Student Spotlight: Dylan Limp on Coachella

Image provided by Dylan Limp

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is arguably one of the biggest music events happening annually. This two weekend long festival brings together hundreds of artists and hundreds of thousands of attendees to celebrate art and music. It is valuable to consider just how many CCIs are influencing community events like Coachella. 

As a Public Relations, Advertising & Entertainment Marketing major, and CCI Minor, Dylan Limp ‘26 is someone that can look at a festival like Coachella with a critical eye toward how CCIs are being utilized. We were able to speak with her regarding her experiences at the festival this year and get her takeaways.

What made you pursue CCI as a minor?

My dream is to be an event planner. I always imagined planning events for something in the world of film and entertainment. Still, I did not want to be boxed in. I want to get a better understanding of all creative industries, so I could have the opportunity to plan a wide variety of special events. 

Image provided by Dylan Limp

Why did you want to attend Coachella?

I love music festivals. I am from Seattle, home of a festival called Bumbershoot. While that festival is no longer running, it started my interest. I love walking around and listening to all different types of artists. I had always heard about Coachella and was curious to see what it was like. There’s this great feeling you get there when you hear a song you recognize but couldn’t place before. It gives you great awareness of the artists behind these hit songs.

Which CCI’s stood out to you the most while you were there?

What stood out to me the most was the art. There are lots of art installations made by local students that get placed around the festival. They are always made by artists I’ve never heard the names of before, and usually have some intriguing messaging. 

How is CCI shaping the consumer’s experience at a festival like this one?

Coachella is a breeding ground for CCI! There are so many things to do from perusing art exhibits to checking out the food booths. Brands will have pop ups inspired by some trend in pop culture like a mermaid-core Sol De Janeiro booth. 

I also think the performances are a medley of CCIs in themselves! Each act is a mix of music, video, clothing, dance and stage design. The best acts use all of this to tell a story. I really loved Lady Gaga's performance this year. She used all of these pieces to give the illusion of her fighting with her past selves, all to relay a message about personal growth.   

Image provided by Dylan Limp

How have you seen Coachella change over the past few years?

It has become more of a social media trend to go to Coachella than to go to enjoy the music. The first weekend of Coachella is all about influencers and media attention; people go on behalf of brands. The first weekend, artists are pulling out all the stops, bringing up any exciting musical guest they can acquire. Then, weekend two after the shock factor is over, many of those elements are stripped away. For example, on weekend one, Benson Boone performed with Queen’s Bryan May. Then on weekend two, he performed with a cardboard cutout of Bryan May. While I understand this from a marketing perspective, it makes the event more of an influencer fest than a music fest. 

Image provided by Dylan Limp

I also think the trends surrounding Coachella perpetuate fast fashion. It has its own aesthetic that has been cultivated over the years through postings on social media. Now, people buy elaborate pieces to wear that realistically they are never going to wear again. 

If you were in charge of Coachella, what changes would you make?

If I were planning the event, I would want to include philanthropy work. I would want to center the event around one big idea - for example LGBTQ rights. This would act as a unifying theme throughout the festival: LGBTQ identifying headliners, artists creating works about their experience, and a portion of ticket sales being donated to a supporting cause. Coachella is such a big event that would be a great platform for supporting today’s issues. 

Thank you to Dylan Limp for sharing your experience and providing visuals! Events like Coachella are such a great way to unify CCIs with their audiences. Reflecting on these events as well as how to improve them grows the potential for all intersections of CCIs. 

If you would like to share your projects, insights, or experiences, please contact delany@chapman.edu to be featured!