Willie Nelson Forced to Cancel Concert Due to “Unforeseeable Circumstances”
It's summertime, and that means country music fans can count on Willie Nelson being on the road again. The 92-year-old's Outlaw Fest has dates throughout the summer, and he's joined by Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, Turnpike Troubadours, The Red Clay Strays, and other special guests.
The tour took an unexpected turn during the June 29 event at Thunder Ridge Nature Area in Ridgedale, Missouri. According to a statement on Willie's official Instagram account, an "extreme weather event" produced "heavy rains and high winds," and the crowd was forced to evacuate. Due to the storm, "much of the Outlaw Music Festival's equipment and artists' instruments were damaged and waterlogged."
Willie Nelson and his son, Lukas
The team needs time to assess the damage and make sure all of the equipment is safe to use. As a result, they were forced to cancel the scheduled July 1 show at Lucky Star Amphitheater in El Reno, Oklahoma. The statement explains, "The potential damage has halted the festival production as they recover and replace what's necessary for the tour to resume....Blackbird Presents, Lucky Star Amphitheater, and DCF Concerts are disappointed to have to cancel the engagement and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this cancellation may cause."
Willie's longtime fans on Instagram had a major concern—Is Trigger okay? Trigger is Willie's guitar, a Martin N-20 that he's been playing since 1969. But the singer's team was quick to reassure his followers: "Trigger is marked SAFE from the damage suffered to other instruments and equipment in the MO storm 🫡"
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The show is scheduled to resume this week, when Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic, which was first held in 1973, returns to Austin, Texas. Willie Nelson & Family will be joined by Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, The Mavericks, Asleep at the Wheel, and Tami Neilson for the legendary event.
