In an unexpected move by one of the entertainment industry’s biggest music festivals, Coachella has reversed its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for its upcoming April 2022 festival dates. The move comes just two months after Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which owns Coachella’s promoter Goldenvoice and is the second-largest concert promotion company in the US behind Live Nation, ruled that vaccinations are required at all their US venues starting in October. Along with Coachella, the August policy also affected showcases like Stagecoach, Lovers & Friends, and Day N Vegas. However, with six months left until Coachella 2022 commences, its organizers look to head in a different direction.
“After seeing first-hand the low transmission data and successful implementation of safety protocols at our other festivals this past month,” Coachella wrote in a post to their Instagram page. “We feel confident we can update our health policy to allow for: Negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event OR Proof of full vaccination.”
Variety reached out to Goldenvoice with questions about the change in policy, but they did not immediately receive a response.
At the end of 2019, Coachella announced that Rage Against The Machine, Frank Ocean, and Travis Scott would headline the festival, which was originally intended to be held in 2020 before the pandemic forced its postponement. Coachella’s co-founder later announced that Frank would miss the 2022 showcase and instead headline in 2023. As for the full lineup for Coachella 2022, it will not be revealed until some point next year.