Fans gather for the Stagecoach Country Music Festival. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)
As we head into festival season, with the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicking off its first weekend in three weeks (April 12-14), one of the things folks who love the Coachellas and sister event the Stagecoach Country Music Festival have been keeping an eye on is the future of Goldenvoice in Indio, specifically at the Empire Polo Club.
On Thursday, March 21, a meeting of the Indio Planning Commission voted 5-0 to approve the environmental impact report submitted by festival promoter Goldenvoice in a bid to keep the Coachellas, Stagecoach and the possibility of new festivals at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, as reported by KESQ.
KESQ said another part of the plan was to increase attendance from 95,000 to 99,000 at Coachella and from 65,000 to 75,000 for Stagecoach.
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The current permits and plan Goldenvoice has with the city is set to expire this year. The long-term deal will keep the festivals at the current location from 2014 through 2030.
The Desert Sun pointed out that there’s no guarantee that the two extra festivals included in Goldenvoice’s proposal will happen, but the proposal gives them the freedom to add to the successful events they already stage in the desert. The new events would host up to 75,000 people.
The other interesting thing this year is that Goldenvoice’s Skip Paige told the commission that Goldenvoice mapped out the noise complaints for the festival and this year, artists will not be allowed to bring their own sound systems in.
Indio’s City Council has the final say in approving or denying the long-term permit.
If you love the festivals, check out the latest in our Coachella Band Math infographic series.
For more Coachella news, photos, interviews and information, visit the iGuide Coachella page. If you want to follow me on social media, I’m at @vanessafranko on Twitter, the Audio File on Facebook and on Google+.
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