Coachella 2019
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella
Report: Coachella & Stagecoach 2020 Rumored To Be Postponed Due To Coronavirus Concerns
Amid the rampant spread of coronavirus fear, more domestic cases and the cancelation of Ultra Miami, SXSW and a growing number of events, rumors abound over the possible cancelation of Coachella 2020. At the time of this publishing, Goldenvoice, the organizers behind Coachella and Stagecoach (which is also rumored to be in the works for postponement) have not officially canceled or postponed either event, although many outlets have spoken to sources who claim that a plan will be announced soon.
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Over the weekend, Riverside County, home to the fests' famed Empire Polo Club, officially declared a public health emergency, following the first locally contracted case of coronavirus. A total of three cases are currently reported in the county, while the California total has hit the 174 mark. According to Billboard (dated March 9), conversations between Goldenvoice, local Riverside officials and artists' talent teams began this weekend in an attempt to save the fest.
The outlet alleges that the two-weekend event, currently slated for April 10-12 and 17-19, may be rescheduled to Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18. Stagecoach, which is slated for April 24-26, may be moved to Oct. 23-25. According to sources, organizers hope to make a final decision by tomorrow, March 11, around whether the event should be pushed to the fall or will need to be canceled this year.
Other outlets, as well as users on Reddit and Twitter, have also widely reported on this rumor over the past 12 hours or so, including the music writer who claims to have broken the rumor in the tweet above.
In the case of both Ultra (and the adjacent Winter Music Conference in Miami) and SXSW, which were canceled on March 6, both events were previously still slated to occur later this month until local officials declared a state of emergency. Coachella Valley news outlet Desert Sun notes that while the county has declared a state of emergency, as of today, local health officials are not urging for cancelation of either Coachella or Stagecoach, as scheduled for April. While Coachella has not issued an official statement on the event's status yet, they have been keeping a winking eye on the Twitter talk.
Frank Ocean, Rage Against The Machine, Travis Scott, Calvin Harris, Lana Del Rey, FKA twigs, Flume, Thom Yorke are all are on the bill as major performers at Coachella 2020. Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett and Eric Church are slated to headline Stagecoach 2020. Whether the events continue as planned or are rescheduled or canceled, it is not yet known who will perform. At the time of this publishing, no artists have officially dropped out of either event.
A growing number of artists, including Madonna, Khalid, BTS and many others have postponed or canceled some of their 2020 tour legs and/or other shows due to all the uncertainty around the coronavirus and ability to travel and gather in large crowds.
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