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Australia’s Good Things fest cut short by ‘freak’ storm

Good Things, Australia’s largest alternative and rock music festival, was cut short on Saturday (2 December) due to a ‘freak’ storm that forced fans to evacuate the Sydney event.

US rock band Fall Out Boy were four songs into their headlining set when an announcement over the PA system urged the crowd to evacuate immediately over fears of an impending hailstorm.

“Hail storm coming with large hailstones and lightning,” the announcer stated. “Could you please orderly evacuate the site. Don’t rush and move away from the structures please.”

As the 20,000-strong crowd headed towards the single exit gate, around 9:30 pm, a sudden torrential downpour set in, leaving punters soaked as they made their way out of Centennial Park.

The storm, which hit parts of Sydney, regional New South Wales and Victoria, is said to have delivered half of Sydney’s average December rainfall in 20 minutes.

“The entire Good Things team strives to deliver the most incredible experiences for all our patrons within our control”

Organisers said the festival would restart after the storm; however, patrons were still waiting at 10.15 pm. In a statement posted to social media after 11 pm, Good Things Festival said the decision to evacuate was made by police, the State Emergency Service and event organisers.

“First and foremost, Good Things Festival paramount concern is the safety of our patrons. The entire Good Things team pour their heart and soul into the festival and strive to deliver the most incredible experiences for all our patrons within our control,” it said.

“Based on the advice from the NSW Police and the SES the Festival organisers implemented a show stop and full site evacuation in line with our approved event management and crowd safety plans.”

The downpour also pushed back the start of play in the second half of the soccer between Sydney FC and Perth Glory at Allianz Stadium at Moore Park.

Good Things is promoted by leading Australian rock promoter Destroy All Lines, which recently announced new festival, New Bloom.

The independent promoter’s upcoming concerts include All Time Low, Dance Gavin Dance, Mayday Parade, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls, The Aces, Bloc Party and Interpol.

 

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Bluedot to take fallow year after weather woes

The UK’s Bluedot is to take a fallow year in 2024 to allow the festival site to fully recover from the impact of adverse weather at this year’s event.

The award-winning 25,000-cap science and music festival was held at Cheshire’s Jodrell Bank Observatory from 20-23 June and featured headline performances from Grace Jones, Pavement and Roisin Murphy.

However, organiser From the Fields says that record-breaking amounts of rainfall before and during the festival had a “severe impact” on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“When we set out on the journey that is Bluedot, our mission was to create a unique experience – a combination of discovery, exploration and grand cosmic ideas, soundtracked by the finest musicians from across the planet,” says a statement from the festival. “Underpinning Bluedot’s mission is a sincere love and respect for the earth and environment we are lucky to be part of. However, the earth beneath Bluedot took a lot of strain.”

The Superstruct Entertainment-backed event was forced to cancel Sunday day tickets due to extreme weather conditions that rendered the day ticket holder car park, pick-up and drop-off point and entrances “impassable”.

“We have now sadly reached the conclusion that the ground on which the Bluedot universe is built desperately needs some time to recover”

“Experiencing the highest level of rainfall on the festival weekend since records began (records courtesy of Jodrell Bank’s own weather station!), we have patiently waited to see what the effects of this have been on the land itself,” continues the statement. “We have now sadly reached the conclusion that the ground on which the Bluedot universe is built desperately needs some time to recover; a period of rest during which the soil will recover and regenerate.”

Speaking to IQ earlier this year, From the Fields co-founder and MD Andy Smith summed up the 2023 festival as a “very tricky production”.

“We had more rain there than we’ve ever had before, but we had an audience that was prepared for it: they know to wear cagoules, they know to wear the right shoes and they know to bring some spares,” he said. “With certain shows, you get audiences who are more or less prepared and Bluedot’s 100% saw it coming.

“When we knew [adverse weather] was inevitable, we got an extra 1,500m of trackway down – I think they got 130 tons of wood chip from our local [supplier] – and a number of other measures that were put out throughout the weekend, which ensured the show could go on. Considering the amount of rain, it was very impressive work by the site crew and by the management to keep it going.

