The stateside return of live music events has proven to be a moving target as COVID-19 cases have periodically spiked across the country all year long. As such, all major events saw forced cancellations in 2020, and now, 2021 looks to be in jeopardy too, as Coachella is reportedly planning to push its dates…again. Sources close to Goldenvoice tell Rolling Stone that Coachella is likely to move dates for a third time this year, now eyeing an October 2021 run date.
According to new reports, the announcement of the festival’s latest postponement should have been made public a long time ago—as early as Labor Day Weekend, though the writing has been on the wall for some time. Additionally, sources in direct contact with Goldenvoice’s parent company, AEG, say they’ve been asked to prepare for another shift to next fall. What’s more—industry insiders are also expecting other major events properties to follow suit, with festivals like Governor’s Ball and Austin City Limits also reportedly looking at weekends in October 2021. Once source explains,
“It’s going to be really challenging for the artists to decide because multiple factors always come in. What does the paycheck look like, what does the moment look like? Most, if not everyone, are watching what Coachella does. A lot of people are going to wait to see what they do before they really solidify their plans and either have to compete with artists or renegotiate.”
With 2021 cancellations and postponements already trickling in, what Coachella does may prove to have a domino effect on other major festival brands in the US next year. We’ll likely know how the cards are going to fall very soon, though the outlook on 2021 is shaky at best.
Via: Rolling Stone
