2021 Festival Season Dead: Coachella & Stagecoach Scrapped By Officials

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Those hoping for a triumphant return to the fairgrounds of the desert for two of the biggest festivals of the year are going to be seriously bummed out because government officials just announced that both the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach festival have been 86'd due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement came via social media from Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the public health officer for Riverside County, which oversees the Coachella Valley where both events are held.

Coachella / Instagram

The announcement came in Friday afternoon on Dr. Cameron Kaiser's official Twitter account.

"Due to the pandemic, Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser today (Jan. 29) signed a public health order canceling Coachella Valley Music and Arts, Stagecoach Country Music festivals planned for April 2021. We look forward to when the events may return." the statement read.

The order states, that due to the worry about a fall surge in coronavirus cases, officials think having hundreds of thousands of people gathering for a festival may not be the best decision.

Stagecoach / Instagram

Both Coachella and Stagecoach took hits last year during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, as they were scheduled to take place in April 2020 before being rescheduled to October 2020, then April 2021 before finally getting the ax.

Travis Scott, Frank Ocean and Rage Against the Machine were all on the schedule as featured performers, although it's unclear how the lineup would be affected if and when festivals are allowed to resume operations. The news is definitely unfortunate, but in the end, may be the right move to make sure the spread of the virus can be contained.