Coachella 2020 Postponed Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Updated on March 10 at 7:11 p.m.
The 2020 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will officially be postponed until October of this year, moved back from its typical April schedule.
The festival and its country music counterpart, Stagecoach, are both being pushed back until October 2020. The new Coachella dates will be the weekends of Oct. 9 and Oct. 16, while Stagecoach will be held the weekend of Oct. 23.
Coachella confirmed the news on March 10, releasing a statement that read, "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. 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."
Goldenvoice, the company behind the two festivals, also said that purchases for the original date will be honored for the rescheduled dates, but attendees who are unable to attend the new dates will hear by this Friday, March 13 on how to proceed with refunds.
Previously:
The annual return of Coachella could be put on hold due to coronavirus. In the past few weeks, large gatherings all over the world including SXSW and BTS's planned tour dates in South Korea have been put on hold or cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, and according to Billboard, Coachella is considering a similar move.
Next month, thousands of music fans are expected to flock to Indio, California for the start of Coachella 2020, but Billboard reported that Goldenvoice, the promoter behind the annual musical event, is considering a postponement. TMZ and CNN reported more firmly on the matter, citing unnamed sources that said the festival will be moved to October (with TMZ saying the new dates will be the weekends of Oct. 9 and Oct. 16).
According to Billboard, organizers are working over the next 48 hours to see whether it would be possible to move the event — originally scheduled over two weekends, April 10-12 and April 17-19 — to October. As part of the move, the festival would instead start on October 9 and October 16. Billboard reported that Goldenvoice is also contemplating whether Stagecoach, its annual country music festival held on the same grounds, could be moved to October as well.
The move is due to the coronavirus, Billboard reported, with three cases recently confirmed in the county where Coachella takes place. In a previous statement, city officials told Los Angeles Magazine they would support whatever the festival deemed necessary. “The City of Indio is actively monitoring input from local, state, and national health officials to assess the health risks of COVID-19 and update those risks to stakeholders, " the statement read.
There's no word on whether the move would result in any scheduling conflicts with previously scheduled artists, but organizers reportedly hope to have an answer on whether an October festival is possible soon.
Coronavirus has continued to spread around the world, resulting in major disruptions to normal life. Aside from the cancellation of large events, schools have been forced to consider alternate means of education and in Italy, a ban on large public events has been put in place as residents have been encouraged to stay home.
While the spread of coronavirus and its recent inclusion in many current news reports can certainly feel overwhelming, there are ways to cope with any anxiety or fear related to the disease. Along with knowing the facts, it's important that you reach out to a trusted adult to express your fears, and remain educated on how you can lessen your risk of catching (and spreading) coronavirus.
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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
