Coachella festivalgoers report ticket issues, hacked accounts ahead of opening weekend

It is the first day of festival season, but for some Coachella attendees, the biggest challenge came before they ever made it to the grounds.

Some festivalgoers say they ran into major problems with their tickets just days before the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival began. Complaints ranged from canceled purchases to hacked ticketing accounts, prompting many to take their frustrations online in hopes of getting help.

Marshall Ordish said he had been looking forward to the festival for months when he received an email from StubHub saying the bracelet he purchased was no longer available. He said the company offered him a refund for the bracelet, but that did little to fix the bigger problem.

Ordish said he had already spent money on nonrefundable hotel reservations and other travel costs, making a last-minute refund feel like an incomplete solution. He was one of many people who turned to social media, urging others to tag the ticket company and demand answers.

Another festivalgoer, Megan Henry, said her account was hacked after she had already flown to Southern California. She also used social media to try to get attention and assistance. In the end, both she and Ordish said they were eventually able to get their festival bracelets back.

Their experiences highlight a growing trend of festivalgoers using online platforms to call out ticketing issues in real time, especially when the clock is ticking before a major event.

With thousands of people heading to Coachella for opening weekend, the ticket troubles have added another layer of stress to one of the biggest music events of the year.

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