The Saturday concert of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in upstate New York was called off due to a bomb threat at the venue.
After opening acts Metric and Garbage concluded their sets, an in-stadium announcement called off the rest of the show.
“At this time, we will need to evacuate the venue. We ask you to calmly proceed to the nearest exit,” the monitor-displayed announcement read. “Please follow directions of staff and police officers. For the safety of everyone, please do not rush or push. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Per the Albany Times Union, an additional announcement said that, due to “circumstances beyond our control, the show will not continue. We ask that you please move calmly, safely to the nearest main gate exit.”
Opening band Garbage tweeted immediately following the abrupt cancellation.
“We have no idea what happened tonight,” the band said. “We were just all evacuated and we were concerned for everyone !!! I’m sorry we have no real information. We were just told there was an emergency evacuation!!!!”
It wasn’t until Sunday evening that New York State Police said in a Facebook statement that they had responded to a bomb threat at the venue and that the case was being investigated as a “terroristic threat.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, the concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center was suspended at 9:40 pm and concert attendees were evacuated without incident,” the statement read. “K9s completed a sweep of the venue after the crowd exited, with negative results. This incident is under investigation.”
On Monday, Gallagher tweeted about Saturday’s cancellation.
“Unfortunately, on the advice of local authorities Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds performance at Saratoga Performing Arts Centre did not go ahead on Saturday evening,” he wrote. “The decision was taken out of an abundance of caution to prioritise safety of fans and staff. The tour continues tonight at New York City’s Summer Stage in Central Park and we look forward to seeing fans there.”
Gallagher did not make any mention of potential refunds for show attendees.
Representatives for Live Nation and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center did not respond to The Times’ request for comment.
After Monday night’s show in New York City, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ North American tour is scheduled to continue performances in Columbia, Md., Philadelphia and Boston, drawing the tour to a conclusion.
