Coachella fans point out huge issue with meal - and it's not just the $360 price tag

Thousands of music fans are poised to descend upon California from next weekend with the hopes of witnessing Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Karol G, Young Thug, and more make history at the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Nestled among the often over-subscribed VIP lounges, exclusive parties, and roughly 333 acres of space is a $360+ dining ‘roving restaurant without walls’.

The lavish table, founded by Jim Denevan in 1999, is called Outstanding in the Field and will be in operation at both weekends (10 to 12 April and 17 to 19 April) of the 25th anniversary of Coachella.

Foodies attending the festival have the opportunity to sit down at a long, single table with friends and strangers alike to indulge in a four-course, family-style meal.

Outstanding in the Field will be in operation at both Coachella 2026 weekends (Steve Campbell/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

The Coachella listing promises that a roster of regional and international chefs, like Southern California native Michael Beckman, Jonathan Harris, and LA’s Nico de Leon, will be on hand to produce the farm-to-table offering.

As well as the meal, you’ll be granted access to the VIP Rose Garden for the entire day and given a welcome cocktail.

Unfortunately, a spot at Outstanding in the Field is not included in the price of a regular festival ticket.

Therefore, anyone who wants to experience the full-service event will have to fork out at least $362.50.

While the Outstanding in the Field meal sounds luxurious, some Redditors have spotted a glaring issue with it.

The dinner garden party expects guests to sit down at 6pm sharp, which is right in the middle of ‘primetime music hours’, according to one social media user.

“I wish it was a brunch rather than a dinner. The timing is terrible if you have music you want to see,” someone else said.

Another said: “I’ve always been tempted to do this, but hate that it’s during peak evening sets. Cannot imagine missing something like Khruangbin or Jungle to have dinner!”

The unique experience has been blasted by social media users (Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Visionary Women)

A fourth added: “I would expect the food is fantastic, but the opportunity cost is you're missing some set of artists that you can't even identify until the set times come out. This is the reason i've never done it, i'd rather be on the fields listening to a set.”

According to a report by The New York Times last year, the extravagant dinner is thought to last around 2.5 hours, meaning you’re likely to miss a large part of the evening’s music programme.

If this time is accurate for the 2026 event, then Outstanding in the Field at Coachella is expected to clash with sets from: Teddy Swims, Addison Rae, the xx, Ethel Cain, Laufey, Lykke Li, Royel Otis, Holly Humberstone, and Major Lazer, among others, as per Clash Finder.

Is a once-in-a-lifetime meal really worth missing some of your favourite artists for? You decide.