Coachella Drops More COVID Restrictions, Won’t Require Negative Tests or Masks

This year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts and Stagecoach festivals will no longer require attendees to wear masks or provide negative COVID-19 test results, Rolling Stone and Variety point out. Stagecoach announced the news via social media earlier today. Coachella did not make an announcement via social media, but the health and safety guidelines on the festival website has been updated to communicate the new guidelines. “In accordance with local guidelines, there will be no vaccination, testing or masking requirements at Coachella 2022,” it reads. Pitchfork has reached out to festival organizers Goldenvoice for further information and comment.

Back in October, Coachella and Stagecoach announced that they would no longer require full vaccination for attendees at the 2022 festival. The new changes in COVID-19 protocol follow California’s statewide termination of mask mandates, which went into effect today. The updated guidelines will still require vaccinated people to wear masks in some settings, such as K-12 schools, on public transportation, and in healthcare settings. Masks will be required for unvaccinated people inside of churches. There will no longer be a requirement to provide a negative test result to visit hospitals and nursing homes.

Elsewhere in its health and safety guidelines, Coachella’s website states that protocol “may change at any time as determined by federal, state or local government agencies.” These changes may include “proof of vaccination and/or negative COVID-19 test, and other protective measures such as requiring attendees to wear face coverings.”