Organizers have announced that Coachella has been postponed. The decision comes amid growing concerns regarding COVID-19, better known as coronavirus. As of Saturday night, the New York Times had reported there were more than 400 confirmed cases in the United States alone. As a result, many large social events under at risk of being cancelled. Most recently, officials in the city of Austin urged SXSW organizers to cancel this year’s festival.
“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. 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,” organizers said in a statement.
“Coachella will now take place on October 9, 10 and 11 and October 16, 17 and 18, 2020. Stagecoach will take place on October 23, 24 and 25, 2020. All purchases for the April dates will be honored for the rescheduled October dates. Purchasers will be notified by Friday, March 13 on how to obtain a refund if they are unable to attend,” the statement continued.
“Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in the desert this fall,” the statement concluded.
This year, 21 Savage, DaBaby, Ari Lennox and Big Sean are just a few of the star acts that were set to perform. This is the first year that the festival was forced to cut its sets due to health concerns.
Moving forward, other large scale festivals are at risk of meeting the same fate. Something In The Water, Rolling Loud, Buku Arts Project, Broccoli City Festival, Hot 97’s Summer Jam and Lovers & Friends are just a few of the major festivals set to take place in the coming weeks.
