Becoming the latest to fall victim to COVID-19, the Coachella music festival – along with its sister event, Stagecoach – has been delayed until October over fears of the fast-spreading coronavirus.
The original April date for the 10-day festival was pushed back some seven months, event promoter Goldenvoice announced on Tuesday, noting that local health officials in California’s Riverside County had urged the move.
“We must sadly confirm the rescheduling of Coachella and Stagecoach due to COVID-19 concerns,” Goldenvoice said in a statement. “While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously.”
The postponement of the desert music gathering – a hipster Mecca of sorts – triggered a wave of disappointment across social media. While those planning to attend were understandably miffed by the announcement, others looking forward to 10 days of “hipster free brunches” and “empty freeways” were also saddened by the news.
Seeing the glass half full, some speculated that the delay could allow incarcerated rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine to perform at the event, with his prison release date set for August.
The hiccup in Coachella’s schedule comes just days after the South by Southwest film, music and technology festival – another hipster-friendly event – was cancelled outright over fears of the lethal virus, which has spread to nearly 1,000 Americans across dozens of states, killing 30.
A number of other events around the globe have been shuttered or delayed due to the illness, from sporting events, tech conferences, cultural celebrations and a number of other music and film festivals. To date, COVID-19 has infected just shy of 120,000 people worldwide since last December, with more than 4,200 fatalities
Also on rt.com Big Tech companies cancel conventions over coronavirus fears, but small businesses hurt the mostThink your friends would be interested? Share this story!