The groans were audible outside Philadelphia’s Mann Center for Performing Arts, where pop singer Louis Tomlinson was slated to take the stage.
Tomlinson was scheduled to perform at the venue’s Highmark Skyline Stage on Saturday. Then, the skies opened up.
“Due to impacts of severe weather on our campus, we are not able to proceed with tonight’s performance,” the venue said in a statement. The show was not rescheduled. Ticketmaster is in the process of issuing refunds.
For rabid fans of the singer, a former One Direction member with a devoted army of admirers, the last-minute cancellation cut deep.
“I came all the way from Italy,” a fan who goes by Crystal wrote on X. “I spent so much time and money to be here. I know this isn’t Louis’ fault, but right now I’m angry, exhausted, and my bank account is empty.”
One Directioners and Tomlinson super fans are pretty common in the area. There’s a One Direction-themed smoothie shop in Scranton that enthusiasts travel hours to visit. And Tomlinson’s former bandmate and collaborator Zayn Malik has expressed his own devotion to the region.
» READ MORE: One Direction superfans are traveling hours to go to this smoothie shop outside of Scranton
Tomlinson’s Philadelphia show would have been the 19th on his 27-stop North American tour, part of the “How Did We Get Here?” world arena tour in support of his third studio album of the same name. His show a few days earlier at Madison Square Garden was sold out.
Tomlinson and officials at the Mann said Saturday’s intense storm — which caused significant damage across the city, particularly in parts of West Philadelphia — left the venue grounds and some equipment damaged.
On Reddit, a purported venue employee said there was flooding, downed trees, and power outages.
The Mann did not respond to a request for comment.
“[I’m] absolutely gutted that the show can’t happen tonight,” Tomlinson said in an X post. “I understand how frustrating it is and how gutted you all must feel. I wish I had better news for you all.”
Online, fans swapped stories about how far they traveled for the show and how many of Tomlinson’s tour stops they’d caught so far.
One fan drove eight hours from North Carolina. Others attempted to snag tickets to alternative shows scheduled for later dates.
The extent of the Mann’s damage was unclear as of publication time. Bob Dylan is scheduled to perform on the main stage — which has covered amphitheater seating in contrast to the all-outdoor Highmark Skyline Stage — on Tuesday.
Tomlinson’s next show isn’t until Tuesday, when he’ll perform at the TD Garden in Boston.