Storm Lilian Threatened to Cancel Leeds Festival But The Show Must Go On.

Review and Photos by John Hayhurst

If you were lucky you awoke at about 5am on Friday with your tent intact, however that fate was not the same for many as Storm Lilian tore through fencing, gazebos and many punters tents lifted off the ground landing somewhere closer to the A64 and away from Bramham Park.

Organisers quickly shut the site off and advised everyone to stay in their cars, tents or buildings nearby, Leeds Arena were on standby to accomodate up to 5000 festival goers if it got really bad, as the core of the BBC Radio 1 tent was ripped apart quickly shutting down that stage, and a second, the new experimental Aux tent stage quickly followed. With 2 stages down the festival looked likely to be called off for the day.

Press and punters were held back from entering the arena until 13:00 and were advised that Renee Rap would be the first artist on at 15:20, she then promptly pulled out with rumours that she will turn up tomorrow instead.

The new Chevron Stage which was expected to host The Prodigy tonight was then also cancelled. Three stages down.

However, at 15:20 the main stage opened with DJ Shapes and Bru-C who stepped up from his earlier cancelled slot and admirably filled the opening gap.

Since then as the storm subsided normal service has resumed, albeit, with 3 stages less.

Tonight we expect to catch Venus Grrrls and Delilah Bon, with Liam Gallagher to run through Oasis debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’ on the main stage.

Leeds Festival will definitely maybe going ahead tomorrow.