coachella. Taking place annually, 2022 was the festival's fifth year in action, and while it's usually an invite only event cordoned off for celebrities and influencers, this year influencers were able to purchase tickets (at a steep price) to participate in the festivities.
So what's the drawcard of Revolve Festival? In past years it's been attended by names like SZA, Cardi B, Kendall Jenner and this year was no different, with Chloe and Halle Bailey, Sydney Sweeney, Timothée Chalamet and Kendall Jenner turning up. Aside from presenting an opportunity to party with high profile celebrities, with outfits courtesy of Revolve, punters could enjoy complimentary drinks made from Jenner's 818 tequila, free food from Erewhon, free drinks from Celsius and live performances from Willow Smith, Jack Harlow, Post Malone and more. The festival also promises plenty of content and photo opportunities, including a swing chair ride and a platform section with the Revolve branding as demonstrated by Kim Kardashian.
However, this time around influencers are claiming that Revolve Festival was less than serene.
View this post on Instagram
Why are the influencer girlies so upset?
BREAKING @LAMag #Coachella Dispatch: Sources on the ground telling us there is apparently drama going down at Revolve Festival, that "sinks to level of Fryre Festival." Influencers stranded in the dirt with no water, under the hot sun for HOURS, waiting for buses that aren't...
— Joseph Kapsch (@JosephKapsch) April 17, 2022
The short and short of it is transport. While the Fyre Festival comparison is somewhat a stretch, after all Revolve did deliver on all the other festival accoutrement, there was only one way to get to the festival and it was by bus. In order to safeguard the exclusivity of the event, Revolve opted to leave out the specific address and have punters travel via its shuttle service. It all went wrong when the buses stopped coming and influencers were stranded in the dirt, without shade or water, waiting for up to 7 hours with no communication as to what was going on. Some report seeing people pass out in the line from heat stroke. In the event that a bus did show, the groups of people waiting pushed and shoved to hitch a ride. In the end, some influencers were told to leave and didn't get into Revolve Festival at all.
@averiebishop I hope you made it to the festival @kate bartlett !! #revolvefestival @revolve ♬ original sound - Aves
Images: Instagram
