Coachella is canceled until next year, 2021

Coachella is canceled and for festival-goers everywhere, we are all grieving. The cancellation comes after the event was initially postponed until Fall 2020 due to the coronavirus.

By mporter on June 15, 2020
(Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

By: Madeleine Porter

Coachella is canceled and for festival-goers everywhere, we are all grieving. The cancellation comes after the event was initially postponed until Fall 2020 due to the coronavirus.

Along with its country counter-part, Stagecoach, the two-night weekend is officially canceled due to the risks posed with the ongoing pandemic. Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said the weekend would only contribute to growing numbers.

“I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall,” Kaiser said. “In addition, events like Coachella and Stagecoach would fall under Governor Newsom’s Stage 4, which he has previously stated would require treatments or a vaccine to enter. Given the projected circumstances and potential, I would not be comfortable moving forward.”

Public health is a top priority for Kaiser and health officials alike.

“These decisions are not taken lightly with the knowledge that many people will be impacted. My first priority is the health of the community,” Kaiser reported.

This will be the second year Coachella is canceled. The first time was in 2000, a gap year after the fest’s 1999 debut and its 2001 return.

The loss of the festival will not only affect Coachella itself but all of Indio Valley who benefit from tourism income.

 

Around the site