Strong winds forced the evacuation of Stagecoach festival in Indio, California, delaying the headliner and canceling two major acts on Saturday night.
Festival promoter Goldenvoice halted the event around 8:10 p.m. After gusts intensified following a set by Teddy Swims on the Mane Stage, triggering an emergency evacuation order displayed on stage screens and pushed via the festival’s official app. Attendees were directed to move calmly to the nearest exits, though some reported blocked emergency pathways between the main stage and entrance.
Despite the disruption, the atmosphere remained orderly as thousands exited the venue, with many expressing understanding of the safety call. By 8:42 p.m., organizers announced via the app that the festival would resume shortly, and gates reopened just before 9 p.m. With a revised schedule.
Headliner Lainey Wilson took the stage at 10:30 p.m., an hour later than planned, opening with “Can’t Sit Still” and later inviting country artist Riley Green to join her — a surprise since Green had been removed from the official lineup after the evacuation. Rock band Journey, originally slated for the Mustang Stage, did not return to perform.
Before the evacuation, alternative rock band Bush delivered a high-energy set to over 25,000 fans on the Mustang Stage, playing nine songs including “Machine Head” and “Comedown.” Frontman Gavin Rossdale interacted with the crowd, leaping into the audience and remarking on the intensity of the desert wind.
For more on this story, see Lainey Wilson Headlines Stagecoach 2026 After Wind-Triggered Evacuation Ends Safely.
Attendees described conditions worsening rapidly, with palm trees bending severely and earlier gusts stronger than those that triggered the halt. Longtime festivalgoer Krystine Malins, attending since 2007, called the evacuation the right decision but expressed concern for lightly dressed patrons in the wind.
Some fans, including two attendees who had hoped to see Pitbull later in the night, expressed disappointment and mentioned hoping for refunds, though they acknowledged the wind had felt dangerous earlier in the day.
Festival staff used both on-site signage and mobile alerts to manage the evacuation and re-entry, with signage reading “Thanks for hanging with us y’all. Welcome back. Let’s do this” as crowds returned.
Set changes following the restart included performances by Two Friends and Y.O.G.A at Diplo’s Honky Tonk from 9 to 11 p.m., followed by Gavin Adcock and Whiskey Jam from 11 to 11:45 p.m., with Lainey Wilson headlining until midnight.
Why were Journey and Riley Green removed from the schedule?
Both acts were listed on the original schedule but did not appear in the revised set times after the evacuation; neither performed when the festival resumed, though Riley Green later joined Lainey Wilson on stage.
Did fans receive refunds or compensation for the disruption?
The sources do not mention any official refund policy, compensation, or announcements regarding ticket reimbursements following the evacuation and schedule changes.
