Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg
Audio By Carbonatix
On Day One, Ultra kicked like any year: Despite somewhat dire weather forecasts, the sun was peeking out and the breeze was cooling. Then Mother Nature stole the show.
No stage was protected. Some members of the crowd scurried for cover, while others embraced the downpour, donning ponchos. Amid Apache’s set at the Live Stage, some danced jubilantly, heedless of the rain above and the mud beneath.
In the end, lightning had the final say, prompting festival organizers to enforce an evacuation.
Around 9 p.m., after Slander performed on the Main Stage, Ultra announced on social media that it would be suspending the evening’s performances owing to the severe weather.
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“For your safety, Ultra Friday is temporarily shutting down. Please calmly leave the park now,” Ultra announced on its social channels.
The livestream was suspended, switching over to a re-broadcast of performances from earlier in the day.
By 10:30 p.m., the festival confirmed the rest of Friday’s performances would be scraped. “Severe weather is still in the area. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” organizers wrote its social channels.
With the curfew set for midnight, the cancellation of the rest of the evening’s performances was inevitable.
The last time Ultra was affected by weather was in 2015, when wind and rain forced organizers to suspend four of the seven stages for a time.
This is a developing story; check back for updates/edits.
