Update (as of March 11, 2020) Both Coachella and Stagecoach have been postponed. Coachella released an official statement yesterday, noting that due to COVID-19 concerns, the event will now take place over two weekends in the fall: October 9, 10, and 11 and October 16, 17, and 18. Stagecoach has been moved to October 23, 24, and 25. All purchases for the April dates will now be honored for the rescheduled October dates. Those who are unable to attend will be notified on how to obtain refunds by Friday, March 13.
“Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in the desert this fall,” organizers said.
—
North America’s largest music festival, Coachella, along with its sister country festival Stagecoach, are on the rocks while promoters work to try and move the festivals to October amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the U.S.
According to Billboard, high level sources say that officials with promoter Goldenvoice are working to move Coachella to the weekends of October 9 and 16, followed by Stagecoach to October 23. Coachella is slated to take place in Indio, California on the weekends of April 10 and 17, along with Stagecoach on April 24 to 26. However, coronavirus is taking the country by storm, and as of Monday, March 9, three more cases of the virus were confirmed in Riverside County, where the festival will kick-off in a month. Officials and talent agents reportedly began conversations to pull the do-year-old festival’s permit to move the event to later this year.
What would it mean if the festival is postponed? This will be a huge endeavor for promoters, artists, contractors, vendors, employees, and fans. While organizers wouldn’t be able to get all the artists to agree to the move, the postponement could be possible if headlining acts – Frank Ocean, Rage Against The Machine, and Travis Scott – were on board. Similarly, headliners of Stagecoach, including Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Eric Church would have to approve the schedule change.
Coachella, one of the largest music festivals in the world and the biggest event in North America, brings 250,000 fans to Empire Polo Field over the course of two weekends. It’s the festival that’s talked about all-year long and helps put artists on the map.
Nonetheless, coronavirus might be responsible for the move. Already, the virus has caused a handful of festivals to cancel – including Ultra and SXSW. Dozens of artists have also called-off tours, including Pearl Jam, Avril Lavigne, Green Day, Madonna, BTS, and more. See our updating list of cancelled concerts due to the virus here.
