Event was the celebrate the reopening of NYC
The We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert at Central Park tonight (Sat, Aug 21st) was canceled midway through due to severe weather from Hurricane Henri. The Clive Davis, Live Nation and NYCEDC chair Danny Meyer produced five hour event was abruptly called during a Barry Manilow medley at 7:37 pm ET due to thunder, lightning and heavy rain.
“Attention: Please pay close attention to the following safety measures. Due to approaching severe weather, all persons should move quickly and calmly to the nearest exits and proceed to your vehicles and protected areas,” an announcer said during Manilow’s “Can’t Smile Without You.”
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio took the stage a short time later with a video screen displaying the same message from earlier, “We need everyone for a brief period of time to move to some place safe because of thunder and lightning, and then we will bring the concert back.”
Shortly thereafter, an announcer said, “Please seek shelter for your safety. This event has been canceled.”
Jennifer Hudson, Earth, Wind & Fire, LL Cool J, Kane Brown, Journey, Santana, Jon Batiste, New York Philharmonic and Polo G all performed before the event was canceled. Headliners Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Maluma, Patti Smith and The Killers had yet to perform.
The New York Post reports that de Blasio pushed the NYPD to restart the concert at 10 pm and run until midnight, but the weather made it impossible.
