Morgan Wallen’s Team Had ‘No Contact’ With Officials Before Canceling Show, Mayor Says
When he announced that he was canceling his second Pittsburgh tour stop on June 6, Morgan Wallen said he and his team had spoken to local officials before making the call.
But that's not true, according to a new statement from Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor.
"There was no contact to Public Safety or my administration, so however the artist and his team picked to not have the show, that was on them," O'Connor said to KDKA Radio, per Audacy.
Read More: Country Music Tours Scheduled For 2026
"If you're going to say that you consulted...that's one story," he continued. "We, again, had no record of that, from public safety director all the way down."
O'Connor also noted that he'd heard that the venue, Acrisure Stadium, wasn't notified of the show cancellation in advance, either.
Why Did Morgan Wallen Cancel His Show in Pittsburgh?
After the first of two planned nights in the city for Wallen's Still the Problem Tour went off successfully, Wallen announced he was canceling the second show due to severe forecasted weather.
"Safety for my fans and crew is the highest priority," he wrote in a social media statement, adding that refunds would be available at the point of purchase.
Read More: Morgan Wallen Cancels Show Due to Severe Weather Threat
According to a timeline laid out by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch just before noon for much of western Pennsylvania, Allegheny County (where Pittsburgh is) included.
Officials received confirmation that Wallen's show would be canceled around 1:20PM, the Post-Gazette reports.
Storms were initially projected to hit in the afternoon and evening, which could have impacted the 5:30PM start time for Wallen's show. But the first round of storms (including rain, wind and lightning in Pittsburgh) moved out of the city by 3:30PM. By evening, the weather was clear.
Storms continued south of Pittsburgh that evening, including multiple tornadoes and significant property damage.
But the city itself remained clear, sparking frustration from fans who felt that Wallen should have waited before making the call to scrap the show.
Morgan Wallen Responds to Fans Outraged By Pittsburgh Show Cancellation
In an Instagram Stories video, Wallen said that his team approached him the morning of the show, saying that they'd consulted with local officials and advising him to cancel the concert.
"That was the information I had in that moment and I trusted my team," he explained.
He acknowledged that the storms in Pittsburgh never materialized, but pointed out that if they had, his large stage set and massive crowds could have created a situation that "could become fatal to a lot of folks."
Read More: Morgan Wallen Responds to Backlash Around Cancelled Show
He also responded to some swirling Internet speculation that maybe the weather wasn't the real reason he canceled, saying, "I've been seeing a lot of nonsense about me that is simply not true."
"I think my true fans know that that's not how I operate in general, but I had to say it," Wallen added.
Chief of Allegheny County Emergency Services Matt Brown told the Post-Gazette that weather is "one of the most difficult challenges for emergency managers to predict."
"The potential for high winds and severe weather definitely existed Saturday, as seen by the impacts to the counties south and east of Allegheny [County]," he related. "A slight shift north to the pattern could have been equally impactful."
