Ears To The House has previously spoken about how the festival circuit appears to have decided to go big or go home in 2023. We saw this strategy evidently at work at Movement Detroit – whose lineup this year is filled with names totally unconnected to the city, such as Basement Jaxx, Green Velvet and John Summit.

But it’s not just the underground – or in Movement’s case, the formerly underground – where this is happening. Coachella, in contrast, has been aimed more at the mainstream since its inception in 1999 – for example, 250,000 attended the 2017 event, which grossed a whopping $114million. Not a bad result for three days work each year.

How, though, do they make so much money each year? It’s no secret that festivals are expensive to run – thanks in part to greedy DJs raising their fees over the past few months. Ironically enough, many chose to do so because they got wind of the festivals agreeing to open their cheque books in a way not seen in many years.

Part of the answer can be found from serial entrepreneur Charlie Chang. Last week, he posted a video on Instagram detailing how much he paid for a tent ensuring VIP access at Coachella. Watch and weep…

That’s right – the price of “the Coachella Safari Experience” is $11,000 for four nights. You get a tent with two beds, an air conditioner, a fridge and a mirror. You get access to a pool and you get ferried about the festival on golf carts – you need not worry about having to mingle with all those poor people using their legs to walk around the venue.

In theory, those people who have been around since dance music’s early days should be horrified at this shameless commercialisation of the scene. In practice? They’re probably just jealous that they didn’t think of it first. Will white tents like this be a sight those going to the likes of Movement Detroit 2024 will witness? Only time will tell…