Coachella and Stagecoach Roll Back All COVID Safety Precautions

The festivals will not require vaccination statuses, negative COVID tests, or face masks.

Coachella and Stagecoach Roll Back All COVID Safety Precautions

The festivals will not require vaccination statuses, negative COVID tests, or face masks.

Words: Margaret Farrell

Photo: Max Sweeney

February 16, 2022

Crowd / Coachella 2015 Weekend 1 / photo by Max Sweeney

As the seasons change, so too do our COVID safety requirements. In fact, major music festivals Coachella and Stagecoach announced yesterday that they're dropping all precautions. "We are announcing that there will be no vaccination, testing or masking requirements at Stagecoach 2022, in accordance with local guidelines," Stagecoach tweeted. Oddly enough, Coachella did not tweet anything or share the update on their social media accounts, but their website shares the same news under their health and safety rules section.

"COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death," reads the site. "There is an inherent and elevated risk of exposure to COVID-19 in any public place or place where people are present and there is no guarantee, express or implied, that those attending the festival will not be exposed to COVID-19."

Their sites mention that health guidelines are due to change depending on "federal, state or local government agencies or instrumentalities, artists or the promoter." For now, though, "all attendees should evaluate their risk in determining whether to attend the festival. By entering the festival, attendees voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and confirm that they will adhere to local quarantine mandates and the CDC quarantine requirements."

Seems we're entering back into a strange, uncomfortable grey area of the pandemic. Swim at your own risk.