Coachella Festival postponed as concerts grapple with the virus | Entertainment

Under the leadership of Riverside County and local health authorities, we unfortunately have to confirm the rescheduling of Coachella and Stagecoach due to concerns related to COVID-19. Although this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our customers, staff and the community very seriously. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forward by public health officials, Goldenvoice said in a statement.

The company said all passes for the original dates will be honored for rescheduled shows and that customers will be advised on Friday of how to obtain a refund if they are unable to attend.

Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean were originally announced as Coachella headliners; Goldenvoice did not say whether the performance range would change or remain intact. Among the others announced, Calvin Harris, Lana Del Rey, Thom Yorke, 21 Savage, Disclosure, Summer Walker, Lil Uzi Vert and FKA twigs.

Riverside County, which has six cases of coronavirus, declared a public health emergency on Sunday.

This will undoubtedly have an impact on many people, but my top priority is to protect the health of the whole community. said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County public health officer.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially the elderly and people with existing health problems, this can cause more serious illnesses, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people are recovering from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more serious illness can take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have recovered so far.

This decision was made the same day that Carlos Santana, Zac Brown Band and Pentatonix canceled concerts due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Santana said that he had canceled the European tour dates for his Miraculous 2020 world tour and that refunds will be available through the point of sale. The tour was scheduled to start on March 17 in Poland.

Pentatonix was also scheduled to launch its world tour in Poland a day before the Santana show, but released a statement saying they should cancel the European part of the tour.

Despite our best efforts and intentions, it is just impossible for us to complete this tour the way we want: safely, confidently and completely, said Grammy-winning vocal group in a statement. .

Zac Brown Band said it was postponing the spring leg of its The Owl Tour, which would have started Thursday in St. Louis.

It was an extremely difficult decision, but the well-being of our fans is always our first priority, "the group of countries said in a statement. We ask our fans to keep their tickets as they will be honored on the new dates. , our Roar With The Lions summer 2020 tour dates (starting in May) will run as scheduled. "

Santana, Zac Brown Band and Pentatonix join a long list of singers who have canceled or postponed shows in the United States and outside the region, including Pearl Jam, Madonna, Ciara, BTS, Khalid, Mariah Carey, Green Day and more. The South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas has been canceled and the ultra electronic dance music festival in Miami has been postponed.

The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the science education department of the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes. The AP is solely responsible for all content.