Coachella and Stagecoach Festivals Scrap Mandatory Vaccination Requirement
In a surprise reversal of course on Covid-19 vaccination policies, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Festival have announced they will no longer require full vaccination to attend their respective 2022 events. Festivalgoers may now present either a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of their events or provide vaccination proof.
Both Goldenvoice-promoted festivals take place at Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. Coachella is slated to take place April 15th-17th and April 22nd-24th and Stagecoach runs April 29th-May 1st. In August, they both previously announced that attendees would be required to show proof of vaccination in order to enter the events.
This change contradicts the initial full vaccination policy mandate from AEG, owners of Goldenvoice. In August, the massive concert company announced that beginning in October 2021, it would require full proof of vaccination from all who enter its events, from concertgoers to staff, though it was an “open-ended” policy when it was enacted, leaving the door open for future changes.
“The company was aligned on this change,” an AEG Presents spokesperson said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “Our initial announcement two months ago addressed the fact that we would be looking at the landscape moving forward and adjust as necessary.”
On Tuesday, Stagecoach announced the policy change on its social media channels, while Coachella first introduced the change via the festival’s Instagram story.
Thanks for coming along for the ride as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times so that we can get back to having ourselves a good time.
Can’t wait to see y’all soon! pic.twitter.com/Hd5pFUEhYH
— Stagecoach Festival (@Stagecoach) October 12, 2021
While Coachella didn’t initially share the news across its social media platforms, it posted the new policy on its website, writing: “After seeing first-hand the low transmission data and successful implementation of safety protocols at our festivals recently, alongside the rising vaccination rate of eligible Americans, we feel confident that we can safely update our policy for Coachella that allows for negative covid test taken within 72 hours of the event OR proof of full vaccination.”
