I remember my first music festival.
The dry heat sizzled my skin by mid-morning, as we trekked to the front gates. The sand swirling between dancing bodies. The joy of discovering the hydration station early (bless it). The way my heart raced in sync with Arcade Fire’s Pink Elephant, and the moment Big Boi and Andre 3000 opened with B.O.B. — pure magic.
I don’t remember what I paid for tickets (it was cheaper, let’s leave it at that). I don’t remember the house we crammed into or the flight we barely made. But I remember the music. The laughter. That unmistakable feeling of finding rhythm in a crowd of strangers who, after that ode to Aquemini set, felt like family.
That feeling? It’s priceless. And Gen Z gets it — deeply.
According to Forbes, USA Today, and we’ll, internet culture during Coachella week, more and more Gen Z festivalgoers used Coachella’s ‘buy now, play later’ ticketing system to secure their wristbands — splitting $599+ tickets into manageable chunks.
Predictably, the internet had some thoughts:
“Financially irresponsible!”, “Short sighted!”, “Back in my day we saved up or didn’t go!”
But here’s the thing: This isn’t irresponsibility. It’s financial resourcefulness.
BNPL isn’t just a payment method — it’s a bridge. A way for people to access experiences that matter to them, on terms that actually reflect their financial realities. Because let’s be honest: If you’re 18 in 2025, your paycheck doesn’t exactly scream “front row, weekend two.” (Sit down, influencers!)
Coachella serves as the kick off for festival season, so expect this resourcefulness to be the new norm.
At Zogo, we talk a lot about “meeting people where they are.” But that phrase only means something if we really stop to ask: Where is Gen Z, financially and emotionally, in the moments they’re making spending decisions?
Coachella isn’t just a concert. It’s a memory-maker. A social currency moment. A tangible reminder that financial health isn’t just about what you have — it’s about what you can do.
So instead of side-eyeing the BNPL boom, what if we leaned in? What if banks and credit unions built tools that offer both flexibility and clarity?
Tools that say, “Yes, you can split your payments and understand the impact.”
Not assuming a 23-year-old is irresponsible, but recognize them as adaptive, informed, and eager to build financial confidence.
We’re not here to moralize spending choices. We’re here to celebrate them — and advocate for financial systems that build with empathy and design thinking. If BNPL systems help someone create a lifelong memory, so be it. If it helps them afford joy and keep their credit intact? Even better.
Because financial empowerment doesn’t always look like saving every penny — sometimes it looks like dancing in the desert, knowing you’ve got a plan.
Zogo is built for everyone - at every stage of life. To learn more about Zogo, please request a demo.
