Tom HallWhile no UK festivals have yet cancelled or been held back due to COVID-19, the ‘most celebrated’ music festival in the US is reportedly planning to move from April to October due to worries around the virus.
This announcement comes after a number of other live music events have decided to cancel or postpone to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, including tours from Neil Young, Madonna and Pearl Jam among others.
Sources have reportedly told Variety and Billboard that agents are attempting to re-book artists for a later-held Cochella, which will see the much-anticipated California festival beginning 9 October rather than it’s currently scheduled date of 10 April. The festival, which routinely hosts 250,000 attendees over two weekends, has not yet announced any changes regarding the lineups or dates.
This potential postponment follows the news that the 400,000-strong music, arts and tech festival South By Southwest (SXSW) has been cancelled for the first time in 34 years. The cancellation was the result of the mayor of Austin, Texas, where the festival is held, declaring a ‘national emergency’ regarding COVID-19.