Chaos amid Coachella - netizens complain about mass booking cancellations and exorbitant prices

The iconic Coachella Valley 2026 music festival kicked off in the California desert in the US on Friday, and is expected to attract up to 125,000 people daily. Headliners include Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, and Karol G. In total, over 100 artists will perform on eight stages. But even before the first music played at Coachella, social media was abuzz with discussions and gossip about the festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter, writes UNN.

Details

One of the stories that emerged in recent days involves content creators claiming their Airbnb bookings were suddenly canceled, presumably so owners could rebook properties for thousands of dollars more due to surging demand amid the popularity of artists like Bieber.

Sophie Rain, a well-known blogger with 15 million TikTok followers, best known for her career on OnlyFans, shared her experience on the platform of having her Airbnb booking canceled three days before the event. She said she had paid $29,000 but had to rebook for $83,375. One TikTok user, Hailey Dahlgren, shared her experience with a detailed video, to which one user responded: "This happened to us too! 7 days before Coachella with a group of 7 people! What the hell!?!" Another commenter shared their story and said their landlord blamed the city of Palm Springs for sending a letter demanding the cancellation of bookings due to city ordinances. So many people complained about cancellations that a thread appeared on Reddit titled "Airbnb canceled booking? Post it here."

The Palm Springs city administration denied the information. "I can confirm that the city of Palm Springs did not send a letter to homeowners or Airbnb property managers demanding the cancellation of bookings for this weekend," a spokesperson said. An Airbnb spokesperson said on Friday that the company was not seeing "any noticeable increase" in the number of cancellations for this or next weekend.

"We have reached out to a small number of guests who have expressed concerns on social media to provide them with support. We know that host cancellations can disrupt plans, which is why we have safeguards in place — including cancellation fees, calendar blocking to prevent rebooking, and a ban on relisting at a higher price — as well as 24/7 guest support," the spokesperson noted. "We require all listings and hosts to meet our high standards, and we support price accessibility through pricing tools for hosts, as well as price filters and full price transparency for guests, so travelers can easily find options that fit their budget and book with confidence."

It is not uncommon for listings to appear on Airbnb, as well as other short-term rental sites such as Vrbo, Booking.com, and others, allowing owners to cancel bookings and rebook properties on other sites, circumventing Airbnb's rules. Some users who complained about the situation online are known to have lost their bookings due to incomplete payment or other reasons.

According to various reports, sought-after properties were renting for thousands, and in some cases tens of thousands of dollars. For comparison, THR checked last-minute hotel availability and found that even budget hotels like Motel 6 and Best Western were renting rooms for approximately $600 or $700 per night, respectively. A room at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa was available for Friday night for $2,487 on Hotels.com. This is nothing compared to ticket prices. According to Stub Hub on Friday afternoon, a Coachella ticket cost $5,263, while a VIP ticket for Friday night was selling for $10,330, including fees.

Meanwhile, another topic that has gained traction in recent days is the number of influencers whose participation was canceled by brand partners just before the main event. But not everyone believes it - according to an insider, claims of last-minute invitation cancellations are a trick orchestrated by desperate bloggers who had no offers in the first place.

Recall

Last year, Coachella attendees complained about long queues and a lack of amenities at the California festival Coachella in the US, calling it "worse than Fyre Festival."