There’s bad news for people who think taking pictures of themselves is more important than actually experiencing something. Organizers for Coachella and Lollapalooza - two of the biggest music festivals in the U.S. - have banned selfie sticks.
Lollapalooza lists them among the prohibited items, noting that “GoPro attachments like sticks, selfie sticks & monopods” are not allowed. Coachella is a bit more direct, noting that “selfie sticks/narsisstics” will not be allowed at the festival. The bans were noticed last week by BrooklynVegan.
While Coachella and Lollapalooza have put their foot down, Rolling Stone notes that other festivals, including Bonnaroo and Sasquatch, have yet to post a policy on selfie sticks.
There is a rising backlash against selfie sticks, as they get more intrusive for other people who want to actually enjoy something. Back in January, NME reported that some U.K. venues, including Wembley and the O2, have banned them. The O2 will even turn you away if you are carrying one.
In New York, there was an outcry when tourists took a picture of themselves in front of last week's tragic fire. As PIX11 notes, a picture that was even used on the cover of the New York Post shows a young woman holding up a selfie stick to take a group picture with the blaze in the background.