The cult band Metallica attracted almost 60,000 people to “Racino Rocks” in Ebreichsdorf. A lot of things were supposed to work at the Magna Racino, but not everything. The departure in particular ended in chaos. There is still plenty of work to do before the next festival in early July.
The weather gods were certainly kind to the thousands of concert-goers. While a large thunderstorm cell broke out in nearby Baden, it remained dry in Ebreichsdorf, apart from a brief shower early on Saturday afternoon. On stage, however, Ice Nine Kills, Five Finger Death Punch and Metallica really rocked the stage as headliners. But many people did not have only positive memories of the first mega concert at Magna Racino in 16 years. Waiting times of over an hour for beer, a temporary failure of debit card payments and a long queue for the alternative cashless card, and the lack of toilets were a little too stressful for the otherwise relaxed visitors.But things got really problematic when it came to departure. The situation threatened to escalate, especially with the shuttle buses, because despite the “party dome” that had been set up at short notice and the longer opening hours of the stalls, almost all visitors wanted to leave at the same time. Chaos was inevitable.On foot onto the motorwayThe waiting areas by the buses were stormed, barriers ignored. There was wild pushing and shoving, panic spread. People who collapsed were lifted over the heads of other visitors to the rescue team. Because the security system also failed, many dark-clad metal fans ended up on the unlit main road. Some even wanted to walk onto the motorway (!), which had to be closed completely for a short time. Because the three-day hip-hop festival “Rolling Loud” is taking place on the same site at the beginning of July with about the same number of visitors each day, organizers, authorities and police met on Monday. There is a need for action on some key points, especially since this event appeals to a completely different, much younger audience. Because it was announced as three separate concert days, it is obviously also assumed that the volume of departures will have to be handled three times. “It is still unclear whether and how camping will work,” they say. However, the organizer is trying to optimize the concept together with the authorities and police, they emphasize. While the beer and payment situation as well as the number of toilets can be improved relatively easily, the situation with traffic is different because only two roads lead away from the site. One-way traffic is now being considered. There is also potential for improvement in the footpaths to the parking lots. “There definitely needs to be more lighting on footpaths and to the parking lots, as well as wider exits. It is clear that an oppressive feeling arises when you are trapped between fences and pushed forward,” said Mayor Wolfgang Kocevar. For Kocevar, the site “basically has a future” as an event venue. But whether there will have to be 60,000 people again will have to be looked at closely. “But there are experts who decide that,” said Kocevar.
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