Editor
Leeds Festival ticket-holders have described Friday because the “worst day ever” after 60mph winds blew tents away and demolished urinals.
Many campers left the location at Bramham Park when Storm Lilian led to stage closures, cancelled acts and injury.
Fences got here down and a van had its window smashed by a falling wall as organisers shut down the BBC Radio 1, Aux and Chevron levels.
Attendees had been suggested to stay of their tents however with calmer climate situations forecast for Saturday, the competition administration mentioned it hoped to re-open the Chevron at 12:00 BST.
The well being and security staff confirmed on Friday night that it will not be attainable to open the BBC Radio 1 and Aux arenas throughout the weekend.
One teenage festival-goer mentioned she had skilled the “worst day ever” as a result of her group’s tent had been destroyed.
Carrie Gill, 19, mentioned: “All the rain got here into the tent as a result of the poles pulled so laborious from the wind the material ripped open.
“All the shops have blown over, the urinal partitions are gone, folks’s tents are within the sky, shirts and issues from the shops are gone. It’s actually actually unhealthy right here.”
She and her buddies had been requested to go away their tenting space for security causes.
Declan Donnelly, a 20-year-old who had travelled from Manchester, mentioned he had seen tents deserted by individuals who had chosen to go house.
“We needed to maintain onto our tent for about one to 2 hours in addition to double peg it as when the gusts hit it was practically flying off.
“It appears to have calmed down now, however there’s a lot of tents ripped, collapsed and destroyed, with a good few tents left behind.”
Dylan Maggs, 26, mentioned he had seen the perimeter wall fall on empty tents and smash a van window.
“We’re simply laughing via it, not a lot else we will do actually, it is annoying however it’s what it’s. We’ve seen lots of people ditch tents and depart,” he added.
The principal stage remained open on Friday however the first scheduled act, Renee Rap, cancelled her efficiency because of considerations for the protection of her crew throughout set-up.
The Prodigy are one of many big-name acts due on the Chevron later within the weekend.
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, meet up with the most recent episode of Look North or inform us a narrative you suppose we needs to be overlaying right here.
