The Coachella music festival has been cancelled for the second year in a row, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Coachella had been scheduled to go ahead in Riverside County, California in April 2021, with headliners including Frank Ocean, Travis Scott and Rage Against The Machine.
However, a statement from the Riverside County Public Health Officer has said that both Coachella and Stagecoach – a country festival that takes place on the same site – will not be able to take place, as a result of the dire Covid-19 situation in the region.
Dr Cameron Kaiser said in a public health order: “If Covid-19 were detected at these festivals, the scope and number of attendees and the nature of the venue would make it infeasible, if not impossible, to track those who may be placed at risk.”
“We look forward to when the events may return,” he added in a statement.
Last year’s Coachella was originally postponed from April to October 2020, until it was decided the event could not go ahead at all due to coronavirus.
This latest news comes shortly after Glastonbury organisers were also forced to cancel the UK’s biggest music festival, which was supposed to celebrate its 50th year over the summer.
“With great regret, we must announce that this year’s Glastonbury Festival will not take place, and that this will be another enforced fallow year for us,” Michael and Emily Eavis said in a joint statement.
“In spite of our efforts to move Heaven & Earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the Festival happen this year. We are sorry to let you all down.”