Tim McGraw Cancels Hondo Rodeo Fest Performance After Nationwide Flight Ground Stop

The Hondo Rodeo Fest kicked off its third annual Phoenix event Friday, November 13th. It is easy to say that the opening night didn't go quite as planned. Country music star Tim McGraw was forced to cancel his scheduled performance at Chase Field after a nationwide ground stop left flights across the country delayed and prevented him from reaching Arizona.

McGraw was scheduled to headline Friday night's concert following Miranda Lambert, with both artists set to perform after the first night of rodeo competition. Hondo Rodeo Fest announced the cancellation on social media around 8 p.m., less than two hours before McGraw was expected to take the stage at 9:45 p.m. Of course fans were disappointed, but there really was nothing anyone could do about the situation.

This cancellation came after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon due to a communications issue affecting the country's air traffic control system. Flights were temporarily halted across the United States, creating widespread travel delays that continued even after departures were allowed to resume.

For Tim McGraw, the timing made it impossible to reach Phoenix in time for his scheduled performance.

Hondo Rodeo Fest thanked Miranda Lambert for stepping in after the unexpected cancellation. Lambert had already been scheduled to open the evening's concert, but the change left fans without one of Friday night's two advertised headliners. Miranda Lambert took over the show as the headliner. 

They also announced that everyone who purchased a ticket for Friday night can get a complimentary ticket of equivalent value to Sunday’s event! The team recognized the disappointment and inconvenience of cancelling the show. 

The three day event at Chase Field, brings together some of the biggest names in professional rodeo for an invitational rodeo featuring a $1 million purse, followed by major country music performances each night. The Hondo has done amazing things for rodeo, putting it on a stage similar to that of other professional sports.

While Friday's concert schedule was affected, the rodeo competition remained part of the opening night festivities, and will continue as scheduled. 

The events remaining concert lineup includes Turnpike Troubadours and Blake Shelton on Saturday followed by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Parker McCollum on Sunday.

The nationwide aviation disruption has continued to affect travelers beyond Friday, with airlines working to recover from canceled and delayed flights. Federal officials expect flight schedules to return closer to normal by the end of the weekend. This was a national issue, and the concert was one of the hundreds of events that were affected. 

For Hondo Rodeo Fest, the unexpected cancellation meant a disappointing change to an otherwise highly anticipated opening night, with the event still continuing through Sunday in downtown Phoenix.