CALIFORNIA – Revelers in thong bodysuits, glitter eyeshadow and flower crowns gathered in the California desert as the first Coachella since the pandemic’s onset got underway.
The mammoth event that takes place over two three-day weekends — and this year features Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and the Weeknd — traditionally kicks off the year’s summer concert circuit.
Coachella’s 2020 edition was scrapped as the coronavirus pandemic came into full force, and two years of chaotic cancellations, rescheduled shows and lineup shakeups ensued.
As it returns after a three-year hiatus, Coachella is considered a bellwether for the multi-billion-dollar touring industry that’s still on shaky ground after persistent pandemic setbacks.
After other large-scale festivals including Lollapalooza last year required proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 result, Coachella this winter announced it would not require any such mitigation measures, including masks or social distancing.
But it comes amid an uptick in coronavirus cases nationwide, mostly due to the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant, known as BA.2.
The festival is held mostly outside, welcoming some 125,000 revelers daily from all over the nation and abroad, many of whom camp and fill up hotels nearby.
As temperatures climbed and festival-goers descended on the grounds for three days of partying, contracting coronavirus seemed back of mind.
“I’m super excited to be here,” said one concert-goer identified as Saturn Risin9, who said they were ageless and had traveled from Los Angeles.
“I’m not scared, and I’m excited to be outside with people,” he added according to AFP.
Coachella is also a boon for the city of Indio, a desert municipality of just under 95,000 people whose slogan is “The City of Festivals.”
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