Beyoncé drops out of Coachella 2017, will headline in 2018 instead

Beyoncé is sitting out Coachella — per doctor’s orders.

The pop diva, who announced earlier this month that she is pregnant, pulled out of her headlining gig at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, which is slated for April 14-16 and April 21-23 in Indio. She will instead headline next year.

In a statement to the Associated Press on Thursday, the singer’s Parkwood Entertainment and festival promoter Goldenvoice said Beyoncé needed to cancel the gig “following the advice of her doctors to keep a less rigorous schedule in the coming months.”

Beyoncé’s announcement that she was expecting twins was met with online fanfare, but there were questions about what it would mean for the Grammys as well as her Coachella gig, where she would be the first female to top the bill since Björk in 2007.

At the Grammys, Beyoncé offered a glimpse of how she could possibly handle her date in the desert with a nine-minute performance of the ballads “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles.”

Surrounded by two dozen dancers, thousands of flowers and a flashy technical display, Beyoncé took a break from the high-octane choreography that she typically brings to awards shows with a more ethereal showing.

It was a stunning performance, but it left many wondering how she would handle the dual weekend festival in Indio when she would be further along in her pregnancy.

No word yet on who will replace Beyoncé at the festival.

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gerrick.kennedy@latimes.com

For more music news follow me on Twitter:@GerrickKennedy

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