Coachella has been canceled once again, but the festival is eyeing a return for next year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of press time, it is unknown whether Coachella’s sister festival Stagecoach will also be postponed until next year, however Variety reports that it is largely expected to move.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Coachella was pushed back four times, first from April to October 2020, then to April 2021, then October 2021 and finally 2022. Coachella 2020 was set to feature Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Rage Against the Machine and Thom Yorke and take place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, like every year.
While Coachella isn’t taking place this year, many other music festivals such as Life Is Beautiful are already gearing up for a fall event after canceling last year’s festival. The three-day downtown Las Vegas festival is set to feature performances from St. Vincent, Billie Eilish and Tame Impala.
Coachella was just one of many major music festivals that were forced to postpone their events last year, other prominent cancellations included SXSW, Pitchfork Music Festival and Governors Ball. SXSW has since launched a virtual event this year as a result of the pandemic, which retains a lengthy lineup.
As Southern California’s largest music festival, Coachella is world-renown, selling out nearly every year since 2008. Many notable artists have performed at the event including Prince, Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, Kanye West, The Strokes, Radiohead, Aphex Twin, Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, Tyler, the Creator, Ariana Grande and Guns N’ Roses.
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat