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Thousands of people across the globe have been diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19). As the outbreak continues, organizers of large public gatherings (such as music festivals and concerts) are being forced to assess whether or not to hold their scheduled events as planned. Among the first big events to be canceled was South by Southwest, which was shut down by the Austin government. Then, Pearl Jam became one of the first major bands to postpone a tour of North America. And, this week, Goldenvoice pushed Indio, California’s annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival to October. Below, find a running list of major festivals, concerts, and tours that have been canceled or postponed due to public health concerns stemming from coronavirus.
Read “What Happens When a Music Festival Is Canceled Due to Coronavirus?” over on the Pitch.
Festivals and Concerts
SXSW Conference & Festivals: Austin, TX, March 13–22
After tech companies and big-name speakers pulled out of the festival, SXSW was officially canceled on March 6 at the direction of the Austin government. According to The Wall Street Journal, “organizers are exploring the possibility of rescheduling sometime this year.”
SXSW 2020 was set to feature Wire, Otoboke Beaver, Alex Somers, Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan, Nasty Cherry, and more.
World Tour Bushfire Relief Concert: Melbourne, Australia, March 13
The World Tour Bushfire Relief Concert was canceled after headliner Miley Cyrus withdrew from the event. Lil Nas X, the Veronicas, and Seb Fontaine were also scheduled to perform at the show, whose funds were set to go to the WWF Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund, as well as the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal.
Bans Off My Body: New York, NY, March 14
Hole’s Courtney Love and Melissa Auf der Maur were scheduled to play a one-off reunion show for the Feminist Institute and Planned Parenthood of Greater New York. The concert has been postponed to a later date. The other artists on the Bans Off My Body bill were: Perry and Etty Farrell, Rachael Yamagata, Joan as Police Woman, and BETTY.
Tomorrowland Winter: Alpe d’Huez grand domaine Ski, France, March 14–21
The French edition of the Tomorrowland EDM festival was set to take place at the Alpe d’Huez grand domaine Ski. According to organizers, the festival was canceled after the French government placed a ban on all indoor gatherings totaling more than 5,000 people. Ticketholders have been offered refunds as well as discounts on tickets for future years.
Afrojack, Joris Voorn, Kölsch, Steve Aoki, and many others were set for Tomorrowland Winter 2020.
Ultra Music Festival: Miami, FL, March 20–22
Ultra Music Festival was canceled “due to the Florida Governor’s declaration of a public health emergency and Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s Interim Guidance for COVID-19,” organizers said. According to the Miami Herald, Ultra will not be offering refunds. Instead, ticketholders can choose to attend Ultra in 2021 or 2022.
Ultra 2020 was going to feature Carl Cox, Zedd, David Guetta, DJ Snake, Boys Noize, Kygo, Madeon, TOKiMONSTA, and others.
Treefort Music Fest: Boise, ID, March 25–29
Treefort Music Fest brings over 400 bands and artists to Idaho every year for a five-day music festival that spans multiple music venues in Boise. This year, the event will be postponed until September 23–27. All original tickets will be respected and ticketholders are able to request refunds as well. On the Treefort bill are: Chromatics, Japanese Breakfast, Omar Apollo, Built to Spill, and more.
Big Ears Festival: Knoxville, TN, March 26-29
Big Ears Festival has been canceled. The festival announced that there are no plans to reschedule the fest for 2020 at this time. Ticketholders will be given the option to receive a refund or convert their purchase into a tax-deductible donation. “These are difficult times,” founder Ashley Capps said in a statement. “We urge you to stay healthy and do whatever you can to help one another and to make this a better world. We’re counting on you.” Artists set to play Big Ears included Thundercat, Damo Suzuki, Caroline Shaw, Kim Gordon, and others.
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival: Indio, CA, April 10–12 and 17–19
For just the second time, Coachella will take place in October. (The festival has occurred in April every year since 2001.) All original tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates (October 9–11 and 16–18), and ticketholders will be able to obtain a refund if they wish. The announced headliners for Coachella 2020 are Rage Against the Machine, Frank Ocean, and Traivs Scott.
Stagecoach Festival: Indio, CA, April 24–26
Stagecoach is Goldenvoice’s country music counterpart to Coachella. And like its sister festival, Stagecoach has been moved to October, taking place from the 23rd to the 25th. All original tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates, and ticketholders will be able to obtain a refund if they wish. Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett & Eric Church are the Stagecoach 2020 headliners.
Tours
BTS, MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR – SEOUL
BTS canceled four shows at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium in the band’s native South Korea. The concerts were set for April 11, 12, 18, and 19. The band’s MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR is now scheduled to begin on May 4 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Ticketholders for the Seoul dates will be refunded.
Green Day, Solo Dates
In late February, Green Day postponed their Asian tour. The band was scheduled to perform in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan. “We know it sucks, as we were looking forward to seeing you all, but hold on to your tickets we’ll be announcing the new dates very soon,” the band wrote.
Ticketsholders’ original tickets will be honored for the new Asia dates. Green Day still plan to tour Europe, beginning in May, and then embark on the Hella Mega Tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer in June.
Madonna, Madame X Tour
Madonna was forced to call off the last two dates of her Madame X Tour, which were scheduled to take place March 10 and 11 at Le Grand Rex in Paris. The shows were canceled after the French government placed a ban on any indoor gatherings totaling more than 1,000 people. Ticketholders can receive refunds at the point of purchase.
Pearl Jam, North American Tour 2020
Pearl Jam were set to begin their Gigaton Tour on March 18 in Toronto. The band announced the North American tour’s postponement on March 9, however, writing, “Unfortunately, communing in large groups is a huge part of what we do as a band and the tour we’ve been busy planning for months is now in jeopardy…. We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority.”
Ticketholders’ original tickets will be honored on the new North American dates. Pearl Jam still plan to begin their European tour in June.
Carlos Santana, Miraculous 2020 World Tour
On March 9, Carlos Santana and his band canceled the European leg of their Miraculous 2020 World Tour. “Many countries have made the decision to restrict public gatherings in excess of 1,000 people to curb the potential spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19),” Michael Vrionis, President of Santana’s Universal Tone Management, said. “While we deeply regret this unfortunate circumstance, the safety of our fans is the main priority for the Santana Organization.”
European ticketholders can access refunds at point of purchase. There is no word on the North American leg of the Miraculous 2020 World Tour. Earth, Wind & Fire are set to join Santana for the North American dates.
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill were set to kick off their U.S. tour this week in Olympia, Washington. The band has now announced their March dates in Olympia, Seattle, Victoria, and Portland have been postponed. “We take the health and safety of our supporters, crew, and opening bands very seriously, and given the situation in Seattle as well as the lack of information about the actual infection rate of the surrounding areas, it doesn’t make sense to us to go forward with any of the shows in the region,” the band wrote in a statement. Bikini Kill ask that fans consider a donation to the Interfaith Works Emergency Overnight Shelter, the non-profit that was to be the beneficiary of their Olympia concert proceeds.
Underworld
Underworld postponed their upcoming dates in Norway and Denmark. “We are working with the promoters to reschedule the dates at the earliest safe opportunity and will be back with you very soon,” the band wrote. This May, Underworld are scheduled to play their first North American shows since 2015.
Venues
Berghain
Berlin techno club Berghain has canceled all of its “self-produced” events until April 20. The news follows an announcement from Berlin’s culture minister Klaus Lederer that all concerts and cultural events with attendees totaling 500 or more have been banned until April 19 (via The Local.de).
Chase Center (San Francisco)
All music events scheduled to be held at Chase Center in San Francisco through March 21 have been canceled or postponed. This includes Tame Impala’s March 13 concert (which has been postponed), Post Malone’s March 19 concert (canceled or postponed – TBD), and Bell Biv Devoe & Friends on March 21 (postponed).