Storms lead to Crew stadium concert delay, frustration

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Storms rolling through Columbus on Wednesday created confusion at Historic Crew Stadium, delaying a scheduled concert by hours, and now many concertgoers said they are disappointed and asking for answers.

Hozier was scheduled to play the stadium and concertgoers claim the venue’s lack of communication led to safety concerns.

A number of people who were at the concert reached out to NBC4 with concerns, saying the weather delay started around 8:30 Wednesday night. 

Jessica Huckleberry traveled from Cincinnati. She shared a video she took which shows a tunnel at the stadium where she and several others were stuck for nearly two hours while waiting for the show to start.

At one point, she asked if they could have water due to the high temperatures and was told none was being sold at that time.

When the concert finally began around 10:30 p.m., Huckleberry said people were nearly trampled while heading back to their seats.

“I think it was handled really poorly by the venue,” she said. “I don't think there was a good regard for people's safety at all. If they were going to delay us for two hours due to lightning and wind, you know, why not cancel or reschedule the show.”

Paige Finscally traveled from Dayton. She said she was there to celebrate her sister’s graduation. Finscally said she spent a lot of money on floor seats, but when the delay started, she chose to wait out the rain in her car. She said she kept trying to check social media and the website for updates on the delays, but there was no cell phone service. She said they ended up leaving before Hozier took the stage.

“It was really disappointing and pretty frustrating the longer that we sort of just didn't get communication from them,” she said. “I understand, like, a lot of people probably came from further away, like out of state. So, it's really hard because they really want to see him. But just the safety of it all. Yeah, they're not kind of taking that into consideration and canceling it sooner.”

A spokesperson for Historic Crew Stadium said there is an extensive weather policy that stadium personnel follow, including using technology to track the location of lightning; the stadium is not permitted to resume operations until 30 minutes after receiving the all clear.

The spokesman said everyone who went to their cars during the storm should have been allowed back inside the stadium with proof of tickets.

In a statement, the stadium spokesperson wrote:

“Historic Crew Stadium’s first priority for all events is the safety of fans and staff. In collaboration with Live Nation, we promptly executed and communicated the inclement weather protocol prior to the concert, directing all attendees to secure locations and provided updates as the situation progressed. Following industry best practices, the concert proceeded only after all potential for lightning in the area had dissipated while we continued to closely monitor weather conditions throughout the event.” 

Some concert attendees have also been reaching out to Live Nation about refunds.

Live Nation has not responded to an NBC4 request for comment.