Coachella Organizers Reportedly Asking Artists To Play 2021 Event As Fall 2020 Appears Unlikely

When Coachella was initially postponed back in mid-March at the start of the COVID-19 breakout in North America, event organizers optimistically set new dates for the giant multi-weekend festival for October 9th–11th, and October 16th-18th in hopes that the global pandemic had settled to the point of control by the fall months. As May begins to turn the page into June and the country still attempting to cope with the national health emergency on top of a ravaged economy, Coachella organizers appear to be coming to terms with no event at all in 2020 and are reportedly beginning to focus their efforts on the 2021 edition of the festival.

According to a new report shared by Forbes, Coachella organizers (the festival is run by Goldenvoice, which itself is owned by AEG) have begun to ask its artists booked for 2020 if they would instead be interested to perform at the 2021 iteration of the annual springtime event. The festival hasn’t made any public announcement, and sources preferred not to be identified because no plans have been officially decided upon just yet.

According to the report, not every band or artist included on the 2020 lineup has been asked to play in 2021. This year’s festival was set to feature performances from Rage Against The Machine, Calvin Harris, Run The Jewels, Chicano Batman, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Travis Scott, Caribou, Frank Ocean, and more.

Speculation that Coachella and StageCoach organizers will possibly pull the plug on any plans for fall 2020 events comes as the live side of the music industry begins to pivot towards the drive-in concert format which emerged in European cities earlier this year. Events are already being planned for the summer months to take place at both Major League ballparks and in smaller communities across parts of the country.

Click here for a full rundown of music festivals and concert tours that have been canceled, postponed, or officially rescheduled so far due to COVID-19.

[H/T Bloomberg]