Coachella festival postponed until October over Coronavirus outbreak

11 March 2020, 10:30 | Updated: 17 March 2020, 16:04

Coachella has been postponed until October over Coronavirus fears. Picture: Getty

The famous music and arts festival was originally scheduled to take place in April.

Coachella, one of the world's biggest and most hotly-anticipated music festivals, has been rescheduled for October due to Coronavirus fears.

The popular festival was originally scheduled to take place in April will headliners Frank Ocean, Travis Scott and Rage Against The Machine expected to take the stage in the California desert.

Goldenvoice, who organise Coachella and country music festival Stagecoach, shared a statement on Tuesday (10 March) announcing the news.

"While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously," reads the statement posted on Twitter.

Coachella and Stagecoach have rescheduled for October due to Coronavirus fears. Picture: Twitter

Coachella, which traditionally takes place over two consecutive weekends, will now take place on the weekends of 9th, 10th and 11th October and 16th, 17th and 18th October.

Stagecoach which will now take place on 23rd, 24th and 25th October, with both events being held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

Riverside County, California, which encompasses the Coachella Valley, say its public health officer, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, ordered the cancellation of the festivals over concerns about Coronavirus.

Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival has been rescheduled for October due to fears over Coronavirus. Picture: Getty

"This decision was not taken lightly or without consideration of many factors," said Dr. Kaiser. "No doubt it will impact many people, but my top priority is to protect the health of the entire community."

Coachella's rescheduling is the latest in a running list of cancellations in the entertainment industry. Arts festival South By SouthWest in Austin, Texas, has been called off for the first time in its 34-year history on orders of the city's mayor.

There are also fears over this year's Glastonbury festival in Somerset, UK, with organiser saying, "We continue to plan and prepare for the event, while at the same time closely monitoring developments with the coronavirus situation."