NEW YORK (PIX11) — The Global Citizen Festival has been canceled for the first time in 14 years due to the incoming nor’easter, organizers announced Friday.
The concert was set for Central Park on Saturday.
“Due to the extreme weather forecast for New York City this weekend, we have made the difficult decision, in consultation with the City of New York and NYC Parks, to cancel this year’s Global Citizen Festival,” organizers said in an Instagram post.
A nor’easter is expected to hit the New York City area this weekend, bringing heavy rain, coastal flooding, and strong wind gusts.
The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood warning, a wind advisory, and a high wind warning for New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, and parts of New Jersey. The mix of winds and rain will also bring the potential for power outages throughout the tri-state area.
“Forecasts predict dangerous conditions and circumstances in which we cannot safely bring tens of thousands of Global Citizens, artists, crew, vendors, partners, and staff onto the Great Lawn, let alone all of the equipment required. Safety has to come first. This is the first time in 14 years we’ve had to cancel. We have spent this week working through countless contingencies, which were ultimately not possible, and cancelling is a decision we have not taken lightly,” the social media post said.
Parts of New Jersey and New York have declared a state of emergency.
As a nor’easter barrels towards the tri-state this weekend, a full moon could make the incoming tides rise even higher.
The gravitational pull of the moon can draw the ocean waters higher, according to NOAA. This means Saturday’s full Harvest Moon could bring those same effects during the storm.
Mira Wassef is an award-winning reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined the PIX11 News digital team in 2022. See more of her work here.