The famous festival – which was meant to take place in April – and its sister festival Stagecoach has been officially postponed owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Riverside County Public Health have confirmed.
Dr Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County Public Health Officer, issued an order, which read
“This Order recognises that both the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Music Festival are music concerts and gatherings of an international scope, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees from many countries, including several disproportionately afflicted by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
This order is intended to reduce the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19, thereby slowing the spread of COVID-19 in communities worldwide. If COVID-19 were detected at these festivals, the scope and number of attendees and the nature of the venue would make it infeasible, if not impossible, to track those who may be placed at risk.”
Coachella was meant to take place between April 9 and 11, 2021, with the second weekend set for April 16 to 18, 2021. Stagecoach, meanwhile, was set for April 23 to 25, 2021.
Back in June 2020, Coachella was tentatively given a return date for 2021.
Dr Kaiser said
“I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall. In addition, events like Coachella and Stagecoach would fall under Governor Newsom’s Stage 4, which he has previously stated would require treatments or a vaccine to enter. Given the projected circumstances and potential, I would not be comfortable moving forward. These decisions are not taken lightly with the knowledge that many people will be impacted. My first priority is the health of the community.”
