Coachella and Stagecoach attendees won’t need to show proof of vaccination or negative Covid test results and won’t be required to wear masks when they descend upon the Southern California desert for the massive music festivals this April.
On Tuesday, Stagecoach was first to announce the update in a tweet saying they’re following “local guidelines” that do not require any preventative measures against Covid.
“As we prepare to spend an incredible weekend in the desert together we are announcing that there will be no vaccination, testing, or masking requirements at Stagecoach 2022,” the festival tweeted.
Festival Admission Update: As we prepare to spend an incredible weekend in the desert together we are announcing that there will be no vaccination, testing or masking requirements at Stagecoach 2022, in accordance with local guidelines. Visit https://t.co/mSx3KWeASg for more info pic.twitter.com/wy4VzOTPBU
— Stagecoach Festival (@Stagecoach) February 15, 2022
Coachella — which welcomed nearly 100,000 people each day at its 2019 festival — did not send out a tweet or notice but updated its “Health & Safety Rules” page to reflect the same information. However, it did add that these rules “may change at any time” depending on local ordinances and changes.
Adding a warning about the “extremely contagious disease,” Coachella included a bullet point that read: “There is an inherent and elevated risk of exposure to Covid-19 in any public place or place where people are present and there is no guarantee, express or implied, that those attending the festival will not be exposed to Covid-19.”
Currently, California’s Department of Public Health “strongly recommends” verification of “fully vaccinated status” or negative Covid test results for attendees at outdoor mega events with more than 5,000 people. (The guidelines only require such verification at indoor events with over 500 attendees.)
The regulation update comes as the U.S. reached nearly 78 million Covid cases and more than 920,000 Covid-related deaths, according to The New York Times. As for vaccinations, only 64% of Americans have been fully vaccinated against the disease.
Stagecoach — scheduled for April 29 to May 1 — is being headlined by Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Combs. Coachella, held over two weekends in April, will see the likes of Kanye West, Billie Eilish, and Harry Styles as headliners.
From Rolling Stone US
