‘A truly traumatic experience.’ Severe storms force cancellation of Harry Styles concert
Severe thunderstorms that pounded South Florida Friday night forced popular pop singer Harry Styles’ concert to be canceled, although fans were already there and waiting.
Styles was to headline the Planet Pepsi Zero Sugar concert alongside opening acts Lizzo and DJ Mark Ronson at the Meridian, a brand new entertainment venue on Watson Island that opened just in time for Super Bowl weekend. An enormous, 65,000-square-foot, tent-like structure, it was supposed to be “party central” this weekend.
But the weather had different plans.
Styles, who was to perform at 10:30 p.m., tweeted just after midnight that “the fire department would not let us do the show under any circumstances. Please stay safe.”
Ronson and Lizzo were able to perform their sets at 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., respectively.
While fans were disappointed by the unexpected cancellation and having to find alternate ways to go home, Pepsi released statement saying:
“For all attendees of tonight’s Planet Pepsi Zero Sugar Party, we understand this is disappointing, and want to do what we can to make this right. We are offering a full refund for tonight’s show and for your ride share from the venue. Details coming soon.”
Not everyone found comfort in that response.
“It seems people are glossing over the real issues about the concert cancellation,” concert attendee Kim Reid said in an email sent to the Miami Herald.
“First off, it was [cancelled] after midnight. Why was Harry so late? How about the huge expense of getting here and staying for the concert. Mainly, I am concerned about the safety issues. I brought my daughters and her friends from FSU. The venue was flooding with water pouring in so for ‘their safety’ they were kicked outside in some waters 3 feet deep after waiting 12 hours to see Harry,” Reid said.
Reid added that bathrooms were not sufficient and the availability of drinking water on site was scarce.
“Once outside the venue there was no passable way out. Cars accidents everywhere with cars stalled and flooded. Thanks Pepsi for putting everyone at risk. It was a truly traumatic experience,” Reid wrote.
Styles and Lizzo performed together Thursday night during her set at the SiriusXM and Pandora Super Bowl Opening Drive Super Concert Series at the Fillmore Miami Beach.
On Friday night, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for much of South Florida until 3 a.m. The weather service warned of the possibility of tornadoes, marble-sized isolated hail and wind gusts up to 70 mph.
The weather is forecast to clear up by the time Super Bowl Sunday comes.
Fans who came to see the concert were not pleased that it was abruptly canceled. In a video posted on Twitter the crowd can be heard moaning, screaming “no” and cursing at the venue and generally when they were told they would have to go home.
Another video shows some concert guests walking through muddy flood waters as they were kicked out of the venue.
This story was originally published February 1, 2020 at 1:26 AM.
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