While there are a lot of advantages to living in New York, there’s one thing New York has never had: Coachella. Sure, the city has Governors Ball and Electric Daisy Carnival, but the crown jewel of music festivals belonged to California, New York’s polar opposite and sworn rival.
Or at least, that’s the way it was until now.
According to New York Daily News, the city has been in talks with AEG Live, the corporate entity behind Coachella, to bring a similar festival to Queens, roughly two weeks after Governors Ball. Only of course it wouldn’t be called Coachella — it’d be called Panorama.
Although this is obviously a win for New Yorkers, it could be a devastating blow for Governors Ball, which is run by Founders Entertainment, one of the last independent promotion companies in the music industry.
“The timing of this corporate-run festival would threaten our ability as a small business to continue putting on the kind of event that has showcased the best artists, created hundreds of local jobs and put millions of dollars back into the city’s economy,” said Tom Russell, one of the guys behind Founders Entertainment, according to the Daily News.
He raises a good point, but popularity might also be on his side: this year’s Governors Ball lineup is lit, boasting Kanye West and the Strokes as headliners. It remains to be seen whether even an East Coast Coachella could compete with that.
This post, Coachella Might Be Coming to Queens, by Maria Pasquini, appeared first on Galore.