As numerous events around the globe are either postponed or cancelled due to the threat of coronavirus, rumours are now surfacing that Coachella is set to postpone the date of its 2020 event.
Announcing its lineup back in early January, the 2020 edition of Coachella was always set to be a big one. With Rage Against The Machine using the Californian festival as a way to kick off their latest reunion tour, Frank Ocean making a rare appearance, and Travis Scott set to perform his biggest sets to date, expectations are undoubtedly high.
However, organisers unfortunately announced this year’s bill just one month after the first reported case of coronavirus; a global pandemic that has not only affected people around the world, but has infected over 114,000 and killed more than 4,000.
While discussions over the status of the Tokyo Olympics remain on the table, this last weekend saw the announcement that South By Southwest will not be going ahead this month. Add in an increased frequency of tours being cancelled or postponed, and you’ve got the global music industry faced with a bit of chaos.
Over the last couple of days though, increased attention has been placed on Coachella organisers, with a petition even being launched last week urging those in charge to can the 2020 event.
“As members whoes [sic] planning on going to the Coachella 2020 events, we have every right to be alerted, to be informed and to take every precaution the festival is capable of offering to protect ourselves,” wrote Stella Young, organiser of the petition which has attracted over 16,000 signatures.
“Participant [sic] are from all over the states and the world. According to WHO, COVID-19 can transmit from person to person through droplets (coughing, sneezing, talking, etc.) and surfaces touched by confirmed patients or asymptomatic carriers, which basically meant that none of us would know if we have been exposed to the virus or not since people without symptoms can also pass on the virus.
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“Thus, we encourage you to think rationally and do some calculations for yourself about how many people you randomly encounter on a daily basis, and whether you are certain that you won’t ever become a victim of this global crisis.”
Just hours ago, it was revealed that three new cases of coronavirus had been reported in the Coachella Valley region recently, bringing the overall total to six.
Now, Tone Deaf has it on good authority from a source close to the festival that Coachella are indeed set to axe next month’s celebrations, instead holding the event across the weekends of October 9th to 11th, and 16th to 18th.
While the festival’s cancellation is an unconfirmed rumour at this point, a postponement of this nature would undoubtedly not be taken lightly by organisers of the festival. Likewise, it’s expected that a new lineup may also be unveiled considering how unlikely it is that every band on the current bill would be available for the new dates.
If the event is indeed cancelled and postponed to October, it would be the first time in over 20 years it has not been held in the month of April. Notably though, the festival’s debut in 1999 took place in October, when Rage Against The Machine also served as one of the headline acts.
More information, including official confirmation from the festival, is expected to arrive within the next day or so, with ticketholders or those interested in the event urged to keep an eye on official Coachella channels.
Check out footage of Coachella 2019:
