Coachella and Stagecoach set April dates for 2021 festivals

The Coachella and Stagecoach festivals have revealed their 2021 dates, just one day after health officials announced that the two music events would not take place this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is slated for April 9-11, 2021, with the second weekend immediately following, April 16-18. Coachella's sister event, the Stagecoach country music festival, will occur April 23-25. The festivals, both of which are organized by Goldenvoice, have annually taken place in Indio, Calif.

A news release Thursday said all 2020 passes will be honored in 2021, and current passholders will be contacted before June 16 about requesting a refund or rolling over to next year. The festivals will be sharing the new lineups at a future date.

The two festivals were officially canceled Wednesday, with Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser stating he was "concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall." The news came after the events were originally postponed to October.

Coachella, which would have celebrated its 21st year in 2020, boasted headliners Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott, and Frank Ocean. Other acts on board included Megan Thee Stallion, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Lana Del Rey. Stagecoach, also held at the Empire Polo Club grounds, featured headliners Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Eric Church.

Under Governor Gavin Newsom's four-part plan to reopen California, stage 4 targets the reopening of the highest-risk environments, including live sporting events, conventions, concerts, and festivals. Although restaurants, barbershops, and other establishments have reopened recently, stage 4 gatherings remain banned and are not expected to resume until a vaccine or effective treatments for COVID-19 are found.

Coachella was previously set for Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18 this year, after moving back from the weekends of April 10 and 17, while Stagecoach moved to Oct. 23-25, from the weekend of April 24.

Coachella and Stagecoach's cancellations came after Lollapalooza officially scrapped its festival this year, which would have taken place July 30-Aug. 2 in in Chicago. Bonnaroo rescheduled dates from June to September, while SXSW was one of the earliest events to be canceled due to the pandemic, calling off its 2020 edition altogether.

For the latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19), including how to protect yourself and what to do if you think you are sick, please visit coronavirus.gov.

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