How to Get to Coachella and Other Summer Music Festivals With Starpoints
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
As the weather starts to heat up, music festival season is approaching. That means if you plan on going to one of the big festivals, it's time to start preparing for what will most likely be an epic weekend. Festivals can get expensive with tickets, flights, hotels, rental cars and more to cover. Points can take the sting out of a flight or hotel stay, but not necessarily the cost of the festival ticket itself. Luckily, credit cards can give you special access to events and ticket packages, and in many cases you can pay in points.
SPG Moments is known for lining up some pretty awesome event packages. TPG used his Starpoints to take his dad to a New York Knicks game in VIP style, and you can bid on exclusive access to concerts, private dinners and other sporting events as well. This year SPG has teamed up with three festivals across the country to create exclusive Moments packages, all which can be bid on/purchased with Starpoints. Don't delay, as many of the packages sell out quickly!
If you're in need of some more Starpoints, you can sign up for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express, which is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 25,000 after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months.
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
What: Coachella is one of the most well-known music festivals in the country, if not the world. It's had epic moments like Daft Punk's 2006 legendary headlining show to the Tupac hologram in 2012. It's even become so popular that it's been expanded to two weekends. General-admission tickets are already sold out, so if you were to buy tickets now, it would be on the secondary market where prices are much higher than face value. This could be a great use of SPG points since tickets are expensive, and each package comes with two tickets to the festival.
SPG has created some pretty great experiences that include VIP Access, behind-the-scenes tour or tickets bundled with a hotel stay at The Westin Mission Hills. Tip: Packages for weekend two are currently going for much less than weekend one packages.
When: April 14 - 16 & April 21 - 23, 2017
Where: Indio, California
Packages: Access Coachella with the Best Views of the Stage and a Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Weekend One
Access Coachella with the Best Views of the Stage and Dinner in the VIP Rose Garden: Weekend One
Access Coachella with VIP Festival Passes and a Stay at The Westin Mission Hills: Weekend One
Access Coachella with VIP Festival Passes and Hospitality-Tent Access: Weekend One
Access Coachella with the Best Views of the Stage: Weekend One
*Weekend two packages mirror the above in terms of what they include.
Cost: The current lowest bid is 14,000 Starpoints (for a weekend two package)
Bidding Ends: March 10, 2017
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
What: The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival started in 1970 and has become a cultural symbol celebrating all that is great about the city's music, food and culture. The festival has 12 stages, boatloads to eat and areas displaying Louisiana arts and crafts. This year's headliners include Maroon 5, Stevie Wonder and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
These bundles include varying tiers of festival VIP status, with features such as the opportunity to meet "highly acclaimed local artists" and a stay at the Sheraton New Orleans. Each package includes two tickets to the festival. Tip: Weekend two is four days long, so you'll get more out of your points if you decide to go then.
When: April 28 - May 7, 2017
Where: New Orleans
Packages: Grand Marshal VIP Access to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival: Weekend One
Access the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival with a Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Weekend One
Access the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival with an Artist Meet-and-Greet: Weekend One
Experience the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival as a Big Chief: Weekend One
*Weekend two packages mirror the above in terms of what they include.
Cost: The current lowest bid is 7,000 Starpoints
Bidding Ends: March 13, 2017
Governors Ball Music Festival
What: With recent headliners like Kanye West and The Strokes, Governors Ball has become one of New York City's top music festivals. Chance the Rapper, Phoenix and Tool will grace the main stage this year, with a slew of other artists from across genres to fill up the schedule. SPG Moments created two packages for Governors Ball, each including two tickets to the three-day festival with access to VIP viewing areas, lounges and more or entry to backstage lounges with complimentary drinks throughout the festival.
When: June 2 - 4, 2017
Where: New York City
Packages: Score VIP access to the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City
Rock the Governors Ball Music Festival with tickets and backstage lounge access
Cost: The current lowest bid is 28,000 Starpoints
Bidding Ends: March 15 or 16, 2017 (depending on the package)
Have you ever redeemed points for a music festival package?
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.