Coachella and Stagecoach officially canceled for 2020

The 2020 Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals have been canceled over fears that there will be a surge in coronavirus cases this fall.

The festivals are held every spring in Indio, California, and were moved from April to October because of the pandemic. On Wednesday, Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said he canceled the events altogether because he is "concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall." Given those projections, he is "not comfortable moving forward. These decisions are not taken lightly with the knowledge that many people will be impacted. My first priority is the health of the community."

Rage Against the Machine, Frank Ocean, and Travis Scott were scheduled to headline Coachella, while Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett, and Eric Church were the big names at Stagecoach. The festivals draw tens of thousands of visitors to the region, boosting the economy by an estimated $400 million every year, The Desert Sun reports.

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