Music Festivals Cancelled, Not Again!
By: Thomas Davila
Everyone was looking forward to seeing their favorite music artists last year, but the coronavirus put a damper on hopes of that happening. Bands like Pearl Jam to Green Day to Guns N' Roses were all slated to hit the road last year but could not because of Covid. Music festivals like Ohana Fest, Coachella and Stagecoach were cancelled as well. It looks like these music festivals will be pulling the plug for a second year in a row.
Fox 11 Los Angeles is reporting that officials in Riverside County are sticking the fork in hosting Coachella and Stagecoach for a second year in a row due to the ongoing pandemic. The order came down from Riverside County Public Health Officer, Dr. Cameron Kaiser. The county order states that the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival which were both scheduled for April 2021, must be cancelled.
This is a blow to the music industry as well as to Coachella Valley's economy, as they have already lost millions of dollars due to the absence of both shows.
CMT News is reporting that both of these festivals that were scheduled to take place in April 2021 were both cancelled on Jan. 29.
Fans of Pearl Jam, Green Day and Guns N' Roses as well as those that were looking forward to Coachella and Stagecoach will undoubtedly receive a refund if they have not already for their ticket purchase.
The tour dates that were scheduled for last years festivals in April were initially postponed. By June, though, the plug had been pulled on both festivals.
Radio station KROQ's annual event Weenie Roast is also turning the lights off on the event as well.
Ohana Fest is scheduled to take place at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point on Sept. 24-26, but as of this moment there is no word if the festival is going to take place.
In an update to Ohana Fest being held this year, a spokesperson for the annual festival was quoted in an email:
"Given the recent positive developments with the vaccine, we feel strongly that our 2021 festival will take place as planned. In addition, not only are we fortunate to have a smaller capacity than most festivals, we also have time on our side and September is far enough away to where we feel extremely confident that we will be able to proceed with our event in a a safe and secure manner."
Some concert promoters for these festivals are aiming to host these events some time after the summer. Another popular festival that takes place in Sacramento is betting on just that.
Peter Helman of internet publication Stereogum, said in Oct. of 2020, "all big concert promoters are betting that next fall will be safe."
We are more than six months away from fall, so only time will tell if that happens. Gov. Newsom has shutdown the state twice already. Music fans are hoping that does not happen since Newsom recently lifted regional stay-at-home orders. This gives concert goers something to be optimistic about.
These music artists are very anxious to get back on the road and do what they enjoy doing, and that is entertaining their fans.
The way these artists are making a living now is by livestreaming performances or charging fans to view past shows on the internet.
There is no other alternative until this global pandemic comes to an end.
Concert promoters like AEG and Live Nation are anxious to go back to promoting concerts and are hoping that they get to put on concerts once again.