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Rock Am Ring and Governors Ball festivals cut short due to bad weather
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 6 June 2016
The final day of Germany’s Rock Am Ring festival was cancelled after lightning struck the site the previous day, injuring at least 80 people.
Performances were temporarily suspended on Saturday, following the strike, as festival-goers were encouraged to shelter from continuing storms. Some performances went ahead on Saturday night, but Sunday’s proceedings were then pulled entirely when forecasts of further bad weather caused the local council to revoke the event’s licence.
In a statement, the festival’s organisers said that they accepted the decision and that the welfare of ticketholders was their key concern.
Last year, more than 50 people were injured in two lightning strikes on the Rock Am Ring site in the early hours on the Saturday morning. On that occasion the event continued as planned, after a temporary suspension of performances.
Meanwhile, in the US the Governors Ball music festival in New York also had its third day cancelled due to bad weather this weekend, meaning fans missed performances by Kanye West and Prophets Of Rage, among others.
“Sunday, 5 Jun Gov Ball 2016 has officially been cancelled, due to severe weather and a high likelihood of lightning in the area”, said organisers in a statement. “The safety of fans, artists and crew always comes first. We are just as devastated as you”.
