Journey’s performance at the Houston Rodeo came to an unexpected halt on Friday night when an electrical fire erupted beneath the stage, forcing the band to evacuate mid-song. The rock legends had just launched into their iconic 1981 anthem Don’t Stop Believin’ when disaster struck. Just 30 seconds into the performance the music cut out, stage screens went dark, and chaos ensued.

Despite the sudden interruption, the crowd of 79,000 fans refused to let the moment die. They carried on singing the well-known song without any accompaniment as crew members rushed in with fire extinguishers in an attempt to control the flames beneath the performance area. The fire broke out after the band's fifth song, so the incident disrupted their set early on. Social media was soon flooded with videos capturing the surreal scene. One widely shared clip showed fans belting out the lyrics: "It goes on and on and on and on."

Reactions poured in online, including from one stunned attendee who wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "I lived in Houston for six years and went to over 30 rodeo concerts - but I’ve never seen anything like this... The entire concert is on hold!"

In the aftermath, guitarist Neal Schon took to Instagram to reflect on the chaotic night, praising the audience for keeping the energy alive.

He wrote: "Last night at Houston TX Rodeo we had an amazing overly packed house of 79-80 thousand fans that showed up to see us!!"

He also revealed that he had offered to perform the following night but the rodeo organizers were unable to accommodate the rescheduling.

The Houston Rodeo released an official statement addressing the incident, saying: "Due to an unforeseen electrical incident under the stage area, we regretfully announce the cancellation of tonight's Journey concert."

"Our team is working diligently to assess the situation, and we will provide updates regarding rescheduling options and/or refunds as soon as possible."

Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the fire, and the technical issue was resolved in time for the next scheduled performance.

The team behind the Rodeo confirmed: "The stage will be operating as normal, and we will host all activities in the stadium and on the grounds as originally planned."