One of the world's biggest music festivals has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is one of the world's most high-profile music events with many celebrity attendees.
Coachella 2020 has been silenced.
Amid fears over the deadly coronavirus, Coachella organizers announced Tuesday (Mar 10) that the Indio, Calif., festival will not go on as planned.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was scheduled for two weekends next month, the first weekend slated for Apr 10-12 and the second Apr 17-19. The festival was set to be headlined by Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean both weekends.
“At the direction of the County of Riverside and local health authorities, we must sadly confirm the rescheduling of Coachella … due to COVID-19 concerns,” fest presenters Goldenvoice announced via Twitter. “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.”
Coachella will now move to two weekends in the fall, slated for Oct 9-11 and 16-18. All ticket purchases “will be honored for the rescheduled dates.” Organizers will notify ticket holders how to get a refund by Mar 13.
Stagecoach Festival, which was planned Apr 24-26, will also move to dates in the fall. The country music fest will be held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio Oct 23-25.
The postponement comes days after the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, was canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Ultra Music Festival, which was slated to take place in Miami, Fla., from Mar 20 to 22, was also canceled last week.
The COVID-19 has swept the nation and surpassed more than 750 confirmed cases in the United States. As many as 28 people have been killed by the virus, which has similar symptoms to a common cold or flu.
Globally, more than 100,000 have been infected with the flu-like disease. In New York state, the total number of cases is nearing 200.
- Source: News websites
