A police officer tried to calm the crowd waiting in front of him: “We know you have been waiting for a very long time, but please do not rush and take care of each other, and it is very, very important that you remain calm.” From the train station in Ebreichsdorf at around 2 a.m. using a loudspeaker. There were several hundred people who wanted to board the train to Vienna hours after the end of the second day of the festival. Many of those affected also expressed their anger on social networks.
Organiser Live Nation wanted to prevent such chaos at the exit with a changed transport concept. At the Metallica concert a month ago, there were already numerous complaints about “crowding and pressure” at the exit and “hour-long waiting times for shuttle buses” at the departure – more on this in the complaints after the Metallica concert (noe.ORF. in;3.6.2024).
The organizer relies on “travel tickets”
This time, mandatory “travel tickets” were used to control the number of people arriving and departing using any means of transport. There were waiting times because, among other things, two special trains to Vienna were cancelled. The buses were then rerouted, the organizer said in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
The police, together with the Red Cross, took care of the people waiting in front of the train station. “We are working hard to find a solution that satisfies you, and ÖBB is working on it, but it still takes some time at the moment.” The crowd.
Apparently the trains have been cancelled.
At around 2.20 a.m., a police spokesman had “good news”: “I have been assured once again that from now on the trains will run as planned.” No statement has been made by ÖBB yet.
Even when leaving by car, dangerous situations arose time and again. Many guests were standing or sitting along the main road, some even directly on the road, leading to risky scenes. At the pedestrian bridge over the A3 motorway, several people climbed over the security fences and also bypassed the fences. Many tried to get a taxi there or were picked up on the main motorway.
Organizer: Check-out completed in 2.5 hours
According to the organizer, the departure was scheduled to take three hours and could be completed in two and a half hours. At Racino Rocks with Metallica in early June, the departure took five hours, a comparison was made in a written statement on Sunday.
The third and final day of the festival takes place on Sunday. When we arrived there were traffic jams again. The exit from the South Motorway (A2) to the South Motorway (A3) was closed. Traffic was redirected via Traiskirchen and the L156 or Baden and the B210.
According to emergency services, things are calm so far.
From a police perspective, the event has been quiet so far. A police spokesman said that as of Saturday evening, there had been only 40 reports, most of them for petty theft. With around 45,000 visitors, that’s not a lot.
The rescue organization said a total of 298 people were treated on Saturday. The main causes were injuries such as abrasions, cuts, sprains and circulatory problems due to the heat. Most of the patients were able to return to the festival after a short period, and 30 people were taken to hospital for further treatment.
Up to 60,000 likes per day
The festival has been running since Friday. So far, acts such as Nicki Minaj, Sherine David and Playboi Carti have taken to the stage. On Sunday, headliner Travis Scott will take to the stage. The largest number of visitors had been expected in advance for this day – more on that in Hip-hop beats attract 60,000 fans to the horse facility (noe.ORF.at; July 6, 2024).
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