Photo: Alberto Pezzali / Live4ever
As one of the earliest major festivals in the calendar year, Coachella was one of the first to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic, organisers hoping to stage their 2020 event in October instead of the usual two weekends in April. Now, it’s unsurprisingly been cancelled all together at the behest of Riverside County health officials.
“I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall,” Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron 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. These decisions are not taken lightly with the knowledge that many people will be impacted. My first priority is the health of the community.”