— Coachella (@coachella) March 10, 2020
The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival has officially been postponed from April to October amid concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.
The event, which was set to take place in Indio, California, on the weekends of April 10 and April 17, will now take place on the weekends of October 9 and October 16. The lineup was set to include a headlining performance from RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.
In a Twitter post, Goldenvoice, the AEG subsidiary that organizes the festival, said: "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 19, 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.
"Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in the desert this fall."
The news of the possible postponement came as authorities in the Coachella Valley region confirmed three new cases of the coronavirus on Monday. An estimated 250,000 people attend Coachella each year at Empire Polo Club, about two hours outside of Los Angeles.
Several other major festivals have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, including South By Southwest in Austin and Ultra Festival in Miami, while PEARL JAM just postponed its spring U.S. tour.
