The Governor’s Ball, which was held over the weekend, had to cancel the third day of the festival owing to severe weather and a possibility of lightning.
After two days of star studded performances, the Governor’s Ball NYC came to an abrupt end as city authorities deemed conditions too unsafe for the event to proceed. Rain had already made Saturday difficult which was also one of the reasons organizers decided to cancel the Sunday bill.
Festival organizers made this post on facebook announcing the cancellation.
“The safety of fans, artists and crew always comes first” organizers said. “We constantly monitor weather conditions, and we work closely with the appropriate City agencies, including NYC Parks, NYPD, and NYC Office of Emergency Management to determine the best and safest course of action.” This was met by a huge uproar especially by fans who drove in from other cities. Death Cab for Cutie, Bat for Lashes, Two Door Cinema Club, Gary Clark Jr., Chvrches, a surprise set by Prophets of Rage, Vince Staples, Joey Bada$$ and a headlining slot by Kanye West were among the sets that were scrapped.
Organizers also promised refunds to those affected by the cancellation saying, “All customers who purchased a Sunday ticket and Sunday transportation ticket through the Gov Ball ticketing page will receive a refund, while those who bought the three-day pass will receive a prorated refund.” Luckily some of the acts like Courtney Barnett, Two Door Cinema Club, MC Vic Mensa and Prophets of Rage which were cancelled, rallied surprise concerts around the city either for free or with discounts for Gov Ball attendees.
This is not the first time the Governor’s Ball has fallen victim to bad weather. During the 2013 Memorial Weekend, torrential rains and high winds caused the Kings of Leon to postpone their Friday night headlining set to Saturday. Weather conditions in and around New York also forced a partial cancellation of the outdoor events at the Hot 97 Summer Jam which included performances by Chance the Rapper, Desiigner, Curren$y and more.