The 2021 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has been officially canceled, which makes it the third time the event has been called off amid the coronavirus pandemic.

However, this time around, new dates for the music festival have not been announced. The Stagecoach Festival, which is held by Goldenvoice, the same company responsible for Coachella, has also been canceled, Los Angeles Times reports.

On Friday, the Riverside County Public Health Officer announced the cancellation of the events due to fears of further spreading the virus.

“This order is intended to reduce the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19, thereby slowing the spread of COVID-19 in communities worldwide,” Dr. Cameron Kaiser wrote in the order which canceled the festivals.

“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.”

Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, and Rage Against the Machine were initially tapped to headline Coachella in April 2020, but the music festival was postponed for October and then rescheduled for April 2021.

At the time, ticket holders were given the option to attend the rescheduled events or receive refunds. Goldenvoice has yet to announce what options current ticket holders will have amid the latest cancellation.

Even though Coachella has been canceled, it doesn’t mean other music festivals won’t happen this year. Earlier this month, New York-based music festival, Governors Ball announced new dates after postponing the event last year.

Amid the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the event holders believe the festival has a chance of returning in September, and the Governors Ball is expected to return to its normal June dates in 2022.

Coachella
Coachella takes places in April. Concertgoers are pictured walking by the ferris wheel at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 13, 2014 in Indio, California. Reuters
RELATED STORIES
Coronavirus California