Darmstadt (Hesse) – No louder than a passing car during the day (70 decibels), from 10 p.m. only the noise level of a television set to room volume (55 decibels) – after this urgent decision by the Darmstadt Administrative Court, all city and street festivals in Germany are threatened with the end!
The decision of the 6th chamber (three judges) was made on the basis of an urgent application by two residents against the traditional Schlossgrabenfest (120,000 visitors) in Darmstadt at the end of May. “You have to imagine that: Two Local residents write one E-mail, the decision comes twelve hours later,” says festival organizer Thiemo Gutfried (43), shocked.
It was in the decision to exceed Noise limits in the city center gone. No limit values had been set for this event – unlike in the last 25 years.
In writing, however, the two residents complained that they felt disturbed by the volume of the festival – mainly because of the music.
However, the concerts are what make the four-day event so appealing. The visitors appreciated that: 20,000 more came than a year ago.
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“You can also get stars like Mark Forster, Andreas Bourani or Howard Carpendale for 30 euros for the festival ticket,” says Gutfried. “This year there were 60 bands and 14 DJs as well as Ayliva. You pay for their concert in the Frankfurt Festhalle 100 euros.”
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The event organizer also immediately announced a complaint to the Kassel Administrative Court in order to overturn the Darmstadt judges’ decision. If they fail, the precedent will have repercussions throughout Germany.
Gutfried: “We get a lot of encouragement from other organizers, clubs and breweries. Because everyone knows: If we lose, it means the end of all events. Because without planning security, no one – and certainly no club – can take on the financial risk of an event.”