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KPBS Evening Edition

Coachella, Stagecoach Music Festivals Canceled For 2020

A 2017 photo of a crowd at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Courtesy of Coachella
A 2017 photo of a crowd at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival set for October in Indio was canceled Wednesday due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

Coachella's three-day country music sister festival, Stagecoach, was also canceled. No future dates were released for either festival.

Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser signed an order Wednesday nixing the festivals for 2020, citing fears the coronavirus could worsen by the time the festivals rolled around.

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"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," Kaiser said in a statement.

"These decisions are not taken lightly with the knowledge that many people will be impacted. My first priority is the health of the community."

Coachella, which brings upward of 250,000 fans over two weekends to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, was originally set for April but postponed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was then rescheduled for the weekends of Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18, while Stagecoach was rescheduled for Oct. 23-25.

Event promoter Goldenvoice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean were set to headline Coachella, while Lil Nas X, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson and ZZ Top were scheduled to headline Stagecoach.