Lollapalooza Takes Saturday Afternoon Break Due to Pending Storms

The weather can be a little extreme in Chicago during August, and Lollapalooza festivalgoers found that out firsthand Saturday as the festival was shut down and evacuated due to a severe thunderstorm warning in the area.

Our reporter on the scene alerted us that there would be a two-hour break in the festivities. All of the stages were shut down to alert the audience of the evacuation, with the masses filing out of Grant Park to clear out for the pending bad weather. The Chicago Police Department New Affairs Officer Darryl Baety told the Chicago Tribune, "It will be closed as of 3:30PM CT due to inclement weather."

In a release, organizers stated that festivalgoers were being directed to a pre-established underground evacuation and shelter sites along Michigan Avenue. The severe thunderstorm warnings remain in effect until 3:45PM CT and a thunderstorm watch is expected through 8:00PM CT tonight in the surrounding counties.

The approaching storm reportedly included hail, heavy rain, lightning and wind gusts up to 75 mph.

Some fans may remember last year's Lollapalooza in which a number of acts like Cage the Elephant and Foo Fighters played in a downpour, which also resulted in the streaming online feed temporarily going offline.

Categories: Concerts, News