Just as we thought music festivals were gone for good this year, there might be a glimmer of hope left. Coachella was one of many events cancelled due to the coronavirus. This news was not only upsetting to ticket-holders but to the town of Indio, California as well. A festival of this size brings in large amounts of money to support local businesses and the economy. To combat this loss, it’s believed that promoter Goldenvoice and Indio Mayor Glenn Miller, are planning a different festival for this October.
“It would be like another ‘Desert Trip’ and hopefully either a two-day or a two-weekend concert to help with the economy. I mean, not only for the City of Indio but for the whole of Coachella Valley and the State of California.”
In a local TV interview, Mayor Miller described the potential festival as “like a Desert Trip”. For those unaware, Desert Trip was a six day, two weekend music festival in 2016. The lineup was massive, including top bands like The Who, Paul McCartney, and The Rolling Stones. The event brought in a staggering $160 million. It would be amazing if Goldenvoice and Mayor Miller could replicate a successful event like this.
While the original Desert Trip spanned over 6 days, Mayor Miller stated this event could possibly be 2 days or 2 weekends. If the potential event is a reflection of 2016’s Desert Trip, the lineup of artists may be similar as well. Still, it’s unclear how another event would be able to safely take place. The scale of the event would likely be much smaller in terms of audience size than Coachella. In addition, there may be specific health protocols in place to ensure public safety. As you can see from photos, this is an event set up like a traditional concert where the audience has seats. That might be the winning factor here.
All in all, it will be interesting to see if Goldenvoice and Mayor Miller are able to create a new event in such little time. Everyone is itching for live events to come back, so we know tickets would sell fast. Let us know if you’d feel safe and would want to go to this potential festival.