FIFA’s Fan Festival in Toronto was forced to carry out an emergency evacuation midway through Mexico’s World Cup opener against South Africa on Thursday night.
Thousands of people had turned up to watch the first match of the World Cup on the big screen in the Fort York grounds in Toronto.
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However, shortly before half-time, the game was abruptly stopped on the big screen and replaced with a message which read: ‘Cancellation of show’.
‘This decision was made out of an abundance of caution for our fans’ safety and we appreciate your understanding.’
As the crowd began to boo, an announcement was made as confused supporters were told: ‘May I have your attention, please. Unfortunately the Canadian FIFA Fan Festival will be cancelled for today due to extreme weather conditions.
A statement released by the Fan Festival organisers in Toronto read: ‘Out of an abundance of caution, the FIFA Fan Festival Toronto is being evacuated due to risk of lightning.
Disappointed fans at the Toronto FIFA Fan Fest are being escorted out by organizers after it was announced the event had been cancelled for the day due to bad weather. This occurred as Mexico and South African fans gathered to cheer on their teams in Toronto during the… https://t.co/ldlqmTfbwm pic.twitter.com/2wt2MlOsoE
— Now Toronto (@nowtoronto) June 11, 2026