Craven was not rocking as late as planned on Saturday night, as lightning strikes and heavy rainfall forced organizers to cancel Tim McGraw’s performance at Country Thunder.
Festival organizers said in a release that the slow moving storm cell created an unsafe environment for fans and artists.
“We always want to put on a show and the saying is the show must go on, but there’s also the show must go on until Mother Nature says it can’t,” said Gerry Krochak, the director of marketing and media relations for the festival.
According to the release, McGraw and his band were standing by to keep the show going after the storm passed at around 11 p.m., but some of the group’s gear was damaged during the downpour, which contributed to the decision to shut down the show.
The cancellation lead to a disappointing night for some fans who came to see McGraw.
“It was all because of the weather. There’s nothing much we could have done much about it anyway. I know he had places to be and other people to see, but it’s really sad here in Craven,” one festival goer told CTV.
The final night of the festival will continue as planned on Sunday night, with headliner Chris Stapleton taking the stage in Craven.
