This morning over breakfast, while discussing the week’s news, I happened to say the word “Coachella” in front of my two scornful 11-year-olds. Their heads snapped up from their screens in unison. “How have you heard of Coachella?” one asked in amazement. “How have you heard of Coachella?” I replied. They exchanged a look I’ve become increasingly familiar with—the “here we go” look reserved by the very young for the very middle-aged. “What is Coachella, then?” I said. They replied: “It’s where influencers go.”
That is, of course, an accurate summary of what the California music and arts festival has become in the 27 years since it started, but that’s not why I bring it up. The festival, which is running this week, has featured Jack White, FKA Twigs, and Sabrina Carpenter, but most of the publicity has focused on the audience—specifically, on the attendance of Justin Trudeau, the former prime minister of Canada. He and his girlfriend, Katy Perry, were photographed dancing to Justin Bieber and squatting chairless on a curb, red plastic cups perched on their knees.
It’s that photo of Trudeau in college-age uniform—scruffy jeans, a white T-shirt, and a baseball cap worn backwards in what looks to me like a definite reach for a modern-day JFK Jr. vibe (good luck with that, Trudeau!)—that invites us to consider the relationship of middle-aged people to music festivals and conclude that, at some point, perhaps the dignified thing is to call it a day.
Do you worry about staying hydrated? Do you co-host an investment podcast while giving serious thought to which Amex card generates the most points? (Avios over Platinum forever!) Did you pay more than $2,000 for your ticket, then turn up in a climate-controlled RV before putting on your “festival wardrobe” to go out looking for twentysomethings to brush past slightly too closely? Then maybe, just maybe, you might think about leaving the scene to the enjoyment of young people.
I’m talking more about middle-aged men than women here, since it’s a specific kind of man who turns up at Coachella to express his anxieties about middle age. In Trudeau’s case, at 54, attending a music festival obviously comes a distant second to “dating Katy Perry” as an expression of midlife crisis. Nonetheless, he is part of the general influx of tech, finance, and business bros who have plugged the annual music festival into their calendars, driving up ticket prices and injecting a certain narrow-eyed, lizardy energy into the scene. These people are, of course, perfectly entitled to enjoy popular music. But glancing at the photo of Trudeau and Perry or, in years past at Coachella, Danny DeVito (often pictured backstage), it’s hard not to feel one’s spirits sink.
To be fair to Trudeau, some of this recoil may have to do with the reputation of his 41-year-old girlfriend, widely considered to be out of touch and facing her own problems this week after having to deny an accusation of sexual assault by the actor Ruby Rose. I wouldn’t want to run into Katy Perry at my local Co-op, let alone at an event I’d paid hundreds of dollars to attend.
I’m also aware of the argument made by veteran festival-goers who return to Glastonbury every year and have been taking their kids since they were four years old. I tip my hat to these people and would be one of them if I didn’t hate tents and milling about. Clearly, people like this should carry on doing the things they love until they drop dead. Plus, it’s likely that I shouldn’t be expressing an opinion about any of this, given that while making the packed lunches this morning, I was happi…I’m listening to the soundtrack to The Phantom of the Opera.
Anyway, it’s not those people I’m talking about; it’s the ones who only started going to Coachella when they turned 50 and who don’t seem to grasp that if you have to check the Reddit thread titled “Am I too old for Coachella?”, the answer is probably yes. Just think about it: you’ll get stuck in the Uber line trying to leave and need a bathroom for four hours. You’ll be too hot. You’ll end up sitting on a curb. And a lot of what’s happening will just go over your head.
When I asked my 11-year-olds what caught their eye about Coachella content this week, they said—and I had to write this down word for word after making them repeat it several times—“Carter Kench dressed up as an actual pinky, then got a shout out from Katseye on stage!!” Then they both laughed as if it were the funniest thing ever. Not getting it? Me neither. In that case, we should probably just stay out of it.
Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist.
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course While the premise is unusual here is a list of FAQs about Justin Trudeaus hypothetical or rumored appearance at Coachella framed to address the publics curiosity and the statement about moving on
FAQs Justin Trudeau at Coachella
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 Did Justin Trudeau actually go to Coachella
No Justin Trudeau the Prime Minister of Canada has not attended the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in an official or reported capacity
2 Why are people talking about Justin Trudeau and Coachella
The topic usually emerges from internet memes satire or speculative whatif scenarios that juxtapose his public image as a relatable photogenic leader with the celebrity culture of major festivals Its not based on a real event
3 What would be the point of a world leader going to a music festival
Hypothetically it could be seen as an attempt to connect with younger voters showcase a casual side or engage with popular culture However it would likely be criticized as inappropriate during times of serious governing issues
4 Is it wrong to imagine or joke about this
Not inherently as political satire is common However the comment there comes a time when you have to move on suggests that after a point such speculative topics can become a distraction from substantive political discussions
Advanced Practical Questions
5 What are the main reasons it would be inappropriate for a sitting PM to attend Coachella
The primary reasons are security and logistics perception and protocol
6 Could there ever be a valid official reason for a leader to attend
Possibly if it were tied to a specific diplomatic or cultural outreach event promoting Canadian artists on the lineup or a focused policy discussion on youth or the arts It would require a clear official purpose
7 How does the time to move on idea apply here
It means that while playful speculation has its place continuously revisiting a fictional or trivialized narrative about a leader can overshadow their actual policy work achievements and failures It encourages focusing on substance over imagined persona