“It was a shame we had to refund day ticket holders on the Sunday, but it just wouldn’t have been fair to drag them in and out of the car park. But for everybody on site, it’s strange – the audience seems to come together a lot more in times of adversity. So whilst one may not have expected it to be so well received, looking at the socials afterwards, it seems to have been one of the best we’ve had yet, if not the best, which is just phenomenal.”

 

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Blue Ridge Rock Festival latest victim of weather

Organisers of the Blue Ridge Rock Festival in the US were forced to end the event early due to severe weather.

The sold-out festival took place at the Virginia International Raceway with acts including Slipknot, Death Punch, Megadeth, Pantera, Shinedown and Danzig, and was due to run between 7 and 10 September.

A powerful thunderstorm hit Blue Ridge (cap. 50,000) on its opening day, cutting Coheed and Cambria’s set short and prompting an evacuation of the racetrack.

The festival resumed the next day but organisers were forced to pull the plug on the final two days due to the approach of more dangerous weather.

“With heavy hearts, due to this weekend’s continued severe weather, we must announce the cancellation of the final days of Blue Ridge Rock Festival,” organisers announced via social media on Saturday (9 September).

“This has been an agonising turn of events for what was to be such a special weekend”

“Your safety and well-being are our foremost concerns. We understand the disappointment this brings, and we share immensely in your sadness. Please know that this decision was made with the utmost consideration for everyone involved and our focus now is on supporting those of you still on-site.”

“This has been an agonising turn of events for what was to be such a special weekend. There will be much more that we will unveil over the next few days. Rest assured, we will take care of you despite these difficult circumstances.”

Following the cancellation, several artists, including Shinedown, Papa Roach, and viral country sensation Oliver Anthony performed an impromptu set for disappointed fans.

Organisers said information regarding refunds will be made available early this week “when business re-opens.”

Extreme weather has impacted a number of 2023 festivals and outdoor concerts including IYKYK, Bluedot (UK), Pitchfork Festival Chicago (US)  Primavera (ES), Dutch festivals Awakenings, Bospop and Wildeburg, Alexandra Palace’s Kaleidoscope Festival and Robbie Williams’ concert in Austria.

 

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Burning Man finale to proceed after weather chaos

The grand finale of Burning Man will go ahead tonight (4 September) after twice being postponed due to the weather chaos that has blighted this year’s event.

The traditional burning of the giant wooden effigy had been scheduled for Saturday and then Sunday evening, but was delayed due to rainstorms that turned the festival site in Nevada’s Black Rock desert into a mud bath. Many other events were also cancelled.

Tens of thousands of attendees were left stranded as a result of the conditions, with some choosing to hike 8km to the nearest road, while the portable toilet facilities were temporarily out of use.

The BBC reports the rainstorm that hit the Black Rock Desert near the end of last week is thought to have been the longest, heaviest rainfall since the festival began more than 30 years ago. The weather has since improved to the extent that vehicles are able to leave the site and organisers have said they would provide buses to take people to the nearby city of Reno.

The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a man aged around 40 at the event

According the the New York Times, traffic backups of more than 12 hours have been typical for motorists departing the festival in years gone by.

Previously, traffic at Burning Man 2023’s opening day was brought to a standstill by anti-capitalist climate activists after five protesters from the Seven Circles Alliance used a trailer to block the road.

Meanwhile, the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a man aged around 40 at the 27 August to 4 September event, but have confirmed it was not related to the adverse weather.

The US countercultural gathering was founded in 1986 and has grown from a three-day, 80-person ‘zone trip’ to an nine-day event attended by around 80,000 people, including Silicon Valley CEOs and other business leaders.

Weather conditions have also marred Europe’s festival season, impacting events such as Wacken Open Air (Germany), MetalDays (Slovenia), Pitchfork (US), Bluedot (UK), Primavera (Spain), Dutch festivals Awakenings, Bospop and Wildeburg, Alexandra Palace’s Kaleidoscope Festival and Robbie Williams’ concert in Austria.

