Heavy rain had hit the Nova Rock Festival, especially the ground at the venue. The weather-related conditions not only cost the organization and visitors a lot of nerves. The additional costs for material and personnel for the organizers run “in the millions”, director Ewald Tatar moaned, but also said proudly: “Eight out of ten festivals would have been cancelled.” By the end of the first day, however, there was upbeat “hysteria” with Muse, the clear headliner of the opening.
Just in time for admission, the sun shone on Nova Rock: Thursday at 3:20 PM, the gates opened with a delay due to the weather to about 55,000 fans, but they were initially only allowed into the party zone. Because after the heavy rainfall, the area was still made suitable for the festival. An hour later, KennyHoopla took the stage first, the newly styled Blue Stage. The public was allowed to celebrate again after a two-year break.
“The arrivals were directed by security to the best possible parking spaces at short notice,” said a police spokesman. Organizers are said to have gone all out on Wednesday, distributing gravel and wood chips on the grounds, where a large illuminated peace sign greeted the crowd.
Additional costs run “in the millions”
However, the audience had to do without some bands because of the late start, because the completely soaked underground had to be made suitable for festivals again. The extra costs for material and personnel for the organizers “run into the millions”, according to director Tatar. He understood the outrage given the traffic jams at the entrance because some parking spaces were not passable, but also emphasized: “Eight out of ten festivals would have been cancelled.”
The areas were – as Tatar reported to the APA – in a very bad state. “If we had parked there, hell or high tide, we would have been standing, we would certainly have collapsed.” You had to proceed with a lot of sensitivity “to avoid a total collapse”.
Toilets partly inaccessible
However, the organizers and visitors will still have some problems: “Some of the sanitary facilities are not accessible by the pumps,” says Tatar. Everyone expects the toilets to be clean, but “if you can’t get there, you can’t get there. That will cause some resentment.” But in spite of everything: “We play in circumstances that we don’t want for the audience or for ourselves, but we play.”
The pandemic also made organizing more difficult. “Companies that have worked with us for years have lost key employees,” Tatar groans to the APA. “These processes here are completely new to many of the contributors. That is even worse in such circumstances.” And some of the staff didn’t come because of the weather either.
Rubber boots for 45 euros
Trade on the festival site also flourished given the unfavorable conditions: visitors reported via Twitter about rubber boots that were sold for no less than 45 euros per pair.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
