No Coachella in 2014? Moving Location in 2015?

Goldenvoice is threatening to move the Coachella and Stagecoach Music Festival.

Why?

Well (according to the Desert Sun), starting in 2014, Indio city officials (mainly city councilman Sam Torres) want to "impose a 5 percent to 10 percent tax on admissions to entertainment events of more than 2,500 people."

To put that into perspective, Paul Tollet calculated that it would cost about $36 per ticket, which is about $4 to $6 million. And you and I, and all of Coachella-ers, wouldn't want to pay that much extra for a ticket. 

“We think this tax is outrageous for all the things we've done with Indio,” Tollett said. “If the tax initiative of putting $4million to $6 million onto Coachella gets on the ballot, we're going to take off 2014; 2015 we'll be at a new facility outside of Indio."

Goldenvioce estimates the festival currently generates more than $800,000 in ticket fees, tax revenue on about $9 million in food and beverages sold, and a Transient Occupancy Tax of more than $800,000.

Even though Coachella is successful now, at first, it wasn't... It was a loss (losing a reported $800,000 in it's 1999 debut).  Only over the past few years, Coachella has become hugely successful, selling out(at record pace).  So, this is a huge investment for Goldenvoice and taking a break in 2014 will mean a huge loss.

“When I say there's going to be no 2014, realize what I'm saying,” Tollett said. “The Coachella festival-goers have to bank on what I'm saying. I say no 2014, there are going to be people who set their wedding during April. I can't come back in 2014. Once I say it, the dice are thrown.”

Where would Coachella move to?

Irvine has been proposed, but in another Desert Sun interview, Pasquale Rotello, the founder of Insomniac Events, thinks that Las Vegas could be a possibility too, since, well... he moved Electric Daisy Carnival there and it has been a huge success.

“We've moved a lot of our festivals for different reasons. Sometimes a change of scenery adds a new excitement to a festival. Vegas, what it's done for Electric Daisy has been amazing."

Vegas or bust, I hope this tax doesn't go through and Goldenvoice isn't forced to move Coachella, then it wouldn't be Coachella anymore, literally.  I mean, Irvine would be closer, but Coachella's part of the experience of getting away. What would they call it, anyway? It would be odd to have an event the name of another town. Anyways, cities have until Aug. 10 to get a tax measure on the ballot.

For a more in depth article:
Coachella Threatens to Move Coachella
Indio Should Invest in, Not Tax, Coachella