How Coachella Fans Feel About Lifting COVID Precautions
Coachella recently announced it would drop all COVID-19 restrictions (including mask mandates) for their 2022 music and arts festival. Fans took to social media, sharing their thoughts on this announcement.
Coachella and Stagecoach lift all mask and COVID-19 vaccine requirements for the 2022 music festival
After months of anticipation, Coachella is returning to Indio, California. This well-known music festival postponed and later canceled its 2020 event due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Recently, the Coachella Valley Music and Artists Festival announced that, per local guidelines, there will be no vaccination, testing, or masking requirements. (Previously, this festival required attendees to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result.)
As a result, some future attendees reacted to this policy change. Not every response has been positive, as some social media users shared serious safety concerns.
“It’s especially messed up given that people bought tickets under the assumption that people would have to be tested or vaccinated,” one Reddit user pointed out. “I’d be fine attending a concert where people are masked/tested beforehand, but I’m not ready to go to one that’s completely unrestricted yet.”
Headlining artists Billie Eilish and Harry Styles have not responded to changes in COVID-19 safety requirements
Some artists performing at Coachella have been avid supporters of the COVID-19 vaccine and mask requirements. That includes the headliners at the music festival, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles.
Artists Phoebe Bridgers and The Marías, who will perform at the festival, previously performed at live concerts with COVID safety precautions. Coachella attendees noticed the disagreeing viewpoints, even if the headliners have not yet commented on the lifted mask/vaccine requirements.
“I’m surprised Billie [Eilish] and Harry [Styles] would agree to perform at a concert with no precautions at all,” one Reddit user said in the same thread, with another adding, “Harry’s concerts required vaccinations, masks, and tests across venues. He tied up with CVS to provide vaccination on sight.”
Music fans shared their thoughts and Coachella and other music festivals’ COVID-19 policies
Other music festivals have not announced changes to their COVID-19 safety protocols. As of February 2022, New York City’s Governors Ball Music Festival requires a full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result.
“I’m considering going to a festival this August, but stuff like this makes me nervous,” one Reddit user said. “All I want to do is go back to concerts, but if people aren’t enforcing vax mandates – what’s the point? I know COVID can have breakthrough infections, but I’d feel much safer if organizations decided not to do f*** all.”
Although they have not explicitly announced their COVID-19 guidelines, the When We Were Young Festival will “follow all guidelines as set forth by the city of Las Vegas and state of Nevada,” according to their festival website. That music event takes place in October 2022.
To learn more about the 2022 Coachella music festival, visit their website.
