Weather caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helen forced the Higher Life Festival in Louisville, Kentucky to close yesterday, leading to the cancellation of a number of popular acts, including perhaps the biggest draw of the entire festival, the Slayer reunion show.
The festival announced weather updates on social media throughout the day, starting on Thursday night when they posted on Instagram that they would be monitoring the weather, followed by a delay of the doors in the morning. Hopes waxed and waned throughout the day as the festival consulted with experts and at one point there was even an order on the spot.Eventually, the festival had to issue a statement to cancel the day.
“Louder family, we are heartbroken to share this,” the statement read, “but the weather is just not in our favor today. We are working closely with our meteorologists and local authorities in hopes that we can open the doors, but the continuous gusts of wind simply make it impossible for us to proceed safely.”
“There were moments throughout the day when it looked possible,” the statement continued, “but in the end Mother Nature won this stage.”
“As disappointing as this is for us right now, it’s also painful for us. But your safety, along with the safety of our artists and staff, will always be our number one priority.
“The support and patience you have shown us today is beyond belief,” he continued. “We fully intend to meet with you tomorrow, check back in the morning for an update.”
No matter how much metal you think you are, no, you couldn’t weather the storm Helen to not miss Slayer.The festival had a packed lineup for Friday, like every day, and nothing but Slayer were performances from Anthrax, Sevendust, Evanescence, Clutch, Tom Morello, Ho99o9 and more.Although the festival website says all sales are final, the festival commented on its own account, saying Friday’s single-day passes will be linked soon.
Saturday’s lineup is still pretty packed, with Mötley Crüe as the headliner and other big names including Mastodon, Dropkick Murphys, LS Dunes, Health, Ill Niño, etc. Disappointing Slayer cancellation though Let’s hope the weather doesn’t cause additional problems for the rest of the festival.
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