Toronto cancelled and evacuated its World Cup fan festival on June 11 amid a high risk of lightning and severe weather, organizers said. The cancellation occurred as fans were watching the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa on large outdoor screens [1, 2]. Organizers stated, "Out of an abundance of caution, the FIFA Fan Festival Toronto is being evacuated due to risk of lightning" [1].
The fan festival had been scheduled to run through July 19, offering live broadcasts of games, food, and entertainment [1, 2]. Toronto is one of 16 host cities for the expanded 48-team World Cup and will hold six matches, starting with Canada's opening game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 [1, 2].
Seasonal forecasts projected above-normal temperatures and moisture flowing from the Gulf of Mexico across much of the US, increasing the likelihood of thunderstorms and severe weather during the tournament's first weeks [1, 2]. Earlier fan criticism over the city initially not offering free tickets was addressed in May when Toronto released free fan festival tickets that sold out rapidly [1, 2].
Fans who planned to watch the festival last night were forced to leave for safety reasons, ahead of the high-risk weather. The next key event scheduled in Toronto is Canada’s first World Cup match on June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina [1, 2].