Day two of the 2025 Governors Ball Music Festival was marked by unexpected delays, weather-related cancellations, and a complete overhaul of its performance schedule after thunderstorms forced organizers to temporarily shut down the site.

The festival, which takes place at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York, was originally scheduled to open its gates at 12 p.m. on Saturday (June 7). But early morning weather warnings and safety concerns led organizers to delay entry until 4:30 p.m. The decision - communicated to fans via social media just before noon - was made “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a statement from the festival.

While the delay was ultimately necessary for safety, it disrupted a significant portion of the day’s programming. Several artists scheduled to perform earlier in the day, with many of them emerging acts with smaller time slots, had their sets canceled entirely. Fans who arrived hoping to catch those performances were met with disappointment and confusion, particularly as information trickled out slowly during the early afternoon.

Once the revised set times were released, it became clear that the schedule would be significantly compressed. Set lengths were shortened, and several artists had their time slots pushed back or shifted entirely. Even headliners were impacted: Olivia Rodrigo’s highly anticipated Saturday night performance, originally expected to start earlier in the evening, was delayed, along with sets by Hozier, Feid, and others.

Rodrigo’s set ultimately went ahead as scheduled on the revised timeline, drawing one of the biggest crowds of the night. Other standout performances included Benson Boone and TV Girl, both of whom adjusted gracefully to the late start. There were no reports of further interruptions or safety issues once performances resumed.

Despite the weather and reshuffling, fans showed patience. Many arrived later in the day once the gates reopened and stayed into the evening to catch as much music as possible. The park was muddy but manageable, and the production crew worked quickly to re-stage performances and maintain a safe experience for artists and attendees alike.

This isn’t the first time Governors Ball has had to adapt to extreme weather conditions. The festival has a history of weather-related challenges dating back to its early years, including a full cancellation in 2016 and other delays in more recent editions. Still, Saturday’s disruption highlights the increasing role weather plays in the logistics and planning of major outdoor festivals.

Organizers did not announce refunds for partial-day cancellations as of press time, but encouraged fans to follow official Gov Ball channels for the latest updates. Sunday’s forecast, at the time of this writing, shows a lower chance of rain though the festival is expected to continue monitoring conditions closely.

Governors Ball 2025 continues through Sunday (June 8), with scheduled performances from Post Malone, Reneé Rapp, Victoria Monét, and 21 Savage.