THE Omicron variant of Covid-19 may be forcing the cancellation of winter events, but Coachella organisers are still planning to stage the premiere desert festival in April, featuring headliners Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and Kanye West.
Phoebe Bridgers, Megan Thee Stallion, Stromae, Rich Brian, Doja Cat and Karol G will also be among the dozens of performers at the California festival that traditionally has kicked off the music festival circuit.
Coachella has not taken place since 2019. In 2020, it was postponed to the fall before organisers scrapped it altogether, which they were forced to do again in 2021 due to the pandemic's grip on live entertainment.
The 2022 edition is slated for April 15-17 and April 22-24, with the expectation it will run at full capacity – 125,000 festival-goers each day.
Currently, the entry policy will require proof of full vaccination or a negative Covid test within 72 hours.
Coachella could be a bellwether for the pandemic-era music industry this year, with other major tours expected from Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, the Weeknd and Elton John.
Bonnaroo, the famed Tennessee festival scheduled for June 16-19, also announced its lineup this week, with headliners including The Chicks, Tool, 21 Savage, Roddy Ricch and Stevie Nicks.
That festival had planned to proceed in September 2021, before intense flooding ravaged its grounds and forced cancellation yet again. – AFP, January 13, 2022
