After a forced break of two years, the Echinger “Brass Wiesn” should come back more extensively than ever. From August 4th to 7th, 2022, the brass music festival is to take place in the Echingen leisure area under “2G” conditions and then attract over 20,000 visitors. Most recently, the festival was limited to 15,000 visitors. The “Wiesn” area is to be expanded to the south and west.
In 2019, the “Brass Wiesn” was expanded from a visitor capacity of 10,000 to 15,000, at that time with the express note that this was the definitive end and no further growth was intended. On this scale, however, the festival only took place once, in 2020 and 2021 the pandemic conditions destroyed it.
Tickets extended since 2019 are a structural problem
Now the organizer “Sonnenrot” has a structural problem: since 2019, tickets have been sold that have been extended for each additional year – but with which the costs can no longer be covered, as Managing Director Alexander Wolff explained in the municipal council. In the wake of the pandemic, the cost of artists and materials has increased dramatically.
An increase to 21,000 visitors would also be acceptable for the character of the festival, he assured. In addition to expanding to the south and west, the site will be reorganized. Around 23,000 square meters of free event space will be available beyond the stages and stands. The camping tickets should not be extended, so that the overnight capacities will remain about the same.
Clear majority in the municipal council – against FDP and ÖDP
At the entrance control, the then valid status conditions, “2G”, “2G+” or other relevant variants up to then, are checked, there should then be no restrictions in the festival area, just as little as an access limit. A hygiene concept will be tailored based on the currently valid regulations. “We believe that it will work,” assured Wolff.
In the Echinger municipal council, the CSU, SPD, Greens, FW and “Bürger für Eching” waved the expansion of capacity through with a clear majority of 21:2 votes against the FDP and ÖDP. “Does it always have to be higher, further and more?” Asked Alexander Krimmer (ÖDP). The details of the traffic and safety concept and noise protection are now being coordinated with the town hall. Among other things, the council passed the demand to better limit the noise from the campsite, since it not only disturbed Eching, but even the event itself.