Coachella & Stagecoach Music Festivals Drop All COVID Restrictions — No Tests, No Masks, No Vaccines Required

Photo Credit: Coachella Music & Arts Festival

Coachella and Stagecoach festival organizers have dropped all COVID restrictions.

“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 clarify it is also dropping COVID restrictions. There is also a new addition to the health and safety page that reads, “there is no guarantee, express or implied, that those attending the festival will not be exposed to COVID-19.”

According to the California Department of Public Health, unvaccinated attendees of outdoor events are only required to mask up when they are inside. In October 2021, festivals indicated they wouldn’t be requiring proof of vaccination to attend – instead a negative COVID-19 test result would be accepted. Now test results are no longer a requirement for entry.

Coachella is set to take place from April 15 – 17 and April 22 – 24 with Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Kanye West headlining the show. This will mark the first year Coachella has returned to a live performance after two years of cancellations during the pandemic. Stagecoach 2022 is planned to run from April 29 through May 1 with performances by Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Combs.

Both music festivals have a note on their website that notes they are following “applicable health conditions of the date of the event, which may chance at any time as determined by federal, state, or local government agencies, artists, or the promoter.” So there’s still a possibility that things could change two months out.

Many major cities across the United States are beginning to remove their COVID mandates from businesses and large-scale events. The California state-wide mask mandate officially ended on February 14, with Governor Newsom citing low hospitalization rates.