The recent spate of music festival cancellations due to the coronavirus outbreak definitely doesn't bode well for iconic desert music festival Coachella, but will Coachella be canceled in 2020? In a tweet on March 10, the festival announced that, while not completely canceled, Coachella will be rescheduled for October 9-11 and October 16-18.
A screenshot of the announcement posted by Coachella promoter Goldenvoice showed the decision was made in conjunction with Riverside County, where the festival is held, and the local health department. "While this decision was made amid widespread uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, employees, and community very seriously," the statement read. "We urge everyone to follow the guidelines set forth by public health officials. guidelines and protocols.”
The festival was originally scheduled for the weekend of April 10th and April 17th, but if you have purchased tickets, it will be held on the new date. However, if you are unable to attend in October, expect to receive notification on how to obtain a refund by March 13th.
Before the event was rescheduled, Coachella announced that this year's headliners would be Frank Ocean, Travis Scott and Rage Against the Machine, with confirmed performers also including Lana Del Rey, Calvin Harris and Flume. However, it's unclear whether these performers will be able to perform at the new October dates. Variety reported on the evening of March 9 that Goldenvoice was in talks with artist managers to confirm availability.
On March 9, the Los Angeles Times reported that three new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the Coachella Valley, bringing the total number of known cases in Riverside County to at least six. The first cases led to the cancellation of the BNP Paribas Tennis Open, which is being held in Indian Wells, near the Coachella music festival in Indiana.
Coachella isn't the only music festival to be canceled due to coronavirus concerns. Goldenvoice's announcement also said country music festival Stagecoach will be rescheduled for October 23-25. The festival is held at the same location as Coachella and is currently headlined by Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett and Eric Church. These postponements follow the cancellation of other music festivals such as Austin's South by Southwest and Miami's Ultra Music Festival.
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