All the Events Canceled in New York Due to the Air Quality Crisis
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Over the last two days, New York and its surrounding areas have seen the worst air quality on record since the 1960s. Social media was flooded with pictures of hazy streets and bright orange skies, with some offices even cutting their employees loose early to escape the unsafe conditions. The polluted air was caused by the smoke escaping the wildfires that have been ravaging Canada, set to be the most destructive wildfire season in the country’s history, with the destruction of 3.3 million hectares of land—a larger area than the entirety of Maryland.
As a result of the hazardous air quality, several events across the northeast have already been canceled or postponed. Here is a list of the most notable ones so far:
New York City events canceled due to the air quality crisis
"Hamilton" on Broadway on Wednesday Night
“Tonight’s performance of Hamilton will not go on as scheduled,” Shane Marshall Brown, a spokesman for the production, said in a statement. “The hazardous air quality in New York City has made it impossible for a number of our artists to perform this evening.”
"Camelot" at Lincoln Center Theater on Wednesday Night
Lincoln Center Theater announced that its Broadway revival of “Camelot” would not take place on Wednesday night, with spokeswoman Juliana Hannett citing “the impact of the air quality on our artists.”
White Sox-Yankees MLB Wednesday Night Game
A Major League Baseball game set to take place between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees that was scheduled to start at 6:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday June 7 has been postponed due to the poor air quality in the City That Never Sleeps. As a result, the teams is set to square off in a double header the following day, Thursday, June 8, starting at 4:05 p.m. ET.
Related: How Many Cigarettes You'd Have to Smoke to Equal the Effects Of the Poor Air Quality Right Now
Phillies-Tigers MLB Wednesday Night Game
The White Sox-Yankees game isn’t the only MLB event to see a postponement due to the poor air quality from the Canadian wildfires. A game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers has also been postponed as Philadelphia has also been impacted by the hazardous conditions. If all goes as planned, the game will instead take place at 6:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, the following day.
Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
Wednesday afternoon, 10 minutes into a matinee performance of the one-woman Broadway show Prima Facie, star Jodie Comer had to leave the stage when she had trouble breathing due to the poor air quality in New York City. The Killing Eve actress reportedly announced, “I can’t breathe in this air,” before being helped off the stage. The performance was set to restart featuring Comer’s understudy, Dani Arlington, in the main role. Comer is currently nominated for a Tony for the role.
Related: 12 Top-Notch Air Purifiers to Boost Air Quality and Breathe Easier
WGA East Picketing
The ongoing picketing from the WGA East for a fair contract for writers was called off due to health concerns on Wednesday morning, via a Twitter announcement that read, “🪧 🪧 PICKET UPDATE for Wednesday June 7 🪧 🪧 Out of an abundance of caution in light of the forecasted air quality alerts for the NYC metro area, we will be CANCELLING all pickets scheduled for Wednesday, June 7. Take care of yourselves! #WGAStrike #WGAStrong”
Taxi Driver Rally
A rally of taxi drivers to protest a proposed congestion pricing plan that was set to take place outside of New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s NYC office was also called off. The rally was scheduled to be one of many that the drivers have organized to protest what they feel would be an unfair tax that would negatively impact their livelihoods.
NY/NJ Gotham FC-Orlando Pride NWSL Wednesday Night Game
A National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup match between the Gotham FC and Orlando Pride set to take place in Harrison, New Jersey at the Red Bull Arena has also been postponed due to the air quality issues. The match will now be held on August 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Liberty-Lynx WNBA Wednesday Night Game
A WNBA match between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx that was supposed to take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Arena on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET has been postponed. At this time, a rescheduled date for the match has not been announced.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Opening Night
The opening night of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, scheduled to feature performances by Taj Mahal, Corinne Bailey Rae and The Harlem Gospel Travelers, was canceled. The festival, entering its 45th year, was originally set to run from June 7 until August 24.
Other Events
The Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and the New York Aquarium all closed early at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday evening. The city’s beaches were also closed at that same time. In addition, all outdoor events from the NYC Parks Department were canceled, including “Movie Under the Stars,” typically held at several parks throughout the five boroughs. Hudson River Park's Jazz at Pier 84, set to start at 7 p.m. ET, was also canceled.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also announced earlier in the day that all state offices would shutter at 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Next, Andy Cohen Describes New York City as 'End of the World' Amid Air Quality Crisis
