Discover how gender diversity impacts music festival success with this Coachella case study. Using 15 years of lineup data, Spotify streaming stats, and real-world observations, I reveal the financial and cultural benefits of booking more female artists. Learn why pop fandoms drive massive ticket sales, merch revenue, and social media engagement—and how festival organizers can use this data to build diverse, profitable lineups.
RESEARCH
MISS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HEADLINER
By analyzing commercial success, consumer behavior, and the widespread popularity of pop artists, I discovered a clear gap between audience demand and the equality of stage programming. In 2024, female artists claimed eight of the top ten most-streamed albums on Spotify. Yet, in 2025, only one out of three Coachella headliners was a woman, and just six of the fifteen main stage acts were all-women acts. Years featuring lineups with strong female representation saw higher ticket sales, while years lacking diversity experienced noticeable drops in attendance.