The Coronavirus Is Killing the Vibe
Musicians and festivals have been postponing and cancelling left and right since the coronavirus has exploded across the globe.
Countless festivals that were scheduled to take place throughout Asia, like Slipknot’s ‘Knotfest Japan’, are now being postponed and possibly could be at risk of being cancelled altogether, depending on the course that the virus continues to take throughout the next few months.
Most festivals that were scheduled to take place within the United States are only being postponed, but the ‘Ultra Music Festival’, which is an electronic music festival that takes place annually during March in Miami, Florida, has been cancelled. Artists such as Afrojack, DJ Snake, Zedd, and David Guetta were set to perform, and as of right now, Ultra has not offered its fans any refunds for their ticket purchases. Yikes.
There have also been talks that Coachella, which was scheduled to take place in April in Indio, California, will be postponed until the weekends of October 9th and 16th. While this has yet to be confirmed, every minute that passes seems to make this prospect appear more and more likely, especially as more booking agents speculate with websites such as TMZ.
An NME article on the postponement of Coachella said, “Dr Cameron Kaiser said yesterday (March 8) a patient was being considered a “presumptive positive for coronavirus” and was being tested by the Health Office. The official said that no decisions had been made over the fate of Coachella at present, but he would assess the safety of it and other public events on a case-by-case basis.” A public health emergency was also declared in Coachella Valley, prompting further anxiety surrounding the festival.
Coachella’s diverse lineup was especially promising this year, with headliners such as Rage Against the Machine, Frank Ocean, and Travis Scott.
Perhaps the most disappointing so far, SXSW, a festival which celebrates film, music, and comedy and takes place in Austin, Texas, has been cancelled by the local government. The festival was scheduled to run from March 13th to the 22nd. Prior to the cancellation, numerous sponsors such as Netflix, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as performers such as Ozzy Osbourne, Trent Reznor, and the Beastie Boys had already cancelled their appearances.
Another NME article detailing the cancellation stated that, “SXSW organisers said they were “exploring options to reschedule the event and are working to provide a virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible for 2020 participants”’.
As far as actual tours go, the list is even longer.
Pearl Jam has postponed the first leg of their long-awaited tour to promote their new album, Gigaton. In an official statement on their website, they said, ““As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate. Our kids’ schools have closed along with universities and businesses. It’s been brutal and it’s gonna get worse before it gets better. We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority.”.
Green Day has postponed the Asian leg of their tour, which was scheduled for March and had stops in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan. “We know it sucks, as we were looking forward to seeing you all, but hold onto your tickets we’ll be announcing the new dates very soon.” The band wrote on Twitter on February 28th.
While KISS hasn’t actually cancelled any tour dates yet, they have cancelled all of their meet and greets due to concerns surrounding the spread of the virus. While unfortunate for the fans who wish to give these guys a giant hug, this makes the most sense to me in order to prevent contact and the spread of the virus.
There are many more artists who have cancelled or postponed tour dates such as Santana, Rage Against the Machine, and Billie Eilish due to recent bans on gatherings over 500 people, such as the one in New York State. I suspect that we will be seeing a lot more cancellations in the coming days.
Until then, wash your damn hands.
Countless festivals that were scheduled to take place throughout Asia, like Slipknot’s ‘Knotfest Japan’, are now being postponed and possibly could be at risk of being cancelled altogether, depending on the course that the virus continues to take throughout the next few months.
Most festivals that were scheduled to take place within the United States are only being postponed, but the ‘Ultra Music Festival’, which is an electronic music festival that takes place annually during March in Miami, Florida, has been cancelled. Artists such as Afrojack, DJ Snake, Zedd, and David Guetta were set to perform, and as of right now, Ultra has not offered its fans any refunds for their ticket purchases. Yikes.
There have also been talks that Coachella, which was scheduled to take place in April in Indio, California, will be postponed until the weekends of October 9th and 16th. While this has yet to be confirmed, every minute that passes seems to make this prospect appear more and more likely, especially as more booking agents speculate with websites such as TMZ.
An NME article on the postponement of Coachella said, “Dr Cameron Kaiser said yesterday (March 8) a patient was being considered a “presumptive positive for coronavirus” and was being tested by the Health Office. The official said that no decisions had been made over the fate of Coachella at present, but he would assess the safety of it and other public events on a case-by-case basis.” A public health emergency was also declared in Coachella Valley, prompting further anxiety surrounding the festival.
Rage Against the Machine was set to headline Coachella in April
Coachella’s diverse lineup was especially promising this year, with headliners such as Rage Against the Machine, Frank Ocean, and Travis Scott.
Perhaps the most disappointing so far, SXSW, a festival which celebrates film, music, and comedy and takes place in Austin, Texas, has been cancelled by the local government. The festival was scheduled to run from March 13th to the 22nd. Prior to the cancellation, numerous sponsors such as Netflix, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as performers such as Ozzy Osbourne, Trent Reznor, and the Beastie Boys had already cancelled their appearances.
Another NME article detailing the cancellation stated that, “SXSW organisers said they were “exploring options to reschedule the event and are working to provide a virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible for 2020 participants”’.
As far as actual tours go, the list is even longer.
Pearl Jam has postponed the first leg of their long-awaited tour to promote their new album, Gigaton. In an official statement on their website, they said, ““As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate. Our kids’ schools have closed along with universities and businesses. It’s been brutal and it’s gonna get worse before it gets better. We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority.”.
A post to Pearl Jam's Official Instagram Account, detailing the same message posted on their website
Green Day has postponed the Asian leg of their tour, which was scheduled for March and had stops in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan. “We know it sucks, as we were looking forward to seeing you all, but hold onto your tickets we’ll be announcing the new dates very soon.” The band wrote on Twitter on February 28th.
While KISS hasn’t actually cancelled any tour dates yet, they have cancelled all of their meet and greets due to concerns surrounding the spread of the virus. While unfortunate for the fans who wish to give these guys a giant hug, this makes the most sense to me in order to prevent contact and the spread of the virus.
There are many more artists who have cancelled or postponed tour dates such as Santana, Rage Against the Machine, and Billie Eilish due to recent bans on gatherings over 500 people, such as the one in New York State. I suspect that we will be seeing a lot more cancellations in the coming days.
Until then, wash your damn hands.
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