Severe heat and storms forced cancellations and evacuations at major music events across France, Belgium and the Netherlands last weekend. Organisers described the disruptions as unprecedented amid record temperatures.
Defqon.1, a 50,000-capacity dance event in Biddinghuizen, Netherlands, was cancelled on June 26 after Dutch authorities issued a code red warning for extreme heat. Thousands of fans already on site were evacuated the previous evening, with organisers Q-Dance issuing refunds and stating the situation was the worst-case scenario.
Katy Perry’s headline show at Werchter Boutique near Brussels was cancelled due to thunderstorms. The B-52’s set at C Trop Music Festival in Tilloloy, France, was halted minutes before start, with equipment destroyed by falling scaffolding and high winds.
Other disrupted events included Garorock in France, Paradise City in Belgium and Scandal in the Netherlands. Holger Schmidt of the European Festivals Association said no heatwave of this scale had been recalled before.
In the UK, record temperatures reached 37.3°C in Suffolk on June 26, though some concerts by Harry Styles and Take That proceeded with extra safety measures.
