Austin thunderstorm leads Moody Amphitheater to cancel concert, SXSW pauses outdoor events

American-Statesman staff
·2 min read

Update: Moody Amphitheater will not resume tonight's Billboard SXSW show.

Around 9:45 p.m. the venue tweeted: Attention Moody Amphitheater Guests: Due to current conditions, the venue is being evacuated and all event programming has been cancelled. Our primary concern is the safety of our patrons and staff.

Earlier: As lightning and storms moved in the Austin area, the Moody Amphitheater shut down opening night of the Billboard Stage during South by Southwest. About 10 minutes later, SXSW announced that shows at all outdoor venues were paused because of weather.

A crowd gathered at East Austin venue Inn Cahoots was advised to evacuate the venue and take shelter in a permanent structure. Concert-goers who had packed the venue for a showcase that included a headline set from rapper and TikTok sensation Flo Milli poured onto East Sixth Street as lightning flashed overhead. Many made plans to weather the storm at nearby bars.

At 9:30 p.m. the Moody Amphitheater tweeted: No new updates at this time. We are continuing to monitor weather conditions. Thank you for your cooperation. Doors will reopen if safe.

A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect until 10:15 p.m. for areas near Travis and Williamson counties, according to Austin Emergency Management.

heavy rainfall at South by Southwest on Thursday March 16, 2023. The couple from Austin had just evacuated Waterloo Park where the Lil Yachty concert was canceled because of lighting.
heavy rainfall at South by Southwest on Thursday March 16, 2023. The couple from Austin had just evacuated Waterloo Park where the Lil Yachty concert was canceled because of lighting.

On Wednesday, SXSW pre-emptively moved the outdoor show scheduled at Lady Bird Lake to the Convention Center because of the weather forecast for Thursday. And the annual Luck Reunion at Willie Nelson's Spicewood ranch was moved to Friday.

The forecast includes a strong chance of showers and thunderstorms into the night.

After Thursday’s showers, temperatures are expected to reach a high of 55 degrees during the day and a low of 39 degrees at night. The NWS forecast shows possible wind gusts ranging from between 40 and 50 MPH early Friday.

The Billboard stage at SXSW is scheduled to continue with shows Friday and Saturday at Moody Amphitheater in Waterloo Park.

Latin superstars Feid and Eladio Carrión will play the stage on March 17, and electronic music giants Kaskade and deadmau5 bring their collaborative project, Kx5, to the park to close out the series on March 18. Rappers Lola Brook and Armani White have been tapped as openers.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin thunderstorm cancels concert, bad weather impacts SXSW events