Music festivalgoers were left frustrated after they were forced to evacuate the Rose Bowl due to the threat of a severe thunderstorm that never arrived Saturday night.
Fans at the Cruel World festival had to leave the no-roof stadium after a National Weather Service alert went out a little before 9:30 p.m. about a storm that threatened to produce strong gusty winds, heavy downpours, lightning and small hail as it passed between Pasadena and Monrovia.
The venue was also acting under the direction of the Pasadena Fire Department to evacuate all attendees.
At the festival, the big screens displayed a message about the approaching inclement weather that also asked people to quickly exit the stadium. The alert came as Iggy Pop performed “The Passenger,” with his microphone cutting off as an evacuation message played over the speakers.
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“They announced it and that was it. We thought it was a joke, but everybody stood around thinking, ‘OK, the joke’s over.’ But they repeated it,” one festivalgoer told NBC4.
Cruel World Fest realized a statement Sunday that Siouxsie and Iggy Pop would perform on Sunday and that anyone who had a Saturday pass would be allowed entrance into the venue.
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The alert and evacuation message happened before headliner Siouxsie Sioux could take the stage.
People were still leaving the Rose Bowl’s packed parking lot by around midnight.
Tickets for the festival ranged between $159 and $800, with many fans hoping to get a refund.
