It’s perhaps the least surprising news of the month, but Coachella 2020 has been canceled.

We reported in March that the festival had been postponed until October, with Goldenvoice releasing a statement that read:

“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. 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. Coachella will now take place on October 9, 10 and 11 and October 16, 17 and 18, 2020. Stagecoach will take place on October 23, 24 and 25, 2020. All purchases for the April dates will be honored for the rescheduled October dates. Purchasers will be notified by Friday, March 13 on how to obtain a refund if they are unable to attend.”

However according to Billboard, Dan Beckerman, CEO of parent company Anschutz Entertainment Group, sent out an employee memo on Monday that said, “Every employee worldwide will be impacted in one form or another. It is an agonizing decision, but sadly, a necessary one.”

Options are now being discussed; the festival could return with a reduced attendance in April 2021, or they could delay until October 2021.

UPDATE: June 11

A statement from Goldenvoice reads:

“Under the continuing health guidance of the County of Riverside, Coachella and Stagecoach 2020 will not take place this October as previously rescheduled. This is not the future that any of us hoped to confront, but our main focus remains the well-being of our fans, staff, artists, desert partners and everyone involved in the festival.
A year without Coachella and Stagecoach is hard for us to comprehend, but we have every intention of returning in 2021. As of now, Coachella weekend one will take place April 9 – 11, 2021 and weekend two will be April 16 – 18, 2021. Stagecoach is set for April 23 – 25, 2021. We look forward to sharing our new lineups and more information. We can’t wait to be together in the desert again when it is safe.
All 2020 passes will be honored in 2021. Current pass holders will be sent an email by the end of the day on Monday, June 15 with further instructions to request a refund or to roll over to next year.”

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