Ottawa’s Escapade Music Festival joins a growing list of festivals that have had their programming disrupted by inclement weather in 2024.
Electric Forest wasn’t the only music festival to end prematurely this past weekend. Escapade Music Festival at TD Place in Ottawa was overshadowed by heavy rain that forced organizers to cancel the third and final day of the sold-out gathering.
Escapade’s gates had opened at 3:15pm on Sunday — more than two hours later than scheduled. Then, around 5pm, organizers shared on social media that the festival’s remaining programming would not go ahead as planned.
“Due to unsafe site conditions from heavy rain and pending storm warnings for the rest of the evening, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Day 3 of the festival,” reads their statement. “The safety of our attendees, artists, and staff is our utmost priority.”
“After careful consideration and consultation with local authorities and meteorologists, we have determined that proceeding with the festival could pose significant safety risks,” it continued. “While we understand the disappointment and share in your frustration, the unpredictable nature of the weather leaves us with no choice but to prioritize safety above all else.”
Day 3of Escapade Music Festival was set to showcase headliners like Kyle Walker, Subtronics, Armin van Buuren, and The Chainsmokers. Over the previous two days, attendees were treated to performances by the likes of Illenium, Seven Lions, Pretty Pink, ISOxo, and Mau P.
This past weekend also saw music halted on two separate nights of Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan due to severe weather. Such setbacks are turning into a defining trend of the 2024 festival season as both Ultra Music Festival in Miami and Movement Detroit also navigated rainstorms that led to lapses in programming.
Escapade Music Festival has shared that it will provide additional information on refunds in the coming days.
