By Alex Passa
Although artists like The Weeknd made a fortune for headlining 'Coachella', the same did not hold true for Cardi B back in 2018.
'Coachella' is once again making headlines, as several topics are trending related to the festival including Saweetie going through a wardrobe malfunction along with Travis Scott wanting to appear on the stage. Even before the festival, there was a bit of controversy, with Kanye backing out, while The Weeknd stepped in after some wise negotiation skills. RELATED - Harry Styles Is Headlining At Coachella, And Fans Want To 'Gatekeep' Him From 'Influencers'Although The Weeknd made millions, it wasn't the same for Cardi B a few years back. We'll take a look how she lost money by appearing at the festival.
How Did Cardi B Lose Money Performing At 'Coachella'?
'Coachella' always has the fans talking as some of the biggest performers around the world appear at the festival. This year, the show was in a bit of chaos when Kanye West decided to step down and work on himself instead, amid the Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson situation.
In his place, came the 'Swedish House Mafia', alongside The Weeknd.
Steve Angello revealed alongside Variety that he was thrilled about getting the headline spot on the festival.
"We found out like everyone else Ye wasn’t doing Coachella. We were like, “sh*t, that’s crazy.” Then, the next thing that we heard is that we were doing that slot with The Weeknd. Again: “That’s crazy,” but we’re up for it. We just do the work: keep our heads down and focus on the show. We were already working on the Weeknd coming out as our set’s surprise guest, so this is the natural conclusion."
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Similar to the 'Super Bowl' Halftime Show, which doesn't pay performers, exposure itself at the show is huge. However, 'Coachella' does pay its performers and in fact, The Weeknd scored huge when Kanye backed out.
According to Page Six sources, at first, 'Coachella' wanted to pay The Weeknd a few million under Kanye's fee. “The Weeknd came in at short notice to take Kanye’s top spot. But Phil Anschutz [who owns the Coachella Festival through AEG Live] wanted to hold on to Kanye’s money and pay The Weeknd far less, just a few million. The festival would pocket the rest.”
Ultimately, in risk of losing another performer, the terms were agreed to, which included $8 million along with a $500,000 production fee.
Although The Weeknd made it a very profitable gig, we cannot say the same for the other performers from the past. In fact, Cardi B lost money back in 2018 when she appeared at the show.
Cardi B's Set-Up Was Quite Expensive
Back in 2018, Cardi B gave it her all during a highly entertaining 'Coachella' performance. In addition, the artist was pregnant at the time of her appearance.
It all went down as planned, except for the little fact that Cardi B walked away with less money in her pocket. According to the artist herself, she made $70,000 for the performance, which lasted 35-minutes. Sure, this is great money, but not in comparison to other headlines, like The Weeknd this year.
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It turns out that artist didn't make a profit at all and instead, she actually lost money. Cardi spent $300,000 of her own money in production costs, which included glamming up the stage.
"I have to invest so much money on my stage set, my own money,” Cardi said. “It’s crazy. Almost 300 thou. It’s an investment.”
Ultimately, although she lost money for the event, the appearance definitely boosted her album sales and exposure, which is absolutely invaluable.
How Much Money Does 'Coachella' Make?
Given that 'Coachella' is paying its performers millions, is the festival even profitable? The answer in short, absolutely, it is indeed.
According to Billboard, the festival brought in more than $114 million in pure profits. It became the first festival to hit that reoccurring mark in a single year.
Sure, ticket sales are huge for this type of event in terms of revenue, however, it is the massive sponsorship deals that really puts it in the green, as some of the top brands and companies want to be associated with such an event, highlighted by the top stars in the world.
Without a doubt, this festival will continue to grow, while getting bigger and better each year.
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