On October 13, 2021, Coachella Music and Arts Festival announced they will no longer require full vaccination for entry. This news is in contrast to the policy of the event’s parent company, AEG Present, which announced this past August that full vaccination would be required for entry to all events and venues under their umbrella.
A statement on Coachella’s website reads:
“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.”
The primary difference coming from this update is the option of only providing a negative COVID-19 result from within 72 hours of entry.
Given that Coachella is almost entirely outdoors, there have been many other events over the summer of similar size and format that have not resulted in a rise in COVID-19 cases. One example is Lollapalooza which was officially deemed to not be a super-spreader event by the Chicago Department of Public Health.
The Yuma tent, Coachella’s club-like house and techno stage, could pose increased risk of transmission being that it is indoors. Something to keep in mind for the four-on-the-floor lovers heading to the desert next April.
Coachella 2021 will take place April 15-17 and April 22-24, 2021. Tickets are sold out.
