There are no discouraging rules: against expectations, there was considerably more to do on the first day of the legendary “Tutto Gas” Pentecost weekend in Lignano than last year. So far “without major incidents”, as the somewhat surprised authorities said during the local inspection of “Krone”.
“It took us ages to get here – the Tauern highway must have taken us an hour and a half,” said a group of young boys on Friday afternoon at the “Krone” near the three-country junction in Arnoldstein. At that moment alone it became clear from the traffic reports that there would be a lot to do in the Upper Adriatic again this year.
Stricter rules
Even stricter rules (e.g. bikini and topless bans, no boxing music after 1 a.m., etc.), bad weather forecasts – none of this has apparently deterred the party animals from Austria. The security authorities were surprised by the enormous crowds. Police officer Martin Marco, who has been sent from Villach to Lignano for years, confirmed this to us in the evening.
“A lot more is happening this year than in previous years. On Friday morning the first bars were already full and a lot of alcohol was consumed. It is special that there is so much to do on Fridays. The highlight of the trip is usually Saturday,” says the man in uniform, who, together with a local colleague, supports the Italian security forces on the ground. Primarily to mediate, de-escalate, interpret and assist compatriots in emergency situations.
50,000 to 70,000 partygoers
Locally, there are reports of 50,000 to 70,000 partygoers who rang the bell loudly and with lots of alcohol around the hotspot Piazza Fontana on Friday during the Pentecost weekend. And that until the early hours. Which not only caused mountains of waste on the streets. Noise pollution caused by young people singing or shouting on the way home regularly causes problems. And of course it is not well received by the “normal” guests in the hotels.
“This year we have a number of young people with us again. And normally it works quite well. Problems only occasionally arise when they have had too much to drink and come home in the evening. You have to intervene every now and then. But nothing bad. We were all young once, people should celebrate it. But I think it is good that the rules have been tightened in Lignano,” says Aldo, boss of Hotel Ciao.
No alcohol for heavily intoxicated people
Tiziano Geromin, owner of restaurant Peperoncino & Co, also sees it this way and uses a special tactic on special days: “We are happy with the young guests. Never really have any problems. You can eat with us at any time, but if you are clearly very drunk, we will only give you non-alcoholic drinks.”
“Good for the economy”
Trendy restaurateur Franz, whose wine bar Di Vino is located in the middle of the shopping street, the party mile, is also happy with the influx of guests. “In general we have more Austrian guests than Italians. But most of it happens a few meters away from us. I have no problem with the weekend; it’s good for the economy. And Lignano can handle the three days, especially since it takes place before the high season anyway. I also think it is good that the Austrian police are there.”
And that until Monday, which means little sleep for Martin Marco and his uniformed colleagues. A drone will be used for the first time at Tutto Gas this year. “This gives Italian colleagues an overview from above, allows them to better assess the flow of people and recognize more quickly where more officers may need to be deployed.”
No major incidents occurred on Saturday evening. This usually involved wallets or mobile phones that had allegedly been stolen or lost. Or of course so-called alcoholic corpses who need medical care. There is often a lack of common sense. And of course there were some skirmishes. “But nothing wild (yet)” – as the Villach official explained to us.
Drug abuse in the spotlight
As in recent years, the police are also focusing on drug abuse. However, due to the ongoing investigation, the officer could or was not allowed to say anything to the “Krone” about the arrest of two suspected drug dealers on the beach promenade. One thing is certain: the party in Lignano continued happily on Saturday morning.
Already in the early morning hours there was loud music again from the balconies. Others were already singing and with beer cans in hand on their way to the public beach and bars – where time was “bridged” until the next evening or night party. So no trace of a hangover mood. And with thousands of Austrians fighting their way through the many traffic jams heading south on Saturday morning, Lignano and the security forces still have a hot, long weekend ahead of them.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
