Halsey ‘Heartbroken and Panicked’ After Maryland Show Canceled Due to Heavy Rain, Flooding

Gil Kaufman
·5 min read

Halsey told fans that they were “heartbroken” after Wednesday night’s (June 8) planned show at Merriweather Post Pavilion was canceled hours after doors had opened, due to torrential rains and flooding.

“Maryland I don’t even know what to say. If you missed my live, I’ll post something soon explaining what happened,” the singer tweeted after venue officials pulled the plug. “But right now I’m heartbroken and panicked and I just want to know when/that you all get home safely. I love you guys more than anything.”

More from Billboard

According to a local CBS report, heavy rains swept through the area on Wednesday night, causing flash flood warnings while “excited concertgoers at Merriweather Post Pavilion were quickly drenched as the storm passed through and water flooded the amphitheater. The Halsey show set for the night was canceled.”

Fans had already streamed into the 19,000-capacity venue, with MPP’s Twitter feed informing them earlier in the evening that “the show is still happening rain or shine.” A short time later, the venue issued guidance on what to do in case of a thunderstorm, telling patrons to keep an eye on their feeds and in-house screens for updates. Then, hours after doors opened, it was announced that “The Halsey show has been delayed due to weather — please stay tuned to social media for updates on when the show will restart this evening.”

After announcing yet another delay before 9 p.m., and then telling fans to file back in following another delay, after 10 p.m. officials conceded that “the Halsey show will not be happening due to weather-related technical difficulties.”

Halsey said she was distraught by the confusion caused by the severe weather, writing, “I promise I wanted to more than anything. But I couldn’t because it would have been SO unsafe if I went out there and people rushed the stage during or after the storm. A lot of things were out of my control tonight but I promise everything I COULD choose, I chose your safety.”

They later expressed that they were “beyond disappointed” with the way the venue handled the situation, promising that a rescheduled date will be announced at a different location. “I hear you guys loud and clear I promise,” Halsey wrote.

A spokesperson for the Merriweather Post Pavilion reiterated to Billboard that the show was canceled due to a storm. “While canceling a show is never a simple or easy decision, the safety of fans, staff and artists and their crew always comes first. All parties involved wanted to provide the best possible concert experience for last night’s patrons,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “When the storm hit last night, everyone was provided cover and told to shelter in place. The storm struck more intensely and lasted longer than anticipated. It was everyone’s sincere hope that the show would go on, but ultimately the decision was made to cancel the show.  Ticket holders should keep an eye out for an email from Ticketmaster for all updates.”

Check out some fan videos of the flooding at the venue — including somone on stage kicking a squirrel off the stage — and the tweets from Halsey and MPP below.

Click here to read the full article.