Coachella, Stagecoach music festivals postponed due to coronavirus concerns
The 2020 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival along with Stagecoach, the country music festival, have been moved from April to October due to the threat of coronavirus.
Amid much cancellation speculation in recent days, concert promoter Goldenvoice made the announcement Tuesday.
"At the direction of the county of Riverside and local health authorities, we must sadly confirm the rescheduling of Coachella and Stagecoach due to COVID-19 concerns," the statement read. "While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials."
Coachella, which spans two weekends, was set to take place April 10-12 and April 17-19. It typically draws more than 200,000 people over both weekends. Stagecoach was set for April 26-29.
Coachella will now take place on the weekends of October 9-11 and October 16-18; Stagecoach will take place on October 23-25. Goldenvoice says all tickets for the April dates will be honored in the fall. The promoter will reach out to ticket holders by the end of this week with information on refunds.
The announcement comes nearly a week after California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency. As of Tuesday, California had 175 confirmed COVID-19 cases, six of which are in Riverside County, four of those in the Coachella Valley. The Stagecoach and Coachella festivals are held annually at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.
Headliners for Coachella 2020 included Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean. Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett and Eric Church were set to headline Stagecoach. It's unclear if all acts are confirmed for October.
Goldenvoice's announcement follows the cancellation of SXSW in Austin, the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and European tours by acts like Madonna and Pearl Jam.
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