For the second year in a row, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival have been canceled, according to a statement posted by its promoter, Goldenvoice. The festival’s promoter posted an order from the Riverside County health officer citing the “worldwide epidemic of Covid-19 disease”. The request referred to the worldwide appeal of the festivals and the influx of “hundreds of thousands of participants from other countries”.
Due to the pandemic, public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser signed today (January 29) a public health order canceling the Coachella Valley and Stagecoach Country Music music and festivals planned for April 2021. We look forward to seeing when events will return. https://t.co/YAIn8uTea9
– Dr. Cameron Kaiser (@RivCoDoc) January 29, 2021
In 2020, spring events were postponed to October as Covid-19 became a global health crisis. Both events, held annually at the 78-acre Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA, were canceled entirely for 2020. Interestingly, part of Friday’s press release announcing the 2021 cancellation appears to have been copied and pasted directly from the 2020.
“This order is issued based on concerns about a resurgence in the downturn of Covid-19,” says the document. Such a resurgence was a major concern in the early summer of 2020. Not so much in January 2021, where no one knows what autumn will be like. The “new” order also says it is “issued according to the March 4, 2020 State of Emergency Proclamation, issued by Governor Gavin Newsom”. That order, of course, has since been replaced by other directives from the governor.
Related Story
Glastonbury Festival canceled by Coronavirus for the second year in a row
As the 2020 dates were canceled, Goldenvoice announced this year’s dates, saying that all tickets from the previous year would be honored. Reading the new order closely, he cancels “Coachella and Stagecoach on the currently scheduled dates”, but says nothing about the programs being canceled for the entire year 2021 or rescheduled for 2022. In fact, the tweet from the director of Public Health at Riverside County says, “We are looking forward to when events can return. ”Last year’s announcement was more accurate.
“Coachella’s weekend one will take place from April 9 to 11, 2021 and weekend two will take place from April 16 to 18, 2021”, says the 2020 statement. “Stagecoach is scheduled for April 23 to 25 2021. We look forward to sharing our new lineups and more information. We can’t wait to be together in the desert again when it’s safe. “
Whatever the case, the decision is probably a good one. Riverside is one of the most affected counties in California, which in itself has become the epicenter of the pandemic. At the time of last year’s cancellation, the county had 9,590 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 365 deaths. On Friday, January 29, 2021 alone, Riverside County recorded 1,805 new cases and 33 new deaths.
The canceled 2020 edition should include headliners like Rage Against the Machine, Megan Thee Stallion, Run the Jewels, Calvin Harris, Travis Scott, Thom Yorke, 21 Savage, Danny Elfman, Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey, Lil Nas X, FKA Twigs , Fatboy Slim and others.
This year’s schedule has not yet been announced.