The FIFA Fan Festival in Toronto was forced to evacuate midway through Mexico's World Cup opener against South Africa on Thursday night due to the risk of lightning. Thousands of fans had gathered at Fort York grounds to watch the match on a big screen.
Abrupt Cancellation
Shortly before half-time, the broadcast was interrupted with a message reading 'Cancellation of show'. As the crowd booed, an announcement informed attendees: 'May I have your attention, please. Unfortunately the FIFA Fan Festival will be cancelled for today due to extreme weather conditions. This decision was made out of an abundance of caution for our fans' safety and we appreciate your understanding.'
Organisers' Statement
A statement from the organisers explained: 'Out of an abundance of caution, the FIFA Fan Festival Toronto is being evacuated due to risk of lightning. The decision was not made lightly, however safety is our utmost priority. FIFA Fan Festival Toronto will not reopen tonight.'
Toronto is one of the World Cup's host cities, with six matches scheduled at BMO Field, including Canada's opening game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday. Adverse weather has already affected England's preparations, as their friendly against Costa Rica was delayed by an hour due to heavy rainfall in Orlando.
