Coachella and Stagecoach festivals postponed until October due to coronavirus
"We take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously," say festival organizers, who add that refunds will be given.
- Third place film critic, 2021 LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards
San Francisco streets appear far emptier than usual at midday March 10 as the impact of the coronavirus continues to be felt around the world.
Add the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival to the growing list of cultural events being canceled or postponed due to coronavirus concerns.
"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," the festival said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. "While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainly, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously."
— Coachella (@coachella) March 10, 2020
Coachella said the festival, originally scheduled for April 10-19, has been rescheduled for two weekends in October -- Oct. 9-11 and 16-18. The lineup features acts including Frank Ocean, Lewis Capaldi, Megan Thee Stallion, Carley Rae Jepson, 21 Savage and Travis Scott.
Purchases for the original dates will be honored, the festival said, and refunds given to those who can't attend in the fall. The corresponding Stagecoach festival, meanwhile, will take place on Oct. 23, 24 and 25.
Coronavirus updates
Coachella takes place annually in the Southern California desert, drawing crowds of around 250,000 over two weekends.
Other high-profile gatherings canceled due to COVID-19 fears include South by Southwest, Google I/O , Facebook's F8 developer conference, Mobile World Congress, RuPaul's DragCon LA and the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. The verdict is still out on other big events, including the Tokyo Olympics.
