Backstage, as reported several times, negotiations had been going on for weeks anyway. As the “Krone” found out in advance, it is now fixed: The Frequency Festival will not take place this year! The city of St. Pölten is canceling the spectacle planned for August 19-22 for security reasons.
The assessment of top virologist Dorothee von Laer, who described the Frequency Festival in an interview with the “Krone” as a “superspreading event that could trigger a conflagration”, caused a noise in the forest of leaves. An implementation was therefore “not justifiable” for them.
Too great a risk for the city
Apparently, St. Pölten’s Mayor Matthias Stadler also listened closely. As the city confirms in advance, the spectacle will not take place “despite the organizers’ good security concepts”, as the town hall calls it. “The health of the population is the most important thing for me,” explains Stadler and adds: “I’m sorry for the youngsters, we have all worked hard to ensure that the Frequency can be carried out again this year, but the Delta variant wrecks everything!
The legal basis for the cancellation is to be created as soon as possible: On July 28th, the city will issue an ordinance that will not allow more than 3000 people outdoors at events.
Luck in misfortune: According to “Krone” information, the Frequency falls under the “Schutzschirm II” newly decided just this week. The funding amount was increased from two to up to ten million euros per organizer. Applications can be submitted since Tuesday. Not only, but also the largest domestic concert organizer Barracuda should now benefit from this.
“Come back stronger! “
Organizer Harry Jenner has now also spoken up and says: “Since the federal government gave the green light at the end of May that the FM4 Frequency Festival was allowed to take place, we have pulled out all the stops to meet all requirements with the utmost accuracy and security. The disappointment that we are no longer allowed to continue at this point is, of course, all the greater. We’ll be back even stronger in 2022, ”promises organizer Harry Jenner. What the rejection will mean for the 50,000 cardholders is not yet known. Some of the unlucky ones even have their tickets from the previous year.