Storm Liliam has caused the closure of two stages at Friday's Leeds Festival. The festival at Bramham Park in West Yorkshire is getting under way today for three days of music over the Bank Holiday weekend. However organisers said the BBC Radio 1 Stage and Aux Stage would be “lost” on Friday after Storm Liliam battered the venue overnight and this morning.
They added that they “remain hopeful that everything else will continue as planned”. Acts including indie singer Beabadoobee and US star Ashnikko were due to play the BBC Radio 1 Stage at Leeds on Friday evening, while podcasts Antics With Ash and The Useless Hotline were billed for the Aux Stage. Earlier on Friday morning organisers also people at the venue to stay in their tents while the site was hit by strong winds.
Follow the latest news and updates from Leeds Festival in our live blog below. 11:49 Simon Coyle "The urinal walls are gone and lads are just p*****g against fences, people’s tents are in the sky" One Leeds Festival reveller said she was experiencing the “worst day ever” as her tent has been destroyed and her group have been asked to leave their area because the windy conditions are “really bad”. Carrie Gill, 19, told the PA news agency that “basically our whole tent is gone” and she has spent £60 on a new tipi tent, which she has not been able to erect yet because of the weather.
The university student based in Durham said: “All the rain came in because the poles pulled so hard from the wind the fabric ripped open and leaked the whole tent with the rain. We even put those rock plastic pegs in the bottom and they have snapped. “We aren’t allowed back into the area for hours, all our stuff is in our mates’ tent, phones on 30%.
All the stores have blown over, the urinal walls are gone and lads are just p*****g against fences, people’s tents are in the sky, the store shops are all over the floor and shirts and things from stores are gone. It’s honestly really bad here.” She is waiting in a McDonald’s and will be waiting there “for a while it looks like,” adding that “it’s the worst day ever” and if her new tipi “doesn’t last”, she will be forced to return home.
“As you can imagine being a student, it’s quite an expensive festival to be going to and to be let down like this,” she added. Share 11:46 Simon Coyle Video appears to show tent in air A video which appears to have been taken at Leeds Festival appears to show a tent in the air during strong winds. Earlier this morning forecasters advised revellers at Leeds Festival to secure their tents.
Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: “The wind will pick up in that area through the night, particularly strongest towards dawn and then first thing in the morning, before then easing through the morning. “So there could be potentially some impacts from those strong winds, of 50 to 60mph in the area so it’s worth making sure your tents are secured. “There could also be disruption first thing to the transport networks for those travelling first thing.
” leeds fest off to a great start. #leeds #storm pic.twitter.
com/lpj7gp642x — declan (@decomcfc) August 23, 2024 Share 11:31 Simon Coyle Who was playing the Radio 1 Stage and Aux Stage on Friday? Acts including indie singer Beabadoobee and US star Ashnikko were due to play the BBC Radio 1 Stage at Leeds on Friday evening, while podcasts Antics With Ash and The Useless Hotline were billed for the Aux Stage. Here were the full line ups: BBC Radio 1 Stage 12.15pm - Felix Ames 1.
05pm - Alfie Templeman 1.55pm - Good Neighbours 2.50pm - Destroy Boys 3.
50pm - James Marriott 4.55pm - Artemas 6pm - Jesse 7.10pm - Ashnikko 8.
40pm - Beabadoobee Aux Stage 3pm - Arthur Hill: Unplugged 4.20pm - The Useless Hotline 5.25pm - In Ayame We Trust featuring guest Coco Sarel 6.
30pm - Antics With Ash Share 11:29 Simon Coyle Campers had been urged to stay in tents Earlier on Friday morning, Reading and Leeds Festivals encouraged revellers based in Leeds to stay in their tents while the site was hit by strong winds. A post said: Everybody can see and feel that we’re suffering from the winds currently. We’re urging you to stay in your tents if you are onsite and feel safe to do so.
If you are in your car, please remain there. If you are not yet at the festival site, please delay your arrival. We’re expecting it to ease up at 10am and we will update you in 30 minutes.
Your safety is our number one priority. Remember to look out for each other. Share 11:28 Simon Coyle Two stages closed Two stages at Leeds Festival have closed for the day due to high winds caused by Storm Lilian.
On X, organisers announced that both the BBC Radio 1 Stage and Aux Stage would be “lost” at the West Yorkshire festival , and added they “remain hopeful that everything else will continue as planned”. The post said: We can see an end in sight to the high winds. We definitely won’t be opening the arena at 11am, but we are targeting as soon as possible after that and we will update you further.
However, we have definitely lost the BBC Radio 1 stage today, and there will be no performances on it. We have also lost the Aux stage today, and there will be no performances on it. We remain hopeful that everything else will continue as planned and that we will still have an amazing weekend.
Please await further information. Share.
