Coachella announces lifetime festival NFT experiences

Coachella Collectibles grant lifetime festival passes for first-time ever

Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival has announced a long-term partnership with leading US-regulated cryptocurrency exchange, FTX US (“FTX”). The relationship, which will span multiple years, will focus on pioneering crypto-powered experiences at the music festival. Their first move is the launch of Coachella’s official NFT marketplace, built by FTX, and release of its first-ever NFT series, Coachella Collectibles. Debuting three Collections, the opportunity gives fans the ability to own lifetime festival passes, unique on-site experiences, physical products, and digital collectibles, all verifiable through blockchain technology.

In partnership with FTX, Coachella’s inaugural NFT sale and auction will be live Friday, February 4th at 10 am PST through Friday, February 11th at 5 pm PST on nft.coachella.com and ftx.us/nfts.

The Coachella Keys Collection will auction 10 one-of-one NFTs that grant lifetime festival access and VIP on-site experiences for 2022, such as front row views at the Coachella Stage, on-stage access at the Sahara Tent, or a celebrity chef dinner in the Rose Garden. Owners will receive passes to the festival every April and access to Coachella-produced virtual experiences forever. As Coachella’s place in the burgeoning metaverse continues to expand, there’s no telling what these Keys will unlock. This sale marks the first-time the festival has ever sold lifetime passes, and by issuing them as an NFT, Coachella is using blockchain technology in a new way.

In addition to the Coachella Keys Collection, the festival will launch two limited edition NFT collections for fans that pair photos from the festival with physical items like posters and photobooks. Celebrating Coachella’s 20 year history, buyers of its Desert Reflections Collection will receive one of 10 digital renditions of an iconic Coachella poster from Emek. Limited to 1,000 editions and priced at $180, each NFT is redeemable for a physical copy of the Coachella | The Photographs: 1999-2019 photo book. Finally, the Sights and Sounds Collection offers 10 unique combinations of fan-favorite festival photos and never before heard soundscapes from the Polo Fields, limited to 10,000 editions and priced at $60.

Coachella’s debut Collections are a reverence for its roots and a foray into the future, blending the old and the new in ways that speak to every fan. The Festival has a long history of leveraging emerging technologies, serving as a stage for cutting-edge technology through augmented reality, virtual reality, stage production and art installations. Now with FTX, Coachella plans to expand its NFT strategy online and on-site creating deeper engagement and more dynamic relationships between the Festival, artists and fans.

A portion of all sales will be donated to GiveDirectly, Lideres Campesinas, and Find Food Bank. Mindful of its environmental impact, Coachella’s NFTs are minted on Solana, a blockchain platform with energy consumption amongst the lowest in the industry. Further, FTX has committed to taking ownership over its portion of the environmental costs of mining, purchasing a total of 100,000 tons of carbon offsets through two providers for upwards of $1 million.

After a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, Coachella returns to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA for two weekends set for April 15-17 and April 22-24, 2022 with Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Ye, Swedish House Mafia, 88Rising’s Head In The Clouds Forever and more performing both weekends.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com