Thousands of fans from all over the world had reached Chicago to attend the music festival but the music was stopped at around 3:30 p.m. The organizers asked the fans to find shelter in one of three underground parking garages designated as "emergency evacuation shelters," reported Los Angeles Times.
"We want to thank the tens of thousands of festival goers, staff, and artists who calmly and safely exited from Grant Park today," said Charlie Jones, partner of C3 Presents, the promoter for Lollapalooza. "We also applaud and thank the City of Chicago for their cooperation and commitment to making Lolla a safe and enjoyable experience for all. Once again Chicago has come through and we're proud to call the city our partner."
Officials said that they'd successfully evacuated more than 61,000 fans from the Grant Park. However, organizers tried working with the weather and emergency department to find out possibilities of resuming the event.
The festival resumed after a break of almost three hours at around 5:45 p.m.
The Chicago Tribune reported at a news conference Saturday evening that officials said all six bands might not play as per the schedule of the festival, though the closing time was extended until 10:30 p.m.
The weather department recorded winds up to 55 miles per hour Saturday and received reports of an increase up to 70 mph, "some measured, some estimated," said meteorologist Ben Deubelbeiss to Reuters. "Heavy rains, wind and lightning are the main threats from these storms."
The main performers for this year's festival were famous music acts like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Sabbath and Jack White.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
