According to CNN, German metal festival Rock Am Ring at the Nürburgring raceway in Nürburg, Rhineland was forced to evacuate its grounds after the festival was suspended due to terror threat. The festival is estimated to have had around 10,000 people in attendance and the evacuation reportedly went smoothly and safely. According to The Guardian, the Koblenz police received what is being considered a “concrete threat” that could not be ruled out. At this point, those in charge of the festival are hoping that they will be able to go ahead with the festival as planned.
The tweet reads: “The police has instructed providing us to temporarily to interrupt the Festival. Please go quietly in the direction of camping sites.”
Localities and promoters alike are understandably taking extra precautions in the wake of the horrific bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, UK in May. That attack left almost two dozen dead and many more injured, some critically and in life-altering ways. Local police officials stated that in the wake of the tragedy, they had stepped up their security measures, including bringing in a total of 1200 security officers for the event.
While the festival is notable for its metal offerings, it does boast several names outside the genre this year, including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Sum 41, Simple Plan, Bastille and Liam Gallagher. Rammstein and Gallagher were both expected to perform tonight, though neither had taken the stage when the festival was cleared of patrons. Scheduled for later in the week, if the festival is able to continue, are big name artists like System of a Down, Prophets of Rage.
UPDATE (6/3): After sweeping the site for any threats and deeming it safe to proceed, Rock Am Ring will continue today. The announcement was made in Facebook post from today.
Leave a Comment