There will be no COVID-19 vaccination, testing or masking requirements at the Stagecoach and Coachella festivals, organizers announced Tuesday.
“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,” Stagecoach organizers tweeted.
Coachella also updated its website to say that the COVID-19 safety measures won’t be required.
Organizers did note that the events will take place with local public health conditions in mind, and those may change at any time.
On Coachella’s website, the health and safety page cautions that “there is no guarantee, express or implied, that those attending the festival will not be exposed to COVID-19.”
Though it is “strongly recommended,” California’s rules for outdoor mega events — like music or food festivals — don’t require verification of fully vaccinated status or pre-entry negative COVID-19 test results.
And unvaccinated attendees of outdoor events are only required to mask up when they enter indoor areas, like restrooms, retail shops or concession stands, according to the California Department of Public Health.
In October last year, the festivals had already indicated that they wouldn’t be requiring vaccine proof, saying guests could also enter with a negative coronavirus test result.
Now, test results won’t be required for entry either.
It’s unclear what prompted the change by the organizer, which canceled the 2020 and 2021 festivals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coachella is set to take place on April 15-17 and April 22-24, with Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and Kanye West headlining. It will mark the first time Coachella has taken place in three years.
Stagecoach is planned to run from April 29 through May 1, with performances by Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Luke Combs.