Hurricane Harvey: Coldplay, Mary J. Blige Postpone Houston Shows
Coldplay, Mary J. Blige and Lady Antebellum are among the artists to postpone Houston-area shows Friday as the region braces for the arrival of Hurricane Harvey, which is expected to reach Category 3 status by the time in makes landfall.
On Thursday night, Coldplay warned fans that, while they were in Houston, they were “ready to play if we’re told it’s ok, but equally ready to cancel.” With the storm expected to bring 100mph winds and over three feet of rain, the band’s NRG Stadium concert in Houston was ultimately postponed Friday afternoon.
“We really wanted to play tonight, but sitting here all together watching the news about the storm, we feel that we can’t ask anyone to put their safety at risk. So, sadly, we will have to postpone,” the band wrote in a statement.
“We will give details of rescheduling/refunding as soon as we can. We are really sorry for the inconveniences this will cause. Stay safe and see you soon.”
Blige’s Friday night performance at Sugar Land, Texas’ Smart Financial Centre was postponed and rescheduled for September 19th, while Lady Antebellum’s Sunday concert at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in the Woodlands in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey’s aftermath, which could leave large areas flooded and thousands without electricity, ABC News reports.
Hurricane Harvey is expected to be the first Category 3 hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Sixty counties in Louisiana and Texas have called states of emergency in anticipation for the storm’s arrival late Friday night.
— Coldplay (@coldplay) August 25, 2017