Coachella's Halo Effect: Who’s Benefiting from Festival Weekend—and the 3 Trends Set to Take Over
Here is my prediction of the three major trends we will see at Coachella this year from artists, celebrities and viral concert goers + the impact the Coachella association has for brands
In today’s FTR (Friday Trend Report), I will be discussing:
The “halo effect” of Coachella weekend and why it is still impactful for brands — despite people loving to hate on it.
Then in the paid portion, I'll break down three (unpredictable) trends I believe will spark the most viral fashion moments—from on stage, in the crowd, and all over social media—shaping the cultural style narrative for years to come.
Before going any further, let me know in the comments (on Substack) what trends you expect to see all over your feeds this festival season and why! ⬇️
Follow my Instagram for live coverage of Coachella as I attend the festival and satelite brand parties: @cocomocoe
Why Coachella?
Coachella isn’t just a music festival—it’s a cultural power player that dictates the fashion and lifestyle trends we’ll see for the rest of the year. What debuts in the desert doesn’t stay there; it shapes runways, wardrobes, and influencer feeds long after the last set ends.
But why does Coachella have such a strong-hold on American culture and trends, despite music festivals being a dime-a-dozen now?
I believe this is because of three reasons:
It is the first music festival of the year (in America), thus setting the tone for the rest of the year. People who are attending other festivals look to see what is trending at Coachella before deciding how to dress, what brands to buy from and what performers to see at the upcoming festivals.
It’s proximity to LA. The proximity to LA allows for great weather but also, it means that there is a higher likelihood of celebrities and influencers appearing at this festival than say — Chicago (although Lollapalooza is on the top of my list for festivals I would love to attend one day).
It’s legacy. Goldenvoice was a pioneer when they began Coachella in 1999 and the festival did not turn a profit for years, but they kept going. The idea for the festival came after Pearl Jam hosted a concert in the Empire Polo Fields (the same location of Coachella now) as a boycott of Ticketmaster venues.
The legacy, location and time of year are the reasons for Coachella’s stronghold on culture. No matter how loud the mean comments get, there’s no denying that Coachella moves the cultural needle—shaping music, fashion, and consumer behavior more than any other festival on the map right now.
Coachella's “Halo Effect”: Who’s Benefiting from Festival Weekend
What is the “Halo Effect” in marketing? This is a phenomenon where people are more likely to think positively about you or your brand if you are able to associate yourself to something they already love. According to the Harvard Business Review, “when a brand creates a positive impression in one area, it can ‘spill over’ and positively impact other perceptions, even unrelated ones,” making it a powerful tool in consumer behavior and brand strategy. This strategy is often used when brands want to associate themselves to cultural events, like SuperBowl or Coachella, even if they aren’t an official sponsor.
That leads me to…RevolveFest.
In 2017, Revolve, the online fashion retailer, made a significant impact during Coachella weekend (they weren’t officially a sponsor — if anything their festival could be seen as a small, growing [invite-only] competitor) by executing an experimental influencer marketing strategy. The company rented out an entire hotel to host a series of exclusive events, including a festival welcome dinner hosted by Alessandra Ambrosio for her Ale by Alessandra x Revolve collection, a House of Harlow 1960 x Revolve brunch with Nicole Richie, and The Blonde Salad Pool Party hosted by Chiara Ferragni featuring a performance by A$AP Ferg. (Forbes).
Here are a few celebrities and influencers spotted at the first RevolveFest in 2017 (WWD)
Since 2017, RevolveFest has grown in to an invite-only music festival that one could argue competes with Coachella. In 2024, they had performances by 21 Savage, City Girls and Ayra Star. Despite not being directly associated with Coachella, RevolveFest gets the “halo effect” of being in proximity to the event. Influencers and celebrities who attend Coachella are seen stopping by the fashion retail’s mini-festival beforehand. Most consumers online watching for viral outfits and moments from the festival weekend often don’t know that RevolveFest is in no way associated to the music festival. They get the “halo effect” without being an official sponsor.
“Bigger Than Black Friday”
Coachella-weekend has become an even bigger revenue-driver for fashion brands like Revolve than holiday season and Black Friday sales.
The efficacy of a festival-first strategy is evident in Revolve's financial performance. In the second quarter of 2018, coinciding with the festival season, the company's net sales nearly doubled compared to the first quarter, and gross profit surged by 130%. A similar trend occurred in 2019, with quarterly gross profits exceeding $90 million during the same period (NewStatesMan).
Other Brands Aligning With Coachella Weekend — Without Being an Official Sponsor
Celsius:
Last year, Celsius had a huge day party on Saturday. I was in attendance but due to me arriving so early in the day, it wasn’t jam packed (I wanted to make sure I got in to the festival to see Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter that day, a decision I am glad I made). I am not sure if this moved the needle for Celsius financially but we will have to see if they throw another party this year!
The GUESS Compound:
Taking a page out of the RevolveFest playbook, GUESS Jeans rented an entire compound for weekend one of Coachella last year to send influencers and artists to stay and party at. HighSnobiety wrote an article about the compound titled, “Behind the Pearly Gates of the GUESS Jeans Coachella Compound”. Along with throwing back-to-back house parties, attendees were woken up to IV drips in their room to help them refresh for the following day. As someone who has attended both Coachella and the parties around town, I honestly don’t know where some of the influencers and celebrities find the time to go to both in one day.
Neon Carnival:
The hardest invite to get the entire weekend is Neon Carnival. I had it on my vision board to be invited in 2024 and my talent manager worked his magic! I will be back again this year with my friends who own Pop Crave. So look out for those pics and videos! This was me at Neon Carnival, last year:
Neon Carnival is hosted by Zocha Group. On their website, it says: “Over the years, the annual Neon Carnival has blossomed into becoming one of Coachella’s most highly-coveted party wristbands.” They aren’t exaggerating. I have run into creators much more famous than I at Coachella events, begging for anyone who has a contact that can get them invited to the event, last minute. Just wearing the wristband around the Coachella grounds is a status symbol, in itself. Proof that you got to sit at the “cool kids” table in the celebrity and influencer world.
The sponsors of Neon Carnival, from Levis to Liquid I.V., don’t do it for maximum exposure. They do it because they want to be in the minds’ of those attending the exclusive, invite-only party. It’s the proximity that they are paying for, not reach.
The Gravitational Pull of Coachella:
Coachella’s cultural pull is so strong that brands now host competing events nearby—on the same weekend—just to capture some of the festival’s halo effect and ride the wave of its buzzworthy influence. All without paying to be an official sponsor.
There’s a reason this strategy works: the trends debuting on Coachella’s polo fields each April don’t just make headlines—they shape consumer behavior for years to come. Case in point? We’re still referencing Vanessa Hudgens’ flower crown era more than a decade later.
So what will the trends of 2025 be?
When we look back at the mid-2020’s festival fashion, what will be this decade’s version of the flower crown? Trend predicting is one of my favorite past times — as the coconuts know best. So here are three major trends that I think will define this Coachella — and why.
Paying coconuts can continue reading below the paywall ⬇️ 🥥
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