The Right to Culture?

I spent this past weekend at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA. Having scrimped and saved to buy the $260 tickets, plus additional money for gas and food, I still could just barely afford to go. A total of 180,000 people were able to attend at least one day, and many flew from all over the world to attend. And most had to dole out cash for accommodations as well, pushing the cost at well over $1000 for some.

With the reunions of Rage Against the Machine and the Jesus and Mary Chain, guest appearances by Scarlett Johannson, Perry Farrell, and Ron Jeremy, and non-stop incredible music and atmosphere from noon until midnight for three days, the cost is a nearly a non-issue for those who can afford it.

But most people can't afford it.

Last winter break I was in Israel and went to the "Festival B'Shekel," at which tickets cost just one shekel (the equivalent of about 25 cents) and thus anyone who wanted to go could. Food was moderately priced and art vendors and charitable organizations were heavily represented in the booths surrounding the festival. Some of the top Israeli performers played, which is pretty exciting if you're into Israeli hip-hop. The feel was similar to Coachella in that everyone was there to appreciate music and art, but the feeling of exploitation I've come to associate with theme parks, concerts, and especially Disneyland was noticeably absent. Many people sported the festival's t-shirt (which was only $5, by the way, compared to the $20 tees at Coachella) which read, "Festival B'Shekel" on the front and "everyone has a right to culture" on the back.

I thought about the Festival B'Shekel while I was dishing out $6 for a slice of pizza at Coachella. While Coachella hides under the veneer of a genuine love for music, art, and even politics, underneath it all is plain capitalism and those that can't afford it are denied the experience. Naturally, I understand that if Coachella were free, it wouldn't be able to happen, as these things need money to be held. What is ironic, however, is the incredibly liberal rhetoric used by many of the artists when it came to politics, but not when it came to economics. Zack de la Rocha, the lead singer for Rage Against the Machine, called for Bush to be "hung, tried, and shot" and tens of thousands cheered. Another performer, Peaches, got her audience to chant "Impeach Bush!" during her set. Additionally, the whole concert grounds has a strong environmental focus, with incentives offered for recycling water bottles and several energy-conscious exhibits which showed spectators how one can create energy by bicycling, among other things.

Naturally, environmentalism and liberal politics do not necessarily imply anti-capitalistic ideas should follow, but I think it's interesting to note that the cost of Coachella excludes a huge number of people that have the right to culture as much as anyone else. This idea of a "right to culture" has encourage many art museums to offer one night a week free admission or theaters to have "pay what you can" performances. Are free music festivals to follow?