Coachella, Stagecoach Festivals Postponed Due To Coronavirus

INDIO, CA — Local authorities have ordered the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and the Stagecoach country music festivals to be postponed until October due to concerns about the coronavirus, organizers confirmed Tuesday afternoon. The festivals had been scheduled for April.

"While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously," organizers said in a statement.

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— Coachella (@coachella) March 10, 2020

Indio city officials said Monday that Goldenvoice, which operates both festivals, sparked talks with the city about possibly setting new dates.

The Coachella festival, which brings 250,000 fans over two weekends to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, will be moved to the weekends of Oct. 9 and 16. The Stagecoach country music festival, held at the same venue in Indio, will be moved to Oct. 23-25.

Attendees who already bought tickets for the April festivals will have those tickets honored in October, or can receive a refund if they are unable to attend, organizers said.

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Three Riverside County residents were reported infected with coronavirus on Monday, likely the result of local exposure to the pathogen and not because of overseas travel, the county's public health officer said.

"It is now considered a case of 'community spread,'" according to a Riverside University Health System statement.

"Community spread involves transmission of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown. It indicates that the virus was not contracted through relevant travel history, or contact to a known case of COVID-19, and suggests that the virus is present in the community."

City News Service contributed to this report.

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