Harry Styles’ Pre-Super Bowl Miami Concert Ended In Disaster After Severe Weather Cancelation

Gaia Writer

It was a night that was meant to be memorable for thousands of fans, who waited over 12 hours in line and paid nearly $300, just to catch a glimpse of Harry Styles at his Super Bowl weekend concert hosted by Planet Pepsi Zero Sugar Friday night (Jan. 31) at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami.

The night kicked off at around 9:15 p.m. with a party-starting DJ set by Mark Ronson. Special guest Lizzo took the stage at 10 p.m., delivering her powerhouse vocals, empowering affirmations, and flute-playing while she twerked. She stormed off stage at 11 p.m., after singing hits such as “Good as Hell,” “Truth Hurts” and “Juice."

The night looked promising, with an open bar, a large venue where devoted fans had enough space to dance, and a star-studded guest list that included NFL players, Martha Stewart and singers like H.E.R. 

But when fans were rushing to get their front-row spot to see Styles at exactly midnight, event organizers, as ordered by the Miami fire and police departments, announced that the show had been canceled due to a severe storm approaching. “Attention: Extreme weather is approaching. Please calmly make your way to the exits now and evacuate the general area now,” read a message on all of the screens. 

Fans were in disbelief. Some stayed at the front of the stage until they had no choice but to leave and others were crying their eyes out. Getting everyone safely out of the venue was the real mess of the night. In the midst of heavy rain, staff telling people to leave the location and Uber rides being through-the-roof (with surging bringing a ride home up to $120), fans really had nowhere to go. 

“My sister and I waited since 7:30 this morning for @Harry_Styles,” expressed one concert-goer on Twitter. “@pepsi had us wait for an 8:30 pm showtime until midnight only to cancel and leave thousands of people stranded in a flooding warehouse. The worst part is watching my little sister cry while they yell at us to leave.” 

Staff members encouraged everyone to exit the facility and wait out the storm because otherwise, the “building was going to collapse” on everyone. Towards 2 a.m., some fans were still stranded inside the Meridian as others ran in the rain to grab their rideshare. 

Styles -- who just so happens to be celebrating his 26th birthday today -- expressed his feelings on Twitter, saying he was very disappointed. “To those of you here in Miami, I was told there’s a severe storm on the way. The fire department would not let us do the show under any circumstances. Please stay safe. I’m so disappointed, and I’m sorry. I love you all.” 

One hour after the show got canceled, Pepsi also made a statement on Twitter. 

“As ordered by the Miami Fire Dept, Planet Pepsi Zero Sugar had to, unfortunately, be canceled due to extreme weather. This was a mandatory evacuation in Miami across special event venues. We are focused on ensuring everyone is safely evacuated. We deeply apologize to the fans.”

Pepsi also assured all of the evening attendees a full refund for ticket and rideshare costs. 

See some of the tweets below.