Louder Than Life festival cancels entire day – including Slayer headline slot – due to extreme weather in Kentucky

News
By ( Metal Hammer ) published

Slayer, Anthrax and more were due to perform at day two of Louder Than Life before Hurricane Helene rolled by

Louder Than Life 2024 logo
(Image credit: Louder Than Life Festival 2024)

Another live music event has been hampered by extreme weather after day two of Louder Than Life festival in Kentucky, USA, was cancelled.

The second day of the four-day event at Louisville Highland Festival Grounds was pulled in its entirety on Friday, resulting in fans missing out on a Slayer headline slot as well as scheduled performances by Anthrax, In This Moment, Evanescence, Clutch, Fozzy, Alien Ant Farm and more.

Slayer's appearance was a big selling point for the festival, as it was one of a small number of reunion shows.

The expected weather is said to be part of the hangover from Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the United States.

Louder Than Life organisers said in a statement: "Louder Family, we're heartbroken to share this, but the weather just isn't in our favoor today. We've been working closely with our meteorologists and local authorities, holding on to the hope that we can open doors, but the continuous wind gusts simply make it impossible for us to proceed safely.

"We know how disappointing this is – it's gut-wrenching for us too. But your safety, along with the safety of our artists and crew, will always be our number one priority.

"The support and patience you have showed us today has been nothing short of incredible."

The event's third day was expected to go ahead as planned, with a new area added for fans to stay dry, although Falling In Reverse were unable to get to the site due to continuing bad weather across the wider area.

Organisers added: "Hope you rested up, because today’s going to hit harder than ever. The lineup is stacked, and it’s game on.

"Unfortunately, due to weather and travel issues, Falling In Reverse is unable to make it to Louisville, but, the iconic Till Lindemann has stayed in town to take the stage just for you.

Plus, we’ve added sets by Jager Henry and Return to Dust at the Kroger Big Bourbon Bar.

"Trust us – today’s going to be unforgettable. Let’s do this."

Earlier this month, Slipknot's appearance at Knotfest was cut short due to severe weather conditions that affected the full event.

Stef Lach

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.