 

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Rainstorms halt entry for Wacken festivalgoers

Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) organisers have halted entry to the festival as a result of “persistently difficult weather conditions”, just a day before the event is due to begin.

The 32nd edition of the 80,000-cap German metal institution is set to run from 2-5 August with acts such as Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Dropkick Murphys, Wardruna, Beartooth, Ensiferum, Pentagram, Jinjer, Nervosa, Deicide, Burning Witches and Two Steps From Hell on the bill.

“Bad weather sometimes happens at festivals. Rain or shine. But rarely to this extent,” said yesterday’s (31 July) statement from promoter International Concert Service (ICS), which added that the camping areas were “impassable” and advised fans travelling to the event to stop their journeys and find a suitable waiting spot until conditions improved.

However, the restrictions remain in place a day later, with ticket-holders are asked to “refrain from further journeys to Wacken” and wait for updates amid the “extraordinary situation”.

“We are in constant, cooperative exchange with all relevant authorities and responsible persons in order to continue to ensure the safety of fans, employees and all people in the region,” says the latest message from organisers. “Due to the persistently difficult weather conditions with rainfall amounts of approximately 40 litres per square meter in the last 24 hours, and the resulting condition of the camping areas, event areas and the access roads, the areas could not be filled at a sufficient speed.

“Unfortunately, according to the meteorologists present on site, massive rain and possible thunderstorms are still to be expected at any time and on a continuing basis”

“Unfortunately, according to the meteorologists present on site, massive rain and possible thunderstorms are still to be expected at any time and on a continuing basis. Currently, we are working off the vehicles that are still temporarily parked in traffic jams or on external and private areas. We have to tow each vehicle individually to the targeted parking space with a tractor, which takes a lot of time for every single vehicle. All tractors are in continuous use day and night on all areas.

“We decide from hour to hour and ask for your understanding for this extremely difficult situation. You support us the most if you stay at home now.”

Superstruct Entertainment added W:O:A to its stable of European festivals in 2019 after investing in Germany’s ICS. The expanded four-day festival sold out in a record six hours when tickets went on sale for its 2023 event last year.

Tomorrow’s opening day is scheduled to feature a ceremony for the late Lemmy, led by Motörhead bandmates Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee, which will see the rock legend’s ashes “find a new home in Wacken” as part of the “Lemmy Forever” weekend celebrations.

 

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Bluedot, Pitchfork latest fests disrupted by weather

Bluedot (UK) and Pitchfork Festival Chicago (US) are the latest festivals to be disrupted by extreme weather conditions.

Organisers of the music and science festival Bluedot were forced to cancel Sunday day tickets due to the “unprecedented amount of rainfall over the past seven days that saw the water level reach saturation point during [Saturday] night”.

This rendered the day ticket holder car park, pick-up and drop-off point and entrances “impassable,” according to a post on the festival’s website and social media.

“We have worked hard this weekend and throughout last night, laying over 1.5km of additional track mat and trackway, 130 tonnes of sustainably sourced wood chip and bringing multiple trucks on site to pump out standing water, however… it is not possible to accommodate further audience vehicles on site” read the statement.

Sunday’s schedule, which was headlined by Grace Jones, went ahead as planned but only for the weekend campers that had been at Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire, since Friday.

“An unprecedented amount of rainfall over the past seven days that saw the water level reach saturation point during the night”

The 25,000-capacity event, which was acquired by Superstruct last year, welcomed artists including Pavement, Roisin Murphy, Leftfield and Max Richter between 20 and 23 July.

Across the Atlantic, Pitchfork Music Festival was evacuated for an hour on Saturday (22 July) “due to dangerous weather conditions”.

The word went out at 16:40 asking festivalgoers to evacuate Chicago’s Union Park, and steer clear of metal fencing and stages, due to ominous clouds and the threat of lightning.

Vagabon’s delayed afternoon set was just underway when the announcement came. Earlier that day, the festival’s opening sets were also affected by a weather delay, with Palm’s set cancelled, and delayed start times on sets by Black Belt Eagle Scout and others.

