FIFA Fan Festival delays opening on Sunday due to thunderstorm risk, poor weather

FIFA Fan Festival delays opening on Sunday due to thunderstorm risk, poor weather

Festival was cancelled on the first day of the FIFA World Cup last week due to thunderstorm, lightning risk

Toronto's FIFA Fan Festival will have a delayed start on Sunday due to a risk of thunderstorms.

The festival will open at 3 p.m., instead of the previously scheduled 1:30 p.m. start, according to a social media post by FIFA World Cup 26 Toronto.

It said the decision was made to "prioritize safety" and that updates will be posted on social media.

Due to the delayed start, the performance by rapper French Montana is now at 6:15 p.m. and producer Murda Beatz's set is at 9:00 p.m., according to the FIFA Fan Festival schedule. The performance from drumming group Nagata Schachu has been postponed, but the schedule does not list a new time.

According to Environment Canada, up to 20 milimetres of rain and potential thunderstorms are expected in the morning into the afternoon.

Toronto has a high of 20 C, but temperatures will fall to 17 C in the afternoon with a humidex of 25, said the national weather agency.

Soccer fans should come prepared as there is a chance of showers extending later into the afternoon. But the evening is expected to clear up with a low of 9 C, said Environment Canada's forecast.

FIFA Fan Festival also faced a similar hiccup on the first day of the tournament due to poor weather. People were evacuated due to the threat of lightning, said city officials on Thursday.

Those who paid for a ticket to the festival were not eligible for refunds despite the cancellation, said Russell Baker, the City of Toronto's director of media relations, on Friday.

"FIFA Fan Festival is a rain-or-shine event," he said. "We understand this news is disappointing ... the safety of attendees, volunteers and staff remains our top priority."

The festival's late start on Sunday will still allow fans enough time to arrive ahead of the 4 p.m. broadcast of the Netherlands versus Japan match.

Arrthy Thayaparan is a Toronto-based multimedia journalist. She's interested in health, climate and community stories. She has previously worked at Reuters and CBC Vancouver. You can contact her at arrthy.thayaparan@cbc.ca.