The long wait ends. In the Italian holiday resort on the upper Adriatic, the motto is again this year: “Tutto Gas!” In Lignano, after a two-year Corona break, there will be a proper party again. Strict regulations are in place to keep the thousands of guests under control. Up to 100,000 guests are expected in the party metropolis on this Pentecost weekend. 20,000 come from Austria alone to celebrate exuberantly.
Already on Friday evening things were getting hot on the beach and in the promenades. The gray sky couldn’t spoil the good mood. And that meant full commitment for the Italian police officers and their colleagues from Carinthia. “Actually, my colleague and I first wanted to get an idea of the situation and maybe take a few more photos,” reports Martin Macor. “But the party was in full swing right from the start!” No glass bottles, no watermelons As in 2019, those responsible in the city of Lignano want to get the party crowd under control with strict rules this year. Drinks – only from paper and plastic cups – may only be consumed in bars. Particularly strange: the sale of watermelons is prohibited during the Pentecost weekend. Besides a bottle of vodka, the pumpkin fruit is the main ingredient for the infamous “vodka melon”. Officially, however, the city government only speaks of excessive soiling from the kernels – and the big, green balls were still available to buy. Party guests from Austria and Bavaria This year there is a special mix of guests, which already led to minor friction on Friday. The party guests from Austria and Bavaria were probably a bit too boisterous for the Italians. The long waiting times in the restaurants also caused conflicts. Even Lega boss Matteo Salvini was not at a loss for a word and warned of the “good boys who come to Lignano to cause chaos here”. “Party from half past ten in the morning” “We are happy about every guest – and that we can finally welcome them again without a mask,” says tourism expert Ardito. On Saturday Lignano presented itself from its best side. After a night of drinking on the beach, many a person was woken up by the first rays of the sun. And only a few hours later there was a lot of activity there. “The party was in full swing from eleven o’clock on Saturday,” says police officer Martin Macor, who mediates between German-speaking holidaymakers and Italian authorities: “Actually, I was only on standby during the day, but our compatriots the Polizia kept us on our toes.” A group of party guests from Klagenfurt put it in a nutshell: “Lignano is only once a year – it has to be enjoyed to the full!” A summary of the first two days is relatively moderate : several reports of drunkenness in public (up to 309 euros fine) and an arrest for resisting the authorities.
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