Coachella Music Festival Postponed Amid Global Coronavirus Precautions
Concert promoter Goldenvoice has postponed this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival until October out of caution surrounding the ongoing coronavirus epidemic.
Initially scheduled for the back-to-back weekends of April 10-12 and April 17-19 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, its sister fest, the April 24-26 Stagecoach Festival at the same site, has also been postponed. Coachella has been moved to Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18, while Stagecoach follows Oct. 23-25.
The current public health emergency involves multiple outbreaks of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). After spreading across the globe, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised that all large gatherings be adjusted or postponed.
In response, Goldenvoice issued a statement Tuesday (March 10) outlining the postponements of the annual events. The move came after days of speculation regarding the fate of 2020's Coachella and Stagecoach.
"At the direction of the County of Riverside and the local health authorities, we must sadly confirm the rescheduling of Coachella and Stagecoach due to COVID-19 concerns," Goldenvoice announced. "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."
That statement notes that tickets for the April dates will still be valid for the rescheduled events. Purchasers will be notified by this Friday (March 13) on how to obtain a refund if they're unable to attend, it says.
Set to headline Coachella 2020 are Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean. The fest's postponement follows a week of other concert cancellations involving Slipknot, Green Day, Lacuna Coil and others.
2020's Most Anticipated Rock + Metal Albums