Morgan Wallen is addressing criticism following the abrupt cancellation of his Pittsburgh tour stop.
On Saturday (June 6), the country star announced that his scheduled concert that evening at Acrisure Stadium would not go on due to severe weather concerns.
“After talking with local officials and my team, there is no choice but to cancel tonight’s show due to severe weather conditions expected throughout the rest of the day and night,” Wallen wrote on Instagram. “Safety for my fans and crew is the highest priority.”
Hours later, the “Last Night” singer returned to his Instagram Stories with a video message responding to some of the backlash and speculation surrounding the decision. In the clip, Wallen explained that his team advised him that morning to cancel the show after local officials warned of potentially dangerous wind conditions in the area.
“So that’s what I did. That was the information I had in the moment, and I trusted my team,” he said. “I understand that the wind and whatever else hasn’t gotten to Pittsburgh yet. I know it has touched some of Pennsylvania, so my heart goes out to all those affected by it.”
Wallen added, “But the truth of the matter is, I have a large stage that, in those conditions, could become fatal to a lot of folks around it. So I did the best I could with the information I had in that moment.”
The singer went on to address the “nonsense” about him circulating online.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of nonsense about me that is simply not true,” Wallen said, adding that he wanted to “clear the air.” He concluded, “I think my true fans know that that’s not how I operate in general, but I had to say it. Y’all, take care.”
Saturday had been designated a KDKA First Alert Weather Day, with forecasters warning of potentially strong to severe storms. The weather system was expected to move through the Pittsburgh area during the evening hours, with the greatest threat between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., according to CBS News.
Following the cancellation, some skeptical fans voiced their frustrations on social media.
“Morgan wallen cancelling his show last night is just hilarious because i walked outside after my shift at 11pm and my car was completely dry,” one person wrote on X. “No rain in sight. that man was already on his way back to tennessee.”
KDKA Radio’s Marty Griffin claimed on X, “Acrisure stadium officials fuming. … Wallen left town on plane before they even had meeting and demanded they announce the cancellation after he was in the air.”
The cancellation came one night after Wallen’s first of two scheduled Pittsburgh performances. During Friday’s (June 5) concert at Acrisure Stadium, the country superstar was joined during his signature walkout by former WWE star and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle.