Coachella and Stagecoach festivals officially canceled due to COVID-19

This year's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Stagecoach country music festival have officially been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, health officials announced Wednesday. The festivals, originally set for April in Indio, Calif., were previously postponed to October.

Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser signed the order canceling the festivals and said in a statement, "I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall. In addition, events like Coachella and Stagecoach would fall under Governor Newsom's stage 4, which he has previously stated would require treatments or a vaccine to enter. Given the projected circumstances and potential, I would not be comfortable moving forward."

He added, "These decisions are not taken lightly with the knowledge that many people will be impacted. My first priority is the health of the community."

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, which would have been 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 annually at the Empire Polo Club grounds, featured headliners Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Eric Church.

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

[UPDATE: On Thursday, Coachella and Stagecoach both announced April 2021 dates and said all 2020 passes would be honored in 2021.]

Coachella and Stagecoach's cancellations come on the heels of Lollapalooza officially scrapping its festival this year, which would have taken place July 30-Aug. 2 in in Chicago. Bonnaroo has 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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