This past Friday (Sept. 8), Loudwire reported that “the first night of this year’s Blue Ridge Rock Festival [Thursday, Sept. 7] was canceled due to a severe storm, that rolled through Virginia, which included lightning and hail amid driving rain and winds, a sudden evacuation was called for.” Disappointingly, the final two days (Sept. 9 and Sept. 10) were partially or entirely canceled, too, and people are understandably unhappy about it.
Yesterday (Sept. 9), festival representatives issued the following statement on Facebook and Instagram:
Dear Blue Ridge Fans, with heavy hearts, due to this weekend’s continued severe weather, we must announce the cancellation of the final days of Blue Ridge Rock Festival. Your safety and well-being are our foremost concerns. We understand the disappointment this brings, and we share immensely in your sadness. Please know that this decision was made with the utmost consideration for everyone involved and our focus now is on supporting those of you still on-site.
We are working diligently to provide refund details and will share that information early this week when business re-opens. In the meantime, we encourage you to stay safe and take care of each other. This has been an agonizing turn of events for what was to be such a special weekend. There will be more much that we unveil over the next few days. Rest assured, we will take care of you despite these difficult circumstances. Thank you for everything. With heartfelt gratitude, Blue Ridge Rock Festival.
You can see the post below:
Among the acts whose sets were canceled are Papa Roach, Shinedown, Megadeth, Pantera, Babymetal and Lamb of God.
Per Metal Injection, organizers “state they are working on offering refunds to everyone that attended, and will share those details sometime in the upcoming week.” On that note, the festival posted the following update earlier today (Sept. 10):
Weather reports indicate continued storm activity rolling throughout the day that will continue to bring high winds and precipitation. Here are important details as you depart on Sunday, September 10th:
CAMPERS: Due to additional impending weather anticipated tomorrow afternoon, we are moving camping check out to Sunday, September 10th by 2pm. We have put these plans in place to ensure that fans can exit the campgrounds safely. If you have a disabled/stuck vehicle, please pop open the hood of your car to flag to our staff that you need assistance. We will have UTV’s roaming the campgrounds looking for patrons in need of assistance. We have arranged for mobile fueling services to provide Gas to campers on-site. These units will be roaming throughout the Campground this Sunday.
Campers who arrived without a vehicle and need ride share/pickup services, please head to the on-site box office. We will assist you with shuttling to the Blue Lot for pickup. The campground General Stores will stay open throughout the night and into Sunday morning. The on-site box office will be a multi-service location that is open from 10am-2pm on Sunday. You will be able to check lost and found, pick up any items left in your locker, and you can request the unused funds loaded to your wristband. If you are unable to make it to the box office during these hours, you can register for Lost and Found and find more information on how to request the unused funds loaded to your wristband at blueridgerockfest.com/general-faq.
DAY PARKERS: – The BLUE LOT box office will be a multi-service location that is open from 3-7pm on Sunday. You will be able to check lost and found, pick up any items left in your locker, and can request the unused funds loaded to your wristband. – If you are unable to make it to the box office during these hours, you can register for Lost and Found and find information on how to request the unused funds loaded to your wristband at blueridgerockfest.com/general-faq.
You can see that post below:
READ MORE: Till Lindemann Pulls Out of Blue Ridge Rock Festival, Set Times Updated
Naturally, both attendees and musicians have shared their feelings on the situation via social media.
For instance, one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote: “The more I read about the Blue Ridge shitstorm the more I believe the person running it has to be one of the stupidest fucking dumbfucks around.” Likewise, someone replied to the festival’s Instagram announcement: “Don’t blame the weather. Little birdies say it’s because you oversold the fuck out of the venue and put staff at risk by not providing them ample access to food and basic hygiene needs.” One person even called it “the fyre fest of rock events.”
On the other hand, people have also been more understanding and/or positive. Specifically, one X user reflected: “Honestly managed to turn this whole Blue Ridge situation into a fun experience thanks to our super cool neighbors at the campsite so it is what it is.” Similarly, another account declared: “Well with blue ridge canceled time to return home…. At least I’m going to karaoke tonight!”
As for what some artists have said thus far, Papa Roach has been among the most upbeat, writing: “We love you all. Thank you for sticking around with us despite the rain and @BlueRidgeRock getting canceled!” Elsewhere, Babymetal stated: “We are so sorry we won’t be seeing you αt Blue Ridge tomorrow. Please stay safe out there!!” As for Pantera, they concisely lamented the cancelation: “Sad news about Blue Ridge Rock Festival. We were looking forward to playing for you tomorrow.”
You can see more reactions from fans and bands below (including some truly funny ones). Also, be sure to let us know what you think of the situation!
Fans + Bands React to Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2023 Cancelation
2023 Rock + Metal Music Festival Guide
See what big rock and metal festivals are coming up in 2023!
