Major music festivals Coachella and Stagecoach have officially postponed the festivals until October of this year due to rising concerns about the coronavirus. Both festivals have deliberated postponing the festivals that take place in Coachella valley after SXSW was cancelled for coronavirus concerns, especially considering the outbreak of the virus in the region. Ultra music festival in Miami, Florida, also cancelled their festival due to fears of the virus.
Coachella will now take place on October 9, 10 and 11 and October 16, 17 and 18 of 2020. Stagecoach will take place on October 23, 24 and 25 of 2020. Those who already purchased tickets will receive tickets to the events being held in October.
A big concern over the festivals being moved regards the availability of big name headliners, specifically Frank Ocean. Ocean has scarcely performed live, and has not performed in front of a live audience in years. Rage Against The Machine is another big headliner whose availability is up in the air.
With Coachella being one of the country’s largest musical event and public gatherings, bringing in an estimated 125,000 people annually, there is concern over how much the cancellation of Coachella will affect the economy of the live music industry. Furthermore, artists and bands, including Pearl Jam and and Neil Young, have begun cancelling their own tours due to fears of the virus. With the cancellation of Coachella, Stagecoach, Ultra, and SXSW, only time will tell what other music festivals will shut down.