The infamously popular, annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival has officially been postponed because of health concerns relating to the global outbreak of coronavirus.
"At the direction of the County of Riverside and local health authorities, we must sadly confirm the rescheduling of Coachella and Stagecoach due to COVID-19 concerns," Goldenvoice, Coachella's parent company, said in an official statement that was posted to Twitter. "While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials."
According to a report from Billboard, the eclectic music fest (which usually takes place over two three-day weekends every year in April) is now being rescheduled to take place later in the year in October, with the new dates being October 9-11 and October 16-18, 2020. Original April tickets for Coachella will still be honored come October, and those seeking a refund will be notified later this week on how to do so.
Many LGBTQ+ acts were slated to perform at Coachella this year, including Sunday headliner Frank Ocean, Lil Nas X, Kim Petras, Pabllo Vittar, and Oroville Peck. It's unclear how the full artist lineup will be affected by the fall rescheduling.
Read Goldenvoice's full statement here.
