Singer Halsey ‘heartbroken and panicked’ at handling of extreme weather event that canceled Maryland concert

Theresa Braine, New York Daily News
·2 min read

Halsey expressed “heartbreak” on Thursday and vowed to perform a makeup concert elsewhere over the way the original venue had handled extreme weather.

Twitter video showed rain crashing through the ceiling, water flowing down the steps, and people standing in ankle-deep floods as severe storms rolled through Maryland.

Despite flash flood and tornado warnings, the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia had promised concertgoers that the show would go on after the weather interrupted the initial 7 p.m. start. They duly assembled, and excited fans were drenched as the storm passed through, then were informed that the show was not happening after all.

The outdoor venue offers partially covered seating. The concert was supposed to resume at 9:30 p.m. But at 10 the place tweeted that the show was canceled entirely, WJZ-TV in Baltimore reported.

Halsey tweeted that they were “heartbroken and panicked” at the way it was handled, but that in the end it was about safety.

“I really want to add that I am beyond disappointed with the way the venue handled everything tonight and my rescheduled date will be happening somewhere else,” they said, acknowledging the fans’ ire at being drenched and stranded. About 13,000 fans attended the would-be show, WTOP-TV reported, and the venue had opted to have them shelter in place.

Halsey added that “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.”

“While canceling a show is never a simple or easy decision, the safety of fans, staff and artists and their crew always comes first,” a spokesperson told Billboard. “All parties involved wanted to provide the best possible concert experience for last night’s patrons. 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.”