“Dangerous” winds disrupt Coachella, Anyma cancels set
Videos shared on social media also show chaos in the campsites with tents blown away
Violent winds reportedly reaching gale force speeds up to 45 mph hit Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Weekend on Friday (April 10), causing disruption at the Californian festival.
Headliner Anyma cancelled his scheduled set in response to the weather conditions.
In a joint statement put out around 12:15AM, 15 minutes after the melodic techno DJ and producer who places an emphasis on visuals during his performances was due to take the stage, Coachella and Anyma said: “Due to strong wind conditions affecting Anyma’s stage build, he is unable to perform tonight. Coachella and Anyma have made this decision together with your safety as the priority.”
Anyma was due to debut a new live show called ÆDEN, described as a a blend of sci-fi futurism and ancient mythology.
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In a solo statement posted the following day (April 11), the Italian-American artist, real name Matteo Milleri, said he is “heartbroken” by the cancellation, posting footage of the crowd waiting to see him alongside the message.
The statement adds: “I don’t have many words other than to say I’m truly devastated and deeply sorry to everyone who showed up to the main stage, and to those watching the livestream at home. Having the opportunity to perform the new ÆDEN show and share all the new music and art means more to me than I can express. It’s incredibly painful, especially after working day and night for the past year, not just me, but my team and the Coachella crew, who poured everything into this.
“Safety was and always will be our biggest concern. The dangerous winds not only prevented us and Coachella from building our stage, but also made it impossible for my entire live setup and performance to operate safely.
“Unfortunately, there are no other slots available for me to perform the ÆDEN show this weekend. I’m working on a solution to bring you some music at least, but I don’t want to impose on the other artists’ slots. Updates soon. I’m so sorry. Matteo.”
Elsewhere attendees at the festival reported chaos in the campsite caused by the weather.
One video posted on Instagram with the caption “Walking back to Coachella car camping with everyone’s campsites gone” shows capsized tents and canopies blown off frames.
Another video shows campsites being blown away, with commenters also reporting car windows being smashed and personal possessions lost.
The Desert Sun reports that “Dustchella” conditions are expected to hit the festival, with a windblown dust advisory extended through to 5:AM on Sunday morning for much of the Coachella valley.
Coachella weekend one closes out today (April 12), with weekend two scheduled to take place across April 17 to 19.
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