In Indio and Palm Springs, residents fear not only the spread of coronavirus from the influx of fans for the Coachella festival, but the loss in revenue as well.
At the Empire Polo Club in Indio, six weeks before the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is set to kick off, the peaked white tents are going up across the rolling green lawns. The rainbow-tinted “Spectra” observation deck looms over the field, ready for fans from around the world to soak in the panoramas as Travis Scott, Rage Against the Machine, Frank Ocean and more than 150 acts perform.
“I’m not really worried about getting coronavirus, because I’m not going to Coachella,” Widders, 70, said laughing. “But the economics are a big concern.” South by Southwest’s cancellation by city and county officials may have set a powerful precedent in how such massive music festivals deal with COVID-19.
However, if Coachella does follow the examples set by Ultra and South By Southwest, the fallout could be significant for the Greater Palm Springs area, where hospitality is a dominant industry. Steve Adler, mayor of Austin, Texas, announced a local disaster as a precaution because of the threat of the novel coronavirus, effectively canceling the annual South by Southwest event that had been scheduled for March 13-22.
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