Day 3 of Escapade eventually cancelled completely after long delay before doors opened

Day 3 of the sold-out Escapade Music Festival at Lansdowne Park was cancelled due to safety concerns following a heavy rainfall.

Initially, fans had to wait through a long delay on Sunday, with doors opening at the electronic music festival at 3:15 p.m., more than two hours later than scheduled. But less than two hours later, at about 5 p.m., festival organizers posted on social media that the day’s shows had been cancelled.

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“Due to unsafe site conditions from heavy rain and pending storm warnings for the rest of the evening, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Day 3 of the festival,” the post read. “The safety of our attendees, artists, and staff is our utmost priority. After careful consideration and consultation with local authorities and meteorologists, we have determined that proceeding with the festival could pose significant safety risks.”

The post went on to state that more information on refunds would follow.

Ottawa was under a heavy rainfall warning issued by Environment Canada on Sunday, with 25-30 mm of rain expected alongside the possibility of severe thunderstorms.

Former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal, who performs as DJ Diesel, appeared at the festival on Friday. He was welcomed to the city by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.