Texas Eclipse Festival Canceled Hours Before Eclipse Due to Severe Weather Risk

The Texas Eclipse Festival currently happening in Burnet, Texas, has advised attendees that they must evacuate the festival site Monday (April 8) due to forecasted severe weather.

Earlier in the day, the event announced, “We regret to inform you of the severe weather forecast, including risks of high winds, tornadic activity, large hail, and thunderstorms for later today, including during the eclipse, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

“Your safety is our top priority,” the announcement continues. “With the support and coordination of Burnet County officials, local safety agencies, and The National Weather Service, we’ve agreed to end the festival today in a calm orderly manner.”

This cancellation announcement comes hours before the festival’s main event, the total eclipse the sun that will happen Monday at 1:27 p.m. local time. The festival’s announcement advises that attendees “may stay for the eclipse provided they pack and are prepared to depart after totality. This guidance may change based on weather.”

Totality refers to the moment during a total eclipse when the moon fully blocks out the sun. Burnet is on the eclipse’s path of totality, the line across the United States where this total eclipse will be visible.

Additionally, the festival announced that “all programming and performances for Monday and Tuesday are canceled,” and that attendees are to begin packing and preparing to leave the campgrounds. No additional guests will be allowed to enter the venue, with remaining in bound shuttle services canceled. Festival staff is coordinating shuttle services for early departure. Attendees were also advised they they’ll “receive an email with a partial refund policy soon, addressing details and timing.”

The festival’s lineup includes Tycho, Subtronics, String Cheese Incident, Disco Biscuits, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead along with dozens of others, including CloZee, Boogie T, LP Giobbi, Zeds Dead and Bob Moses.

As reported in Billboard, Texas Eclipse is organized by a newly formed alliance of independent promoters including longtime EDM promoter James Estopinal and his recently rebranded Texas concert outfit Disco Presents; technologist, entrepreneur and Texas Eclipse festival founder and “head of alignment” Mitch Morales; and California-based festival organizer, curator and producer Gwen Gruesen from Symbiosis Gathering.

Texas officials are expecting more than 1 million people to visit the state for a chance to experience a rare total solar eclipse in the state that will be visible from the Texas border town of Eagle Point to Texarkana.