Bavaria: Too few security guards: BR has to cancel the festival

Geltendorf/Munich (dpa/lby) - Bayerischer Rundfunk canceled its "Pulse" open-air festival at Kaltenberg Castle because there weren't enough security guards available.

Bavaria: Too few security guards: BR has to cancel the festival

Geltendorf/Munich (dpa/lby) - Bayerischer Rundfunk canceled its "Pulse" open-air festival at Kaltenberg Castle because there weren't enough security guards available. "Since the security of the concert operations can no longer be guaranteed, the organizers and the media partner Puls, from Bayerischer Rundfunk, must not take this security risk and the festival cannot continue," said the BR on Friday. The decision was made "on the recommendation of security authorities such as the police and fire brigade and after consultation with those responsible in the municipality of Geltendorf".

"The reason is a short-term failure of a significant number of security forces during the ongoing