Event Cancellation Sparks Controversy: Soca 5.0 Show at NCF Postponed Due to Severe Weather Forecast
August 5, 2024
The Soca 5.0 show was abruptly canceled minutes before 9 pm due to an impending thunderstorm. CEO Carol Roberts rescheduled the event for the next day, causing mixed reactions among attendees.
The Soca 5.0 show was cancelled at minutes to 9 when the CEO of the NCF, Carol Roberts, came on stage to tell the growing crowd, vendors, and ground staff that it was necessary due to the severity of the thunderstorm activity expected to hit the island from 10 p.m. and last well after midnight.
The CEO further said that the show was given permission to be held tomorrow instead and that the tickets would remain valid.
That did not sit well with some patrons, who questioned the timing of the cancellation, as the notice should have been given much earlier, and also the fact that the show is being held on the same day as Grand Kadooment.
While some patrons did not move immediately after the announcement, those who did caused a gridlock of traffic leaving the National Botanical Gardens.
At the time of the announcement, the first of the five bands, De Unit, had already started their set, with about six artists already gracing the stage. (NS)