Deadly Hurricane Helene hits live events in the US

30 September, 2024

Concert Crowd Silhouette. Credit: Jena Ardell via GETTY

The deadly Hurricane Helene has impacted various shows and festivals which were set to take place in the southeast of the US.

Hurricane Helene, which claimed the lives of roughly 107 people in six states (as per the Associated Press), caused the likes of Alabama’s South Star Festival and some sets of Kentucky’s Louder than Life Festival to be cut to due the inclement weather.

Concerts such as Billy Joel and Sting‘s scheduled gigs in Missouri as well as Hootie and the Blowfish and Quarters of Change’s Florida shows were also cancelled and postponed.

Speaking about the cancellation of the second day of the South Star Festival in a statement (as per IQ Mag), festival promoters C3 have said: “Following an inspection by festival organisers along with city officials, it has been determined that the grounds are no longer safe to welcome you back today.”

It continued: “In coordination with the City of Huntsville, we have made the difficult decision to cancel today’s festival… safety is paramount, and we do not take this decision lightly.”

The second day of the fest was set to take place yesterday (September 29) at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama and was supposed to see the likes of Blink-182, Beck, Sublime, Goo Goo Dolls, Jimmy Eat World, Big Boi and more perform.

Promoter Danny Wimmer Presents shared a similar statement regarding the cancellation of the second day of Louder Than Life in Kentucky. The final two days were able to go ahead as planned.

A statement by the promoters read: “We’ve been working closely with our meteorologists and local authorities, holding on to the hope that we can open doors, but the continuous wind gusts simply make it impossible for us to proceed safely.

“We know how disappointing this is — it’s gut-wrenching for us too. But your safety, along with the safety of our artists and crew, will always be our number one priority.”

Billy Joel and Sting’s show at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, was rescheduled from Friday (September 27) to last night (September 29) due to the intense weather brought on by the hurricane. “The safety of the fans, artists, crew, and staff is paramount. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding,” said Live Nation in a statement.

Quarters of Change took to their social media accounts to announce the cancellation of their Tampa, FL show and offered a discount for those who wanted to purchase a ticket to their Orlando show instead.

Earlier today (September 30), Mannequin Pussy announced that they have cancelled their show tomorrow (October 1) in Asheville, NC at The Grey Eagle due to Hurricane Helene.

“Asheville is one of our favorite places in the country to play, it’s home to many of our friends and it’s been heartbreaking to see the images of devastation that the people of Asheville and the neighboring areas are experiencing in the wake of this Hurricane,” read the band’s statement shared on their Instagram stories.

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