Music festivals and coronavirus: Will the shows still go on?
Officials in Austin announced Friday that the South by Southwest Arts and Music Festival has been canceled over fears of spreading the coronavirus. Mayor Steve Adler said the decision is "unfortunate," but necessary to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, according to CBS affiliate KEYE.
Prior to the announcement of SXSW's cancellation, Nine Inch Nails, Ozzy Osbourne and the Beastie Boys withdrew from appearing at the festival. Several companies, including Netflix, Intel, Facebook and Mashable, had also pulled out.
More than 50,000 people signed a petition asking that the festival be cancelled.
"We are devastated to share this news with you," festival organizers said in a statement. "'The show must go on' is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place."
It's not just SXSW: As the coronavirus situation worsens, questions are being raised about whether festivals over the next few months can or should be held as planned.
As of this week artists including BTS, Mariah Carey, Khalid, Avril Lavigne and Green Day have rescheduled or cancelled tour dates.
At a press briefing Thursday, Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said organizers for the upcoming Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals, to be held in Indio, California, next month, have not been told to cancel, though he acknowledged that "the situation could be very fluid."
Coachella, held over two weekends in April, attracts approximately a quarter-million visitors. Stagecoach, which is held the week after, drew 80,000 fans last year. The Desert Sun reports that there are competing online petitions regarding Coachella's possible cancellation. As of Friday afternoon, about 5,000 people had signed the petition for cancellation; slightly more than 200 signed the petition against it.
More cancellations
The Calle Ocho and Ultra Music Festivals, both scheduled to be held in Miami this month, have also been canceled.
Also cancelled or postponed as news of the coronavirus has spread: the Edinburgh Harp Festival, in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the Korean Times Music Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
In Somerset, England, organizers of the Glastonbury Festival are "closely monitoring developments." The festival, which is scheduled to hold its 50th edition this June, is expecting more than 200,000 attendees. Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney are the headliners.
The organizers of Country Thunder, a series of traveling county music concerts held in Florida, Iowa, Arizona and Wisconsin, among other locales, told CBS News' Jake Barlow that their schedules have not changed.
Here are some U.S. music festivals scheduled for the coming months:
- Country Thunder Florida in Kissimmee (March 27-29)
- Country Thunder Arizona in Florence (April 16-19)
- New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (April 23, May 3)
- III Points in Miami (May 1-2)
- Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas (May 15-17)
- Movement Electronic Music Festival, Detroit (May 23-25)
- Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City (May 29-31)
- Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Great Stage Park, Tennessee (June 11-14)
- Country Thunder Iowa in Forest City (June 12-14)
- Firefly Music Festival, Dover, Delaware (June 18-21)
- Electric Forest, Rothbury, Michigan (June 25-28)
- Country Thunder Wisconsin in Twin Lakes (July 16-19)
- Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago (July 17-19)
- Lollapalooza in Chicago (July 30-August 2)