Pitchfork and Bluedot are the latest live music festivals affected by adverse weather conditions, after Primavera (Spain), Dutch festivals Awakenings, Bospop and Wildeburg, Alexandra Palace’s Kaleidoscope Festival and Robbie Williams’ concert in Austria.

Elsewhere, festivals such as Austria’s Nova Rock and Australia’s Splendour in the Grass this year invested in site improvements after their 2022 editions were hit with extreme weather.

 

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Robbie Williams concert cancelled due to storms

Storms in the Carinthia region of Austria have led to the cancellation of Robbie Williams’ concert at Hochosterwitz Castle tomorrow (22 July).

Promoter Barracuda Music says severe storms have “taken a toll on the park and event areas”, with further intense rainfall and thunderstorms forecast for the day of the event.

“Necessary inspections by the operations centre have shown that under these circumstances, the traffic volume and the event can no longer be handled safely to a sufficient degree,” a spokesperson tells Puls 24.

Austria has been hit by storms of up to 161km an hour in recent days, reports The Local, causing damage to buildings, railway lines and power outages.

Barracuda says the decision to cancel followed lengthy talks with the local authority and emergency services.

“We are very sorry to announce that the event with Robbie Williams scheduled for Saturday cannot take place”

“We are very sorry to announce that the event with Robbie Williams scheduled for Saturday cannot take place,” says the company in a statement posted on social media.

“After hours of discussions with all participants and the authority, it was established that safe adherence and implementation in accordance with the knowledge is not feasible. The safety of our visitors is a top priority for us, as organisers and location operators.”

Williams, who is represented on the live scene by Ian Huffam of X-ray Touring, is approaching the conclusion of his XXV 25th anniversary solo tour, which continues with headlines slot at Lucca Summer Festival in Italy (28 July), Summer in the City in Bucharest, Romania (19 August) and Zurich Open Air in Switzerland (22 August).

The 49-year-old will then perform in Malta at the Granaries in Floriana on 24 August, presented by Greatt and NNG Promotions, followed by two dates at Norfolk’s Sandringham Estate in his native UK from 26-27 August as part of the Heritage Live Concert Series.

He will also play the Singapore F1 Grand Prix (17 September) and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena (18 October), prior to touring New Zealand and Australia in November/December.

 

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Awakenings ‘heartbroken’ after calling off final day

Major Dutch festivals Awakenings, Bospop and Wildeburg were cut short yesterday (9 July) due to severe weather warnings.

On Saturday night (8 July), the national weather forecasting service (KNMI) issued a code orange for a raft of provinces including Limburg and North Brabant due to expected severe thunderstorms and hail.

Following advice from a number of authorities, Awakenings, a techno festival promoted by Superstruct-backed ID&T called off its third and final day but the weather wasn’t as severe as expected.

“Yesterday marked the most heartbreaking day in the past 26 years of organising Awakenings. For the past year, we poured our heart and soul into creating the most unforgettable edition of Awakenings Summer Festival,” reads a statement from organisers.

“This challenging decision was based on the available weather and safety information at that time. That the weather subsequently changed is a testament to the unpredictability of such conditions. It also indicates how painful the decision was.

“However, we stand fully behind that decision. Particularly after learning about the impact the hail, lightning and storm had around our area. While it may seem in hindsight that our visitors, crew and venue were spared from severe weather consequences, we know it was the right course of action.

“We extend our gratitude to all those who have reached out, offering messages of support and understanding. It devastates us to read and see the negative comments about yesterday’s decision. We know you’re hurt, we know you’re upset. We are too.

“Yesterday marked the most heartbreaking day in the past 26 years of organising Awakening”

“Just how we poured our heart and soul into the organization of Awakenings Summer Festival, we are fully committed to resolving the issue of refunds for our weekend and Sunday visitors. In the upcoming period, we will get in contact with all of you about a refund plan.”

The festival in Hilvarenbeek, Brabant, attracts more than 100,000 visitors across three days. Around 32,000 visitors were expected on Sunday, 6,000 of whom were from abroad. Shelter was arranged for them on-site “in cottages, restaurants and party rooms”. “They already have a mat and sleeping bag, which makes a difference,” said a spokesperson.

