Coachella and Stagecoach Have Been Officially Postponed

By Austin Schoonmaker | March 11, 2020

The music festival season is off to a dismal start, as two of California’s largest music events are the latest cancellations due to the novel coronavirus. Coachella and Stagecoach have both been officially postponed at the recommendation of local health authorities. 

“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,” said a statement from Goldenvoice, the production company behind both festivals. “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.”

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Coachella will now take place on October 9-11 and October 16-18 of this year, making it the first time the enigmatic desert festival will not take place in the spring. Coachella is one of the biggest music festivals in the world, attracting more than 100,000 attendees per day. Stagecoach, the popular country music festival that also takes place on Polo Fields in Indio, will be moved to October 23-25.

The postponement of the two events has caused a major disruption to thousands of eager festival-goers who have already booked flights and hotels. Hundreds of vendors associated with the festival are already feeling the economic impact of the festival being postponed, as the events account for a large portion of their business every year. 

This year’s Coachella headliners included Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott, and Frank Ocean. The festival has not advised whether they will perform in October. Stagecoach had Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Eric Church set to headline the country music festival. 

Organizers announced that all tickets purchased for the April dates will be honored for the new dates. Refunds will also be made available, with more information on the matter being released on Friday, March 13. 

Coachella and Stagecoach join South by Southwest, a massive music and arts festival held in Austin, Texas that was recently canceled amid concerns over the spread of the virus. With three of the biggest festivals in the U.S. facing cancellations, other upcoming events in the summer festival season are expected to follow.