Legislation proposed to close off skies above large outdoor events like Coachella

INDIO, Calif. () — As hundreds of thousands of music enthusiasts from all over the world descend on the Coachella Valley for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, local officials are growing increasingly concerned about the safety and security of concert attendees.

Not from issues they’re experiencing on the ground, but from the large number of problems they’ve had with manned aircraft in the skies above the venue.

“We did our risk assessment,” said Rep. Raul Ruiz, (D) Indio. “And we realized that there are some improvements that need to be made in order to close the aviation safety gap between sporting events and outdoor concerts.”

Ruiz hosted a round-table discussion to talk about the concerns of first responders, including Indio police and CalFire Riverside County Fire Department, where he announced proposed legislation to automatically implement federal flight restrictions over outdoor concerts of more than 30,000 people.

“Anybody can currently fly (a plane) over an open-air concert with their banners, and God forbid there’s an emergency; God forbid there’s a problem and have to undergo an emergency landing that doesn’t end well.”

Indio Police said they avoided a potential disaster last year when a banner plane flying over the crowd experienced some kind of problem, and had to make an emergency landing in a field not far from the venue.

And that wasn’t the only issue last year.

“Another incident happened during Stagecoach,” said Chief Brian Tully with the Indio Police Department. “A Beech Bonanza flying above a large crowd in front of main stage for several minutes caused us great concern because of the types of aerial maneuvers it was performing above the crowd.

Tully said hoping for bipartisan support for Ruiz’s proposal.

“Instead of being reactive, we need to be proactive,” said Tully. “What we’re asking for is common sense legislation across the board, to ensure our safety not only in our community but across the United States.”

When asked whether he thinks the legislation could be approved by both the Senate and the House and signed by the president in time for Coachella 2027, Ruiz said that timeframe was “ambitious,” but not out of the question.