Leeds Festival 2024: Festival shut major stage due to extreme weather
Leeds Festival have announced the closure of the BBC Radio 1 Stage on August 23rd due to high winds at Bramham Park.
The festival is set to get underway on August 23rd with sets on the Main Stage from Blink-182, Gerry Cinnamon, The K’s, Kneecap, Two Door Cinema Club and more. Meanwhile, the newly-opened Chevron Stage will be headlined by Skrillex and also feature sets from Nia Archives, Kenny Beats as well as Dom Dolla.
However, the BBC Radio 1 Stage, which was set to be headlined by Beabadoobee, will no longer be opened on August 23rd. Other acts who have had their sets axed include Alfie Templeman, AshNikko, and Destroy Boys.
In a statement, the festival shared: “We can see an end in sight to the high winds. We definitely won’t be opening the arena at 11am, but we are targeting as soon as possible after that and we will update you further. However, we have definitely lost the BBC Radio 1 stage today, and there will be no performances on it.”
They also revealed the Aux Stage will be closed on August 23rd. The new stage was set to host live podcasts from a series of online personalities, such as Arthur Hill and The Useless Hotline.
Leeds Festival continued: “We have also lost the Aux stage today, and there will be no performances on it. We remain hopeful that everything else will continue as planned and that we will still have an amazing weekend. Please await further information.”
Before announcing the cancellation of the two stages for August 23rd, the festival had already issued a message to attendees through the official app, noting, “Everybody can see and feel that we’re suffering from the winds currently. We’re urging you to stay in your tents if you are on-site and feel safe to do so.”
As a safety precaution, they encouraged festival-goers, “If you are in your car, please remain there. If you are not yet at the festival please delay your arrival. We’re expecting it to ease up at 10am and we will update you in 30 minutes. Your safety is our number one priority. Remember to look out for each other.”
The high winds at Bramham Park is due to Storm Lillian, which is currently making its way through northern England. Gusts are expected to reach speeds of 80 miles per hour, which could lead to power cuts, and 20 to 30 millimetres of rainfall is also set to land on the festival site.
The Met Office have warned: “Winds are now strengthening in many areas with the strongest winds occurring during the next few hours across northern England and north Wales. Damaging gusts are possible in places so ensure you stay weather aware.”
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