NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The threat of rain and severe weather on Friday is forcing changes to the first day of the Patriotic Festival.
The three-day country music festival is set to start on Friday, May 27 and run through Sunday, May 29. It will take place on Waterside Drive, as well as in Scope Arena.
Rain has, however, forced event organizers to make several changes to the events on Friday. That includes:
- canceling the Patriotic Festival Opening Ceremony
- canceling performances by Cultivated Minds and The Wailers
- Canceling vendors and sponsor activities
Tickets purchased for The Wailers will be honored at events at the 2023 Patriotic Festival, organizers say.
Jon Pardi will still perform Friday night in Scope Arena. Kane Brown and Morgan Wallen are expected to both perform on a special stage along Waterside Drive for the next two nights.
The changes due to rain on Friday are in line with why event organizers say the festival was moved from Virginia Beach to Norfolk. They wanted a large indoor venue in case it rains.
Jon Pardi has, however, long planned to perform inside the Scope.
The festival is expected to draw more than 40,000 visitors for concerts, military demonstrations and displays.
The Patriotic Festival was last held in 2019. Its events in 2020 and 2021 were both canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.