Influencers are charging $2,000 per Instagram post from Coachella and are so busy they don't watch the acts, report says

• Influencers can earn more than $2,000 per Instagram post from Coachella, the New York Post reported.
• The California music festival is a huge money-making opportunity, according to experts.

Influencers are earning upwards of $2,000 per Instagram post from Coachella, lifestyle influencer Maryam Ghafarinia told the New York Post.

Some spend so much time there creating content that they don't get to see any of the bands, she said.

Coachella, widely considered the most starry and stylish festival, returned in 2022 back after a two-year pandemic hiatus. It is running from April 15 to 24 in the California desert.

As well as the huge names performing — the 2022 line-up includes Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Megan Thee Stallion — A-listers in attendance include Leonardo DiCaprio, Vanessa Hudgens, and the stars of "Riverdale."

Coachella is also big business for influencers, with content creators vying for collaboration invitations from brands.

"Everyone is there and wants to make a deal and wants to be with the best brands, and the brands want as many influencers as possible to be part of their 'activations' … so they'll actively recruit influencers," Mae Karwowski, CEO of influencer marketing agency Obviously, told the Post.

The festival is "such a big commercial opportunity for brands and influencers – it's just gotten so huge now and is observed all over the world," Ebony-Renee Baker, fashion editor of Refinery29, told the Guardian.

Some influencers spend all day shooting, editing, and posting content

Dutch influencer Rianne Meijer has 1.5 million followers on Instagram and has been documenting her trip to the festival, posting paid promotions with brands like Levi's and BMW.

Some influencers are offered all-expenses-paid trips, others pay their own way and seek out brand deals to help cover their costs.

Wellness influencer and actress Noel Elie, who has 102,000 followers, told the Post she's attending the festival as a guest of a fashion brand that pays $2,500 for three stories and a reel, as well as giving her free clothes.

LA-based Ghafarinia has 186,000 followers on Instagram and is attending Coachella for the fourth time — but she's never actually seen any performances, she told the Post.

While many festival attendees party into the early hours and sleep late, Ghafarinia rises at 7 a.m. to get ready before spending the day attending "brand activations" and parties, filming content such as makeup tutorials, editing her shots, sending it to brands for approval, and finally posting on social media.

"There is so much work," she said.

Ghafarinia charges $2,000 for a photo and $3,500 for an Instagram reel, but brands often also expect stories and attendance at events, she said.

Those with bigger followings can charge even more.

Raissa Gerona, chief brand officer at clothing company Revolve, told the Business of Fashion that Coachella is the Super Bowl of the fashion industry: "It's essential, it's massive."