Latest news with #FourthofJulyPicnic
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Willie Nelson's July 4 Picnic in Austin to go on despite storm damage
The Outlaw Music Festival's 10th-anniversary concert scheduled for July 1 in El Reno, Oklahoma, has been canceled due to significant storm damage sustained during a severe weather event in Ridgedale, Missouri. However, Willie Nelson's highly anticipated Fourth of July Picnic in Austin is still expected to take place as planned. According to a post from the Outlaw Music Festival's official Instagram account, the weather event on June 29 at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena caused heavy rain and high winds that forced an evacuation. The storm left the band's equipment and several artists' instruments severely damaged and waterlogged. 'The potential damage has halted the festival production as they recover and replace what's necessary for the tour to resume,' the statement read. Refunds will be issued for the canceled July 1 performance at the Lucky Star Amphitheater in Oklahoma. Despite the setback, the festival plans to continue the tour with its next stop at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on July 4. A representative for Willie Nelson confirmed to the Austin American-Statesman on Tuesday that the Independence Day show will proceed as scheduled. Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic is an annual tradition that draws thousands to Austin and is one of the most iconic live music events in Texas. Fans can expect performances by Nelson and several other artists, celebrating Independence Day with music, food, and fireworks.
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Willie Nelson cancels Outlaw Music Festival concert after 'extreme weather event'
Willie Nelson and his Outlaw Music Festival will have to wait a beat for their Sooner State debut. The country singer's long-running festival, which also features fellow music icon Bob Dylan, was forced to cancel its July 1 concert at the Lucky Star Amphitheater in El Reno, Oklahoma, "due to unforeseeable circumstances," according to a June 30 announcement on Nelson's social media pages. The Grammy-winning Americana band The Mavericks and New Zealand-based country singer-songwriter Tami Neilson were also set to perform on the Oklahoma tour stop. The cancellation comes after the festival encountered "an extreme weather event" on Sunday, June 29, at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri. The severe storms produced heavy rains and high winds, forcing the crowd to evacuate. 'I hated to lose him': Willie Nelson speaks out on bandmate Kris Kristofferson's death Much of the Outlaw Music Festival's equipment and musicians' instruments were damaged and waterlogged in the stormy weather, "making their condition difficult to assess in time to accurately and safely use" for the Oklahoma show, per the cancellation notice. "The potential damage has halted the festival production as they recover and replace what's necessary for the tour to resume," the post stated. "Blackbird Presents, Lucky Star Amphitheater, and DCF Concerts are disappointed to have to cancel the engagement and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this cancellation may cause." Refunds for the July 1 concert will be issued to the point of purchase, according to the announcement. Ticketholders are asked to allow seven to 10 business days for the refund to appear on their credit card statements. Willie Nelson concertgoers forced to evacuate in Missouri amid extreme storms Winds reached up to 80 mph during the June 29 storms in Missouri, according to the Springfield News-Leader, part of the USA TODAY Network. A 20-year-old woman was reportedly killed in a neighborhood southwest of Springfield after a large tree was blown over on top of her vehicle. Taney County Sheriff Brad Daniels told the publication that minor injuries were reported at the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena from tents in the high winds. According to social media posts, the venue was evacuated due to the severe weather at about 5:15 p.m., and the Outlaw Music Festival date was postponed at about 6:50 p.m. All previously purchased tickets will be honored once the new date is announced for the Missouri show, according to the announcements. The tour is set to resume Friday, July 4, at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater in Austin, Texas, as Nelson's Outlaw Music Festival converges with the Country Music Hall of Famer's annual Fourth of July Picnic and Fireworks. Willie Nelson's musical patriotism: Singer returns to the stage with Fourth of July Picnic after health concerns What is the Outlaw Music Festival? Nelson launched the Outlaw Music Festival in 2016 as a one-off event in Scranton, Pennsylvania, before taking the concept on the road the following year. Dylan was among the artists on the inaugural Outlaw fest tour, and the 2016 Nobel Prize winner rejoined the tour this year after the Oscar-nominated 2024 biopic "A Complete Unknown" renewed interest in his music. As it celebrates its impending 10th anniversary, the Outlaw Music Festival is billed as "a hallmark of authentic Americana music" that has developed into one of North America's largest annual touring franchises. Still led by Nelson, the festival unites music legends with contemporary superstars to celebrate the outlaw spirit and genre-defying music. 10 bingeable memoirs to check out: Celebrities tell all about aging, marriage and Beyoncé The 2025 tour is the largest Outlaw trek to date, with the lineup including Nelson and his family, Dylan, Sheryl Crow, The Mavericks, Neilson, Billy Strings and The Red Clay Strays. Other featured acts include Turnpike Troubadours, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, The Avett Brothers, Wilco, Lake Street Dive, Waxahatchee, Charles Wesley Godwin, Lucinda Williams, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Trampled by Turtles, Sierra Hull, Willow Avalon, Waylon Payne, Madeline Edwards, Lily Meola and Myron Elkins. The tour launched May 13 at the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre in Phoenix and is scheduled to make more than 30 stops across 20-plus states before wrapping up Sept. 19 at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin.
