Buzz: Coachella 2020 Might Be Moved Entirely to 2021 Due to COVID-19

Were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival would have taken place over two sun-soaked weekends in April.

The pandemic, just as it’s done to all corners of the music business, forced Goldenvoice to reschedule Coachella 2020 to October … but, per a new report that came out on Wednesday from Bloomberg, it looks as if the festival — one of the largest and most successful in the world — may be shelved entirely for this year.

Per the Bloomberg report, organizers are asking many of the acts signed on for 2020 to play 2021 instead, which has fueled speculation that there will be no Fall 2020 event:

Goldenvoice has already postponed Coachella to October from April in response to the coronavirus pandemic. But that decision was made when less was known about the health risks. With many government officials imposing social distancing and other restrictions on businesses as they reopen, the odds of pulling off an event that attracts as many as 200,000 people grow dimmer by the day.

Goldenvoice, which has said little about Coachella’s future since announcing the postponement in March, didn’t respond to a request for comment. Chief Executive Officer Paul Tollett and his team need to firm up plans with artists and settle financial issues like insurance, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are still in flux. Local health officials also have to weigh in.