Leeds Festival hit by Storm Lilian

Three stages have been closed on the opening day of the UK’s Leeds Festival as Storm Lilian brought strong winds of up to 60mph to the region.

Organisers delivered an urgent weather report on X at 9am this morning, advising campers to stay in their tents or to delay their arrival if they had not yet reached the Bramham Park site.

All of Friday’s performances on the Festival Republic-promoted event’s new stages, The Chevron and Aux, have been cancelled, while the BBC Radio 1 stage will also remain shut. Cancelled sets include Skrillex, Beabadoobee, Ashnikko, Nia Archives, Dom Dolla and Alfie Templeman.

The 75,000-cap Yorkshire festival’s main stage belatedly opened at 3.10pm with its first live act, Bru-C, with acts set to perform later include Liam Gallagher, Catfish and the Bottlemen, 21 Savage and Pendulum. Slots by the likes of Reneé Rapp, Crawlers and Corella were pulled.

“The weather has been too dangerous for our crew of myself to set up/access the stage all morning”

US singer-songwriter Rapp told her 3m followers on Instagram: “Leeds, the weather has been too dangerous for our crew of myself to set up/access the stage all morning. I’m so sad to miss you but your safety and my team’s safety is of the utmost importance and I can’t risk that.”

LEEDS ARENA UPDATE pic.twitter.com/sS1cVIB9Ik

— Reading & Leeds Fest (@OfficialRandL) August 23, 2024

Leeds and twin festival Reading run across 10-plus stages from 23-25 August. Other acts on the lineup include Blink-182, Fred Again.., Lana Del Rey, Gerry Cinnamon, Raye, Two Door Cinema Club, Fontaines D.C., The Prodigy and The Last Dinner Party.

Elsewhere, this weekend’s Creamfields was also hit by high gusts of winds on site, causing a delay to public arenas and gates opening. The likes of Calvin Harris, Chase & Status, Martin Garrix, Alesso, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Fatboy Slim, Tiesto, Peggy Gou are starring at the dance institution in Daresbury, Cheshire.

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