Deep-pocketed Coachella festivalgoers who don’t find the VIP section exclusive enough can now level up their experience by purchasing a lifetime guest pass being auctioned as an NFT this Friday, February 4th.
There will be 10 such NFTs available as part of the Coachella Keys Collection, each of which offers a pass to one festival weekend each year. Each key has a different perk, like the best spot at the Coachella stage, lifetime luxury “camping” accommodations, or a professionally cooked meal in the Rose Garden.
Two other collections are being made available on Friday for those who aren’t quite as ready to dive into the NFT deep end. For $180, buyers of the Desert Reflections Collection get one of 10 digital renditions of a Coachella poster by iconic artist Emek. Each of the 1,000 NFTs available can be redeemed for a physical copy of the Coachella | The Photographs: 1999-2019 coffee table book as well.
There’s also the Sights and Sounds Collection, which is limited to a less exclusive 10,000 editions. Each NFT from the collection will cost $60 and give buyers 10 different combinations of fan-favorite festival photos and never-before-heard soundscapes from the Polo Fields. Buyers can also redeem their NFT for a physical print of their photograph.
Each of the lifetime passes will go to the highest bidders, so we’ll have to see how much people are willing to pay for the bragging rights that come with owning one.
An unspecified portion of sales will be donated to GiveDirectly, Lideres Campesinas, and Find Food Bank. Coachella’s entryway in NFTs is also being positioned as “mindful of its environmental impact.” The official marketplace was built by FTX, which has purchased 100,000 tons of carbon offsets, and the NFTs are minted on a blockchain platform called Solana “with energy consumption amongst the lowest in the industry,” according to a press release.
Coachella’s first NFT auction goes live here on Friday, February 4th from 10:00 a.m. PST through 5:00 p.m. PST. This year’s winners will get to see headliners Kanye West, Billie Eilish, and Harry Styles as the festival returns from a two-year absence.