This text is part of the Weather Preparedness & Resilience Toolbox developed by the YOUROPE Event Safety (YES) Group within YOUROPE’s 3F project (Future-Fit Festivals). It is aimed at everyone involved in planning, building, and operating open-air events. It helps festivals and other outdoor events become truly weather-ready by offering both practical and research-based resources as well as background information on weather and climate. Learn how to design safer and more weather-resilient outdoor events.

Lightning & Thunderstorms cases​

1 Pukkelpop, Hasselt, Belgium – 18 Aug 2011

Summary: A severe, fast-moving thunderstorm struck while the festival was underway. Multiple stages and tents were hit by violent winds, causing stage collapse and structural failures. Several people died and many were injured.

What went wrong: Forecasts had warned of unstable weather, but the storm evolved rapidly; onsite monitoring and evacuation/escalation procedures were not executed quickly enough and some structures failed to meet the loads they experienced. Communication to crowds was delayed and kept minimal.

Actions taken / result: The festival area was evacuated but too late for some structures; emergency services responded but the rapid timeline left limited options.

Source: casceff.eu

Practical takeaway for the industry:

• Predefine very short decision windows for fast-developing severe convection (in this case, thunderstorms).
• Have a clear escalation chain that can immediately pause performances and trigger evacuation when nowcasts show severe cells on an approach vector.
• Inspect temporary structures against sudden lateral wind loads and include monitored wind alarms with permanent responsible people on-site.

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2) Rock am Ring 2015

Summary: Lightning strikes during overnight hours struck camping and backstage areas at Rock am Ring (June 2015), injuring dozens; concerts were halted and attendees moved to lightning-safe shelters.

What went wrong: Large camping fields and backstage areas were exposed; sheltering plans existed but moving thousands safely is logistically difficult unless preplanned and exercised. Some injuries occurred in areas previously judged “low risk.” ​

Actions taken / result: Organisers halted performances, moved people to lightning-proof tents and sheltered attendees; operations were disrupted but fatalities were avoided.​

Source: The Guardian​

Practical takeaway:

• Define and rehearse lightning shelter plans for camping zones (not just stages).​
• Use the 30/30 rule for immediate suspension and 30-minute pause before re-starting in safe conditions. Source: rospa​

Image: The camping site of the music festival Rock am Ring in Mendig, where 33 people where injured in lightning strikes. Photograph: Thomas Frey/Corbis

3) Le Vieux Canal / Azerailles, France – lightning strike (2017)

Summary: During a festival event in 2017 a group of people sheltering together were simultaneously struck by lightning. Several were severely injured; the incident prompted later research and survivor follow-ups.

What went wrong: Local shelter choice (type/placement) and storm proximity assessment were insufficient; the strike shows how even sheltered groups can be at risk depending on shelter type and proximity.

Source: People.com

Practical takeaway:

• Educate staff about safe shelter types (substantial buildings > enclosed vehicles) vs. unsafe shelters (small tents, grouped people under trees).
• If people are in tents/campsites, have preidentified robust shelters with capacity and routes.

Image: A lightning strike hurt more than a dozen people at a music festival in Azerailles, France in 2017. Credit: LeVieuxCanal/Facebook; Getty. Source: People.com

Other Incidents

• Rock am Ring, Germany, 2016 – Multiple lightning strikes injured at least 80 attendees; the final day of the festival was cancelled after authorities revoked the licence due to continuing storms.​ https://www.facebook.com/100083556020287/posts/-june-5-2016the-final-day-of-the-sell-out-rock-am-ring-music-festival-in-germany/675262345268960/

• Buenos Aires Trance and related festivals, Argentina, 2018 – Lightning struck near a festival stage, partially collapsing it and damaging equipment; a previous edition of the same festival had also lost a full day to thunderstorms and flooding of the site.​ https://at3w.com/en/blog/outdoor-festivals-thunderstorm-safety-electrical-storm-detection-music-events/

• Red Rocks Amphitheatre, USA, 2023 – A thunderstorm with golf‑ball‑sized hail struck during a Louis Tomlinson concert; around 90 people were injured as hail and high winds hit the open seating area.​ https://www.foxweather.com/lifestyle/10-concerts-mother-nature-unwanted-cameo-2023-severe-weather

• Great South Bay Music Festival, USA, 2023 – A severe lightning storm approached the site, deterring at least 1,500 attendees and forcing operational adjustments, illustrating rising lightning risk for coastal festivals.​ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/climate-change-summer-tour-festival-impact-1235421094

• Pohoda Festival, Slovakia, 2024 – A thunderstorm with strong winds hit the festival, injuring at least 15 people and leading organisers to cancel the remainder of the event to allow full structural safety inspections.​ https://www.dw.com/en/slovakia-at-least-15-hurt-as-storm-hits-music-festival/a-69653307

Date	Event	Country	City / Site	Hazard Detail	Phase	Impact Type	Fatalities	Injuries	Operational Outcome	Notes
2015-06-06	Rock am Ring	Germany	Mendig	Lightning strikes	Live	Direct lightning injuries	0	>80	Temporary interruption	Strikes inside festival area
2016-06-03	Rock am Ring	Germany	Mendig	Repeated lightning	Live	Lightning injuries	0	>70	Festival stopped early	Multi-day thunderstorm sequence
2017-09-02	Le Vieux Canal Festival	France	Azerailles	Lightning strike	Live	Audience struck	0	>10	Festival stopped	Shelter insufficient / delayed
2023-04-30	Something in the Water	USA	Virginia Beach	Lightning, severe storms	Live	Weather shutdown	0	n/a	Final day cancelled	Tornado watch + lightning risk