Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan’s co-headlining Outlaw Music Festival Tour has temporarily hit pause after a powerful storm damaged gear during a recent stop in Missouri, forcing the cancellation of their July 1 show in Oklahoma.
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The June 29 concert at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri, was abruptly cut short when heavy rains and high winds swept through the venue. According to a statement from organizers, festivalgoers were evacuated for safety, but not before the storm reportedly waterlogged artist instruments and damaged key production equipment.
“Unfortunately, much of the Outlaw Music Festival’s equipment and artists’ instruments were damaged and waterlogged, making their condition difficult to assess in time to accurately and safely use for tomorrow’s show,” read the official statement shared on social media.
As a result, the July 1 show at Lucky Star Amphitheater in El Reno, Oklahoma, has been canceled. Full refunds will be issued at the original point of purchase, confirmed by tour producer Blackbird Presents.
The tour is expected to resume July 4 in Austin, Texas, where Nelson traditionally hosts his annual 4th of July Picnic. That show, taking place at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater, is set to feature Bob Dylan, the Avett Brothers, the Mavericks, Tami Neilson, and Asleep at the Wheel.
Neilson posted videos on Instagram showing the storm rolling in at the Missouri venue, later confirming that while she performed, both Nelson and Dylan’s sets were canceled due to unsafe conditions. “The sound desk was cooked and much of the gear on the left side of the stage was damaged in the winds and heavy rain,” she wrote in a Story update.
The Outlaw Music Festival, now in its 10th year, recently made headlines when Bob Dylan performed “The Times They Are a-Changin’” for the first time in 15 years during a stop outside Nashville. Nelson also made a subtle political statement during that show by playing the video for his 1986 track “Living in the Promiseland,” a song widely seen as pro-immigration.
As the tour regroups, fans are hopeful the July 4 celebration will go ahead without a hitch — and with dry gear.