Shortly before that, the third and final day of annual rock festival Bospop was called off. The Weert-based festival welcomes around 50,000 people each year.

“Due to this extreme weather, the local government, in consultation with the organisation, has decided to cancel the Bospop festival today for safety reasons,” the festival management writes in a message. Those present were asked to leave the campsite as quickly and quietly as possible.

Electronic music festival Wildeburg, a three-day festival that takes place in Kraggenburg, Flevoland, was also cut short due to the predicted weather conditions.

“Unfortunately, due to bad weather, we had to make the decision in consultation with the emergency services to cancel Sunday. Our main priority is your safety and with the current weather forecast, it cannot be guaranteed,” a statement said.

Visitors with a day ticket for Sunday were not admitted and campers were told to pack up and leave.

All three festivals announced that they will soon provide more information about financial compensation.

 

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Hail storm at Louis Tomlinson gig injures 100

Nearly 100 concertgoers were injured by a powerful hail storm that crashed down during Louis Tomlinson’s outdoor show in Colorado on Wednesday night (21 June).

Fans of the English singer-songwriter were forced to run for cover as “golf-ball-sized” hail rained down on the iconic Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre.

Seven people were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries and another 80 to 90 attendees were treated on the scene, West Metro Fire Rescue said.

The injured suffered broken bones and lacerations, according to the rescue service said.

“Devastated about the show tonight, hope everyone’s ok, I’ll be back!” said Tomlinson in a tweet. “Even though we didn’t play the show I felt all of your passion! Sending you all love!”

The Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre had initially said that Tomlinson’s show would be affected by a weather delay as it urged concertgoers to “please seek shelter in your vehicle.”

It later said the show had officially been postponed. “Please be safe exiting the amphitheatre — we’ll have more information for ticket holders soon,” the venue said in a tweet.

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Splendour in the Grass endures first-day washout

The opening day of Byron Bay’s Splendour in the Grass festival was cancelled after being hit by adverse weather.

All performances on the main stages were cancelled, including sets by Gorillaz, The Avalanches, Kacey Musgraves, DMA’s, Yungblud and Jungle, amid what has been described as the worst weather in the Australian event’s 20-year history.

The remaining two days (23-24 July) of the 50,000-cap festival in North Byron Parklands, headlined by The Strokes and Tyler, the Creator alongside acts such as Glass Animals, Liam Gallagher and Jack Harlow, are currently set to proceed as planned.

“In the interest of patron safety and in consultation with all relevant emergency services, we have decided to err on the side of caution and cancel performances on the main stages today only – Amphitheatre, Mix Up, GW McLennan and Park(lands) Stages,” says a social media post by promoters.

“All of our destination spaces (Global Village, Tipi Forest, Forum, Comedy and Science tents etc.) will remain open today for patrons who are already onsite as well as those at our satellite campground at Byron Events Farm… Day patrons are asked not to attend to the festival today while we work on repairs.”

Ticketing firm Moshtix will be contacting ticket-holders directly with refund information in the coming weeks.

Splendour in the Grass co-founder Jessica Ducrou tells the Sydney Morning Herald the decision was vital to ensure the grounds could be repaired in time for Saturday’s and Sunday’s events.

“This is definitely the worst weather that we’ve experienced at Splendour in its 20-year history,” she says. “As quickly as the mud arrives, we are doing repair works during the event and after the event to try and keep the show operating.”

As a result of the conditions, thousands of festival-goers were forced to wait up to eight hours to get into the site on Thursday night (21 July), leading the main campsite to be closed to new arrivals, with those still queueing the next morning redirected to an off-site camping ground, 13km away. The Guardian reports that free bus shuttles were provided to help people get around the sites.

The festival, which is being held for the first time since 2019, was hit by controversy before it even began after ticket-holders received an email from ticketing company Moshtix, informing them that all festival-goers under the age of 18 now have to “be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times whilst at the event and campgrounds”.

Previously, only those under the age of 16 were required to be accompanied by an adult.

 

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