BUSINESS

Day 1 of NYC's Panorama Festival Evacuated Due to Weather

7/27/2018 by Taylor Mims

Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Due to severe weather Day 1 of the Panorama Music Festival on Randall's Island in New York City gets cancelled on July 27, 2018.

Dua Lipa was set to take the stage shortly after the announcement at 5 p.m. ET.

New York City’s Panorama festival has called it quits on day one of the festival due to severe weather. Organizers for the three-day festival took to the main stage shortly before pop star Dua Lipa’s set at 5 p.m. ET to inform attendees they would be shutting down for the day.    

Festival-goers have been asked to evacuate the site at Randall’s Island Park in New York. According to Billboard staffers on site, crowds calmly filed out of the gates as thunder was heard over the site.

“We are evacuating the island due to severe weather,” the Panorama Fest account tweeted. “Please exit the way you entered. Ferries and shuttles are running and the pedestrian bridge is open. Panorama has been cancelled for today and we will see you tomorrow.”

The festival’s website currently asks all attendees to “please proceed to the East Entrance/Exit and take shelter under the RFK Bridge until further notice.”

The evacuation announcement happened in the middle of R&B singer Sabrina Claudio premiering a new song onstage. “What is going on, Panorama?!” the visibly distraught Claudio said onstage. "What a hot mess this was," she added.

According to Twitter user @ MarkCatuogno, passengers on the ferries headed to the festival were being turned around due to the cancellation.

Friday night’s headliner, The Weeknd, also took to Twitter to announce the day’s cancellation. “Everybody in New York stay safe! Panorama show canceled due to weather! XO” The Weeknd’s tweet reads.

Scheduled to play this evening were Dua Lipa, Migos, Father John Misty, The Weeknd, War on Drugs and more.

This year’s cancellation follows Panorama shutting down a stage on Friday night of 2017 when it collapsed during Isaiah Rashad’s performance.

UPDATE: This article originally said Friday night of Panorama 2017 was canceled, when it was just one stage that was closed after it collapsed.

Festivals 2018