It's official Coachella 2020 has been cancelled!
Coronavirus or COVID-19 for short: the virus that changed the way people live forever. Nothing will ever go back to the way it was before. Things that were once normal and OK to do are now restricted, at the very least limited. Restaurants now accept fewer people, stricter health regulations are now in place, and mass gatherings are discouraged or prohibited (The George Floyd rallies are for a good cause, though).
And because humanity is unsure as to when the pandemic will be over, that means Coachella, the biggest Arts and Music Festival in history is officially cancelled. So much for spending the weekend with good music and beer, huh?
There were reports that the festival organizers are at a dilemma deciding whether to opt for a half-full Coachella on April 2021 or a wait till October 2021 to operate at full capacity.
In a memo posted by Dan Beckerman, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the world's second largest live-entertainment company, employees are told to not expect any more live events until sometime next year as they would need time to heal and to rebuild their audiences.
Coachella usually lasts for two weekends and has over 125,000 attending every October. If it had not been canceled, the lineup for this year's Coachella would have been the following artists and performers: headlined by Rage Against The Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean.
Staff Layoff
It's no surprise that the AEG company has also cases of unemployment. Billboard magazine has reported that at least 15 percent of the promoter and facility manager's workers have been let go, while 100 more were furloughed and the remainder having to live with 20 to 50 percent less of their salaries.
The executive of AEG said that the moves amounted to an 'agonizing decision, but sadly, a necessary one.'
Jay Marciano, the Chairman of AEG Presents, tells his employees in a memo (which was obtained by Variety) regarding the challenging times and moments the pandemic has brought out on them and the company; on how the company has done all they could to cut costs and keep employees, but disheartened to see them go because they had no choice.
Despite knowing that entertainment groups will be the last to reopen, he is confident that they will return.
"We will continue to monitor this daily, but the health and safety of our employees, artists and fans remains our highest priority. Even during these uncertain times, I am confident in one thing: our business WILL be back, and as strong as if not stronger than before. I know this doesn't make today any easier, but our future is on tomorrow's horizon." said Marciano in his memo.
It has also affected the world's largest live-enterainment company, Live Nation as CEO Michael Rapino has sacrificed his salary for the year and at least of the staff have been furloughed.
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