Katy Perry Cancels Werchter Boutique Festival Performance in Belgium Due to Historic Heat Wave - Just Jared - Celebrity News and Gossip

Katy Perry has been forced to cancel her performance Belgium’s Werchter Boutique festival.

Hours before she was scheduled to hit the stage at Festivalpark Werchter on Saturday (June 27), the 41-year-old “California Gurls” singer announced that she had to cancel her performance due to the historic heat wave sweeping across Europe.

“Sadly my set @WerchterBoutique tonight can’t happen due to a government mandated cancellation because of the incoming inclement weather and crowd safety concerns,” Katy wrote on Instagram.

“I was backstage at the show in the middle of hair and makeup when this news was delivered, and they gave me no choice. I am just as unhappy as you are,” she continued. “Unfortunately this is beyond my control, but the safety of all 55,000 of you always comes first and foremost.”

Katy added, “I am sorry I can’t change the weather, and even sorrier that all of us can’t be together tonight. I was looking forward to being back after 17 years, I was even gonna wear the same outfit from that 2009 show again. I love you all, and please get home safe.”

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Over the weekend in Belgium, temperatures hit highs of 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) as Europe continues to weather an unprecedented early summer heat wave. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Sunday (June 28) that since June 21, more than 1,300 excess deaths have been linked to the unusually high temperatures.

“Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average. Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling,” Ghebreyesus wrote on X. “Heat stress is often called the ‘silent killer’ – and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures.”

Also in her Instagram post, Katy shared a statement from festival officials announcing that her headlining set had been canceled and that the festival would end early after Pitbull‘s performance.

“This decision was taken in response to the weather forecast, which predicts severe thunderstorms from midnight onwards at the earliest. The governor of Flemish Brabant has also issued a be-alert in this regard,” the statement read. “By bringing the festival to a close early, we can ensure that the exit of visitors will proceed in a safe and orderly manner, allowing everyone to return home calmly. The safety and health of everyone present is always our top priority.”

Katy‘s canceled performance comes just days after she released her brand new song “Watch It Burn.”

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