Dan + Shay Cancel Stagecoach Set After Festival’s Rescheduling
Dan + Shay will not be performing at Stagecoach 2020 after all. After festival organizers announced on Tuesday (March 10) that the event has been pushed to October due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, more commonly known as coronavirus, the country duo shared that their tour schedule will prohibit them from being part of the fest this year.
"We tried our best to move things around, but the logistics were simply not possible," write Dan + Shay, whose 2020 arena tour puts them in San Francisco, Calif., and Sacramento, Calif., on two of the three nights of the newly rescheduled Stagecoach 2020. "We apologize to our fans in Southern California, and promise to make it up to you soon ...
"While we are saddened to not be a part of it, we are grateful for the folks at [Stagecoach organizers] Goldenvoice and AEG, who are keeping the health and safety of residents, fans and artists as top priority," Dan + Shay add, calling Stagecoach one of their favorite festivals.
Goldenvoice, promoter of both Stagecoach and its sister festival, Coachella, and AEG, owner of both festivals, decided to move both festivals from April to October "at the direction of the County of Riverside, [Calif.], and local health authorities," they explained in a statement on Tuesday evening. Stagecoach 2020 is now set for Oct. 23-25, while the two-weekend Coachella festival will take place on Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18. All passes purchased for the original April dates -- April 24-26 for Stagecoach and April 10-12 and April 17-19 for Coachella -- will be honored for the rescheduled festivals, but those who would like to request a refund will be given more information by Friday (March 13).
The 2020 Stagecoach country music festival lineup, which takes place in Indio, Calif., currently features Eric Church, Carrie Underwood and Thomas Rhett headlining each of the three days. Additional changes in the event's lineup have not yet been revealed.
As of Monday (March 9), there were six confirmed cases of coronavirus in Riverside County, per Fox 11, where Indio is located. Cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed in nearly all states within the U.S., reports USA Today, with at least 849 cases and 27 deaths confirmed in the States alone, CNN reports. According to the World Heath Organization (WHO), there have been over 118,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide, in more than 110 countries and territories, with over 4,000 deaths reported as of Tuesday night.
In addition to Stagecoach and Coachella, coronavirus has wreaked havoc on a number of major festivals: Among others, the Austin-based music and tech festival SXSW canceled its 2020 event in early March; it'll be the first time in 34 years that SXSW does not take place. Nashville's Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival has also been postponed until the summer of 2020.
Also on Tuesday, Zac Brown Band postponed their Spring 2020 The Owl Tour due to coronavirus. While both Old Dominion and Home Free have canceled international tour dates following the outbreak, ZBB are the first country group to cancel shows within the United States due to the spread of the virus.
Coronavirus Pandemic: Which Tours and Festivals Are Canceled (and Not)?