Bad weather forces venue change for Obama speech

Bad weather has forced U.S. President Barack Obama's Democratic party to change the venue for his acceptance speech on Thursday night, a week after Hurricane Isaac saw Republicans cancel the first day of their convention in Tampa, Florida.

Heavy thunderstorms are forecast to continue through the week in Charlotte, North Carolina, resulting in the Democrats shifting Obama's speech from a 74,000-seat outdoor football stadium to a smaller indoor venue.

The move to the Time Warner Cable Arena has come as a setback for the Obama campaign, with tens of thousands of supporters from around the country being advised to watch elsewhere.

The event had been touted as "the most open and accessible in history” and features musical acts Foo Fighters and Mary J. Blige. Band Earth, Wind & Fire has pulled out of the gala due to logistical problems with the smaller venue.

Republicans were quick to note the venue change, raising doubts over whether the Democrats were failing to fill seats in the stadium, home to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.

Obama officials have denied the claims, saying they would not risk having to evacuate the open-air stadium in the event of thunderstorms.