Torrential rains in Miami overshadowed rapper Post Malone’s pre-Super Bowl show, ultimately shutting down the red carpet and delaying his set until the early morning hours of Saturday. Nearby, the weather forced singer-songwriter Harry Styles to cancel his show.
Friday night’s Bootsy Bellows show had promised to be a star-studded event as the Los Angeles-area club’s pop-up took over a picturesque island in Miami, with VIP guests slated to arrive by yacht, but relentless rains caused multiple delays and confusion.
A DJ entertained the crowd for hours until actor-comedian Kevin Hart, who was supposed to host, awkwardly came onstage after 2 a.m. Hart introduced Malone — but the rapper didn’t appear.
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“Make some noise for my guy Mr. … what, well, that’s gonna be a tough pickle,” Hart said to someone offstage, before shouting, “I love you,” to the audience and walking off.
The DJ took over again and attempted to pump up the crowd until the show’s headliner finally took the stage about 15 minutes later at 2:30 a.m. Malone opened with his hit “Wow.” before abruptly stopping to apologize profusely for the weather.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone who walked through a (expletive) foot of water just to come hang out tonight,” he said.
Nearby, Styles’ show was evacuated because of severe conditions. The perfromer said he was disappointed, tweeting that “the fire department would not let us do the show under any circumstances. Please stay safe.”
During Malone’s 30-minute set, he performed hits including “Better Now” and later brought Ty Dolla $ign onstage to sing “Psycho” — a song he said he wrote about a shiny watch.
At various points during the set, Malone stopped singing, instead letting his vocals on the background tracks play as he walked around the stage.
“I’m drunk right now, so I don’t have much to say,” he said.
Malone dismissed his monster hit “Sunflower,” telling the audience, “Thank you for listening to these (expletive) songs, as well. It means a lot to me.”
Earlier in the night, the ferocity of the weather plunged the red carpet into total chaos, as non-celebrities took the opportunity to try to get in front of the camera, while several wet, shivering and irritated celebrities — including Lala Anthony and football player Odell Beckham Jr. — huddled nearby, refusing to stop for pictures or talk to the press.
Other attendees included The Chainsmokers, who were set to headline a show on Saturday night; chef Guy Fieri; rapper G-Eazy; Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller; and Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.
