Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals were canceled on Friday by an order issued by Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser.
Both festivals were scheduled to take place in April. It’s unclear if either festival will be rescheduled for a later date.
“This Order recognizes that both the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Music Festival are music concerts and gatherings of an international scope, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees from many countries, including several disproportionately afflicted by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic,” reads the order. “This order is intended to reduce the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19, thereby slowing the spread of COVID-19 in communities worldwide.”
This is the second year in a row that the annual music festival has been scrapped due to the pandemic. Last year’s festival was initially pushed to October. Rather than outright cancel and try it again this year, it was technically postponed (keeping the same artist lineup) until April 2021.
The order added: “If COVID-19 were detected at these festivals, the scope and number of attendees and the nature of the venue would make it infeasible, if not impossible, to track those who may be placed at risk.”
You can read the full order by Dr. Kaiser below:
Due to the pandemic, Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser today (Jan. 29) signed a public health order canceling Coachella Valley Music and Arts, Stagecoach Country Music festivals planned for April 2021. We look forward to when the events may return. https://t.co/YAIn8uTea9
— Dr. Geoffrey Leung (@RivCoDoc) January 29, 2021
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