A stagehand who died in a fall Saturday while working at the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio ahead of next week’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has been identified by the county coroner.
Christopher Griffin, 49, of San Diego, was working on a staging area when he fell from a roof, according to Indio police and CalFire/Riverside County Fire Department.
He died at the scene just after 9:30 a.m., the Riverside County Coroner’s Office said.
Goldenvoice, which established the Coachella festival in 1999, said the man had been with the team for 20 years.
“As our lead rigger, he was responsible for the countless incredible shows that have been put on at the festival,” the company said in a statement. “We will miss him dearly.”
Coachella will be held on April 12 to 14 and again on April 19 to 21. Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino and Janelle Monae are scheduled to perform.