Coachella Canceled for 2020
Coachella won’t be happening this year.
After reports surfaced last month, the two-weekend festival has been officially canceled following county and state restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic.
Goldenvoice, the promoter of Coachella and Stagecoach, made the announcement on Thursday. “Under the continuing health guidance of the County of Riverside, Coachella and Stagecoach 2020 will not take place this October as previously rescheduled,” read the statement. “This is not the future that any of us hoped to confront, but our main focus remains the well-being of our fans, staff, artists, desert partners and everyone involved in the festival.”
— Coachella (@coachella) June 11, 2020
Coachella currently plans to return in April 2021 with a new lineup. “A year without Coachella and Stagecoach is hard for us to comprehend, but we have every intention of returning in 2021. As of now, Coachella weekend one will take place April 9 – 11, 2021 and weekend two will be April 16 – 18, 2021. Stagecoach is set for April 23 – 25, 2021. We look forward to sharing our new lineups and more information. We can’t wait to be together in the desert again when it is safe.”
All 2020 passes will be honored in 2021 and refunds are also available. More details will be sent via email by Monday, June 15.
Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, and Rage Against the Machine were set to headline this year’s festival in Indio, Calif., which was planned for April before being postponed to October in response to the coronavirus.
Public health officials expressed concern over hosting the festival in the fall. “I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall,” said Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser. “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.”
This is the first time since 2000 that Coachella has not occurred. The festival previously took a year off after its 1999 debut and its 2001 return.