Indio confirms Goldenvoice has reached out to evaluate options for Coachella
UPDATE - 4:04 p.m.
Goldenvoice has officially confirmed Coachella will be moved to October 9, 10 and 11 and October 16, 17 and 18, 2020. Stagecoach will be held on October 23, 24 and 25, 2020.
Original Report:
The city of Indio responded to News Channel 3 inquiries about the possible future of this year's Coachella Music and Arts Festival.
In a statement, Brooke Beare, director of communications & marketing for the city of Indio, confirmed that Goldenvoice, Coachella's parent company, has reached out to the city as they continue to evaluate their options for the upcoming music festivals.
"Moving the festivals to October is one of those options, and the city would be supportive of that, however, the situation is fluid. Any announcement about the festivals would likely come from the festival promoters themselves," Beare wrote.
Check out our Coronavirus section for more local coverage
On Monday, several publications including Billboard, Variety, and the Hollywood Reporter reported that Coachella could be moved to the weekends of October 9 and 16 due to coronavirus concerns, however, it wasn't a done deal yet.
Billboard further reported that high-level sources say an official announcement was expected this week, possibly by Wednesday.
Goldenvoice has yet to issue any public comment on the matter.
No word on if the line-ups would have to change, according to Billboard, Goldenvoice is working to with the artists on the change. Coachella is currently scheduled to be headlined by Frank Ocean, Rage Against the Machine, and Travis Scott. Stagecoach's headliners are Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Eric Church.
If moved to October, Coachella would run on the same weekend as Austin City Limits weekend 2, which usually features some of the same artists on its line-up.
The festivals attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year from all over the world, but it wouldn't be the first big Coachella Valley event affected by the coronavirus outbreak. On Sunday, just hours after health officials declared a local public health emergency in the valley, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells was canceled.
The first positive case was confirmed on Saturday. The total number of cases is up to four, as of Monday afternoon.
More on cases in the Coachella Valley
Public health investigators have not been able to determine how one the individuals got infected, according to Riverside County Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser. Due to that, it is now considered a case of “community spread," meaning the virus was not contracted through relevant travel history or contact to a known case and suggests that the virus is present in the community.
Kaiser said investigators believe the three infections were either the result of travel into areas where COVID-19 has been confirmed or contact with a known case.
To minimize the continued spread of the virus within the community, Eisenhower Health recommends anyone experiencing coronavirus symptoms to call Eisenhower’s coronavirus hotline at 760-837-8988 (or 760-TEST988) before going to any facility.
According to the CDC, symptoms include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath.
The World Health Organization advises people to frequently wash their hands, maintain social distancing, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, and practice respiratory hygiene.
