Coachella might be postponed until October over coronavirus fears

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Scene from Coachella 2019 (Photo courtesy of Goldenvoice)

■ Update: The postponement is now official.

An official announcement is expected by midweek on whether the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, along with Stagecoach, will be rescheduled to October over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, multiple sources tell Buzz Bands LA.

The 22nd Coachella is scheduled to start one month from today, featuring more than 150 acts over two three-day weekends, April 10-12 and 17-19. Stagecoach is slated to take over the Empire Polo Club in Indio the weekend following.

Coronavirus concerns have already forced cancellation of two festivals this month, South by Southwest in Austin and Ultra in Miami. On Monday, Pearl Jam scotched the spring leg of its Gigaton tour. Three confirmed coronavirus cases in the Coachella Valley also forced postponement of professional tennis’ BNP Paribas Open, which was scheduled to start this week in Indian Wells. And today, the L.A. Times postponed its annual Festival of Books, which will move to October.

Multiple reports say that promoter Goldenvoice has been in conversations with artists about moving the festival to the weekends of Oct. 9 and 16. That was confirmed last night by a source who called the situation “a nightmare … but not as much of a nightmare as infecting 100,000 people.”

The promoter also has a slate of more than 30 shows in their “Goldenvoice Presents April” series, which features artists scheduled to play Coachella doing shows in other Southern California venues. Those shows would be disrupted as well.

Thus far, the coronavirus has not impacted the L.A.-area concert schedule.