Louder Than Life has canceled its Friday shows after remnants of Hurricane Helene made their way into the Louisville area, bringing winds up to 50 miles per hour and heavy rain to the Ohio Valley region.
The four-day heavy metal, rock, punk, and alternative music festival at the Highland Festival Grounds, 937 Phillips Lane, is celebrating its 10th anniversary and had a raging line-up for Friday, including a five-years-in-the-making reunion of Slayer, plus Till Lindemann, Anthrax, Evanescence, and In This Moment.
“Louder Family, we’re heartbroken to share this, but the weather just isn’t in our favor today. We’ve been working closely with our meteorologists and local authorities, holding on to the hope that we can open doors, but the continuous wind gusts simply make it impossible for us to proceed safely,” a statement reads on the Louder Than Life Instagram page. “We know how disappointing this is — it’s gut-wrenching for us too. But your safety, along with the safety of our artists and crew, will always be our number one priority.”
The cancellation follows a delay the festival announced on its social media pages earlier Friday, which said “Rest assured, we’re keeping a close eye on the situation and will provide updates as soon as we can. Parking, doors, and set times will be adjusted, and we are committed to rockin’ with you as soon as it’s safe.”
A festival spokesperson said Thursday that the festival is “built to handle rain, but lightning and wind are what would cause us to need to pause the event. We’ll always make the right decision to ensure our fans’ safety.”
LIVE UPDATES: Beshear urges caution, more than 30K customers lose power in KY
The weather system is expected to make its way north and impact Louisville and other Kentucky regions. The National Weather Service predicts 3-5 inches of rain by Sunday night, and many schools around the area are closed for the day.
“The support and patience you have showed [sic] us today has been nothing short of incredible. We fully intend to rock out with you tomorrow,” the Louder Than Life statement continued.
Saturday’s lineup features Mötley Crüe, Falling in Reverse, Disturbed, Chevelle, Dropkick Murphys, and Mastodon.
Here’s what we know about lingering Hurricane Helene weather and its impact on Louder Than Life:
How much rain will Louisville get from Helene?
NWS Louisville meteorologist-in-charge John Gordon said the heaviest rain conjured by the weather system is predicted to begin late Friday morning and last into the evening. Current estimates predict the Louisville area will receive 2.5-4.5 inches of rainfall through Sunday, he said.
Gordon said severe thunderstorms aren’t expected, but conditions would be apt for a twister system Friday if the sun were to come out during a period of strong wind, he said.
“It’s not out of the question that there could be an isolated tornado,” Gordon said.
NWS meteorologist Mark Jarvis told The Courier Journal Friday morning that Louisville has seen around 1.25 inches of rain since midnight. Winds have been around 35-40 mph but are expected to pick up and reach speeds of up to 55 mph during the day.
Additionally, a high wind warning is in effect from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service, with the agency warning of the possibility of toppled trees, downed power lines, power outages and difficult travel.
What is Louder Than Life’s weather policy?
Louder Than Life is a rain-or-shine event. However, there are several instances in which the festival may be paused, evacuated, or canceled due to inclement weather, including (but not limited to ): severe thunderstorms, lightning, high winds, hail, flooding, or as directed by local emergency personnel, according to the Louder Than Life mobile app.
“Festival management is constantly monitoring weather conditions and consulting with the National Weather Service, as well as a private weather service, to ensure the safest event possible,” it states.
Will Louder Than Life issue refunds?
According to a statement on the Louder Than Life website, “All pass sales are final, no refunds or exchanges.”
The “terms and conditions” page on the Danny Wimmer Presents website notes that ticket purchases are “final and non-refundable” but also states full or partial “credits” may be given, “at the sole discretion of Danny Wimmer Presents, LLC.”
“I may receive a partial or full credit (“Credit”) that I can use towards the purchase of a ticket to another festival produced by DWP,” reads the policy, dated Feb. 1, 2022. “After I receive the Credit, if any, it must be used within 365 days. Use of the Credit is subject to the availability of tickets for the other DWP and I am not guaranteed a ticket to the festival of my choice.”
Will this weather impact Saturday and Sunday of Louder Than Life?
It’s too early to say. Saturday is supposed to feature headliners Mötley Crüe, Falling in Reverse, Disturbed, Chevelle, Dropkick Murphys, and Mastodon, with Sunday, the final day of the four-day festival, featuring Korn, Breaking Benjamin, Judas Priest, and Staind.
Festival organizers encourage people to follow along on their social media accounts for the latest information on set time changes. Downloading the Louder Than Life app will also give users access to immediate alerts from event organizers.
How will rains, winds affect Louder Than Life camping?
Festival organizers offered reminders and advice Friday to those camping at Louder Than Life amid the winds and rain.
“Loudmouth Campers, we appreciate everyone working so hard to prepare your campsites and help each other last night to keep the community safe,” reads a message posted to Louder Than Life social media Friday morning. “We encourage you to stay diligent and ready.”
Citing high wind conditions, festival organizers are asking those camping to keep temporary, pop-up tents down and packed away. Loose objects, including chairs and tables, should be tied down and secure.
Organizers stressed that campsite tents aren’t safe shelter locations in case of the most severe weather.
“If we go into a code RED, please seek shelter in your RV/vehicle or inside KEC Freedom Hall,” reads the social media post.
Festival staff asked festivalgoers to call the command center hotline at 419-273-0318 if assistance is needed out at the camping grounds.
Has Louder Than Life ever been canceled due to weather?
Yes.
“The greatest lineup that never happened” is how Loudmouths, a community of 30,000 Louder Than Life fans, refers to the canceled 2018 festival.
Between 2014 and 2018, the music festival was held at Champions Park on River Road, but due to extreme flooding at the venue in 2018, the weekend of music was forced to be canceled. By then, Louder Than Life had grown from a two-day to a three-day festival. It expanded to four days in 2021.
“Tens of thousands of fans are still upset about that 2018 lineup that never happened,” Nikki Koeltz, a Louder Than Life fan, told the Courier Journal. “It would have included Nine Inch Nails, Alice In Chains, Godsmack, Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones, Ice Cube, Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin, Billy Idol, and Shinedown.”
The cancellation of the 2018 festival was announced the Monday before the event and Danny Wimmer Presents offered full refunds for all tickets, as well as official hotel and camping packages.
This story may be updated.
Breaking news reporter Killian Killian Baarlaer contributed to this report. Reach growth and development reporter Matthew Glowicki at mglowicki@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4000.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louder Than Life cancels Friday shows due to weather
