Storm Boris: Gigs cancelled across central Europe
A number of concerts have been cancelled after Storm Boris unleashed severe flooding across central Europe.
The death toll has reached at least 19, with seven confirmed fatalities so far in Romania, five in Austria, four in Poland and three in Czech Republic, with several people missing, and thousands evacuated from their homes.
Elsewhere, Slovakia has declared a state of emergency in the capital Bratislava, while the Hungarian capital Budapest is braced for record high water levels on the River Danube. Italy is also expected to be hit by thunderstorms.
In Vienna, Austria, a headline show by US band Agriculture scheduled for Arena Wien last night (16 September) was called off “due to weather conditions”, although a gig by Peter Fox at Wiener Stadthalle went ahead as planned on Sunday.
Other cancellations include Böhse Onkelz’s 14 September concert at Trabrennbahn, Wels, and televised live music special Starnacht aus der Wachau (Star night from the Wachau), which was planned for 20-21 September. Flooding means the arena site in Rossatzbach must be dismantled.
“Due to the worrying water level of the Danube and the associated official requirements and orders, it is impossible to hold the event safely,” says a statement. “According to the notice, the event site must be cleared… Reconstruction of the event site could not begin until the middle of next week at the earliest and is no longer feasible in terms of time and technology by the planned day of the event.”
Acts lined up for the season finale TV spectacular, which has previously starred the likes of Anastacia and Chris De Burgh, included Andrea Berg, Söhne Mannheims, Patrizio Buanne, the Poxrucker Sisters, Charlien and Aura Dione.
“The weather forecast is so bad that it is not possible to responsibly guarantee that the event would take place”
A source tells IQ the situation is “pretty bad” in the south of Romania but is unaware of any gig cancellations, since the floods have mainly affected small villages – where one local mayor has described the scene as a “catastrophe of epic proportions”.
In Poland, a performance by Shunske Sato and the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra has been relocated from Wrocław to Warsaw as the wave moves towards larger cities from mountainous regions in the south.
Elsewhere, a concert of the Three Sisters in Valečov, Czech Republic has been rescheduled for May 2025.
“The weather forecast is so bad that it is not possible to responsibly guarantee that the event would take place in order, or that it would take place at all,” reports Idnes. “The area is grassy and unroofed, so it could be a problem to get all the equipment there, not to mention the musicians, not to mention the bars.”
David Nguyễn of Rock for People tells IQ that the capital Prague appears to be unaffected at present.
“We just had The Hu [at SaSaZu] three days ago and I think other Prague promoters are doing shows,” he says. “Some people didn’t arrive to the show, so I guess they are from the part of country that is affected by flooding.”
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Hollywood Bowl concert cancelled amid LA heatwave
A concert at the Hollywood Bowl was cancelled following a heat-related power outage at the famed US venue.
The 17,500-cap amphitheatre’s entire Sunday (8 September) programme, which was slated to be headlined by Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy, was wiped out as Los Angeles, California, battled extreme heat of up to 104°F (40°C).
“Due to a power outage at the Hollywood Bowl, tonight’s concert is cancelled,” reads a statement posted on the venue’s social media channels. “If a new date for this performance can be confirmed, details will follow and tickets for the original date will be valid for the new performance date.”
Grouplove and Tiny Habits had also been due to perform at the show, which was part of the KCRW Festival, curated in collaboration with the LA radio station. Temperatures were reportedly still in the high 90s at the scheduled 7pm start time.
The DWP said there had been a “circuit outage” in the Hollywood area
Representatives for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) said there had been a “circuit outage” affecting 1,400 households in the Hollywood area, with repairs expected to be completed by today (10 September).
The remainder of the Hollywood Bowl’s September calendar includes gigs by the likes of Boyz II Men, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals with Color of Noize Orchestra, Camilo, Jungle and Mitski.
Other upcoming acts include Justice, Omar Apollo, The National and The War on Drugs, Eric Clapton, Kygo, Imagine Dragons, David Gilmour and Joni Mitchell & The Joni Jam.
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Japan earthquake prompts concert cancellations
A number of music events were cancelled in Japan as a precaution in the wake of the devastating New Year’s Day earthquake.
The BBC reports the death toll has risen to over 160 a week on, with more than 100 people still missing following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in the remote Noto peninsula, which destroyed hundreds of homes, triggered a large fire and sparked landslide fears. A small tsunami also added to the damage.
According to the Japan Times, the Meteorological Agency has today warned that powerful quakes could continue to hit the area over the next month.
Speaking to IQ, Nobuhiro Nagai, executive director of the All Japan Concert & Live Entertainment Promoters Conference (ACPC) says: “The full extent of the damage has not yet been revealed, but the damage is becoming clearer every day, and it pains me.”
Founded in 1988, ACPC has 76 members and 116 associate members, comprising regional promoters that hold more than 32,000 live concerts and festivals a year all over Japan.
“So far, there appears to be no life-threatening damage to the managers, employees, stage staff, artists, etc. of our association member companies,” says Nagai.
“All of these events were cancelled or postponed due to concerns about aftershocks from the earthquake and to ensure the safety of the halls”
While no major concerts have been impacted, several music and theatre events scheduled for the Hokuriku region in the first two weeks of the year have been called off. Affected artists include rock group Dragon Ash at the 500-cap Kanazawa Eight Hall, dance vocal group Travis Japan at the Toki Messe Niigata Convention Center Convention Hall (cap. 8,000) and a production of The Phantom of the Opera at Kanazawa Opera House.
“All of these events were cancelled or postponed due to concerns about aftershocks from the earthquake and to ensure the safety of the halls,” adds Nagai. “In Kanazawa City, the core city of Ishikawa Prefecture near the disaster area and surrounding cities, concerts and other events have been cancelled to take into account the effects of aftershocks and to conduct maintenance checks on venue facilities.”
Nagai says that performances postponed due to the closure of the Ishikawa Prefectural Concert Hall (cap. 1,500/700) include the Ishikawa Philharmonic Orchestra 127th Regular Concert, the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra New Year Special Concert, and two shows by Japanese group M!LK. Further events at small venues were also shelved.
However, a K-pop concert featuring artists including Aespa, BOYNEXTDOOR, ENHYPEN and &TEAM at the Vantelin Dome, Nagoya (250km from where the earthquake hit) reportedly proceeded as planned on 2 January.
“The area where the earthquake hit is a very small town, not the type of area where any concerts are happening – especially international acts,” Another industry insider tells IQ.
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