Due to a lack of personnel in the security forces, the organizer of the PULS Open Air at Kaltenberg Castle had to cancel the festival that was already in progress. Nadine Ulrich, Editor-in-Chief of PULS, the young content network of Bayerischer Rundfunk, explained this in an interview with Radiowelt at midday on Bayern 2. “It was the case that the organizer of the festival was assured of security personnel via a service provider and they did not appear in sufficient numbers for the second day,” Ulrich said in an interview with Radiowelt at noon.
The safety of the visitors comes first
During the night, the organizer tried under high pressure to find a replacement. But this is very difficult on the market right now, according to Ulrich. “We all know that the cultural industry has also suffered from Corona.” It was therefore not possible to find a replacement, so that, in consultation with the security authorities, the decision was made not to hold the second and third day of the festival. “The safety of our visitors and belayers comes first,” said Nadine Ulrich.
The Puls Open Air must be an event that must be safe on all stages and in all areas – “even if it is celebrated”. This requires enough staff to pay attention and be able to recognize situations.
The organizer of the Puls Open Air is Amont Gastro GmbH. PULS from Bayerischer Rundfunk is the media partner for the PULS Open Air. The operator of the event location Schloss Kaltenberg and organizer of the Kaltenberg Knights’ Tournament was not involved in the implementation of the festival and is therefore not responsible for the cancellation of the event.
Visitors are asked not to travel anymore
On Thursday, the festival started in the early evening for the opening. The regular festival program on Friday and Saturday will not take place as planned. The visitors were asked to leave the campsite in a controlled manner or not to arrive.
Andy Barsekow, BR project manager PULS Open Air:
“It hurts our hearts that we have to end the festival at this point, but safety is our top priority. The individual trades at such a complex event must function smoothly and an important aspect, such as the safety of all festival visitors, is not up for discussion “It would be irresponsible to hold a concert with an insufficient number of security forces. We would like to thank everyone involved for the constructive cooperation.”
All questions related to ticket refunds etc. will be answered as soon as possible via relevant channels, among others in a FAQ on Instagram, which is updated regularly. Around 11,000 people were expected to attend the event, so far around 4,000 have travelled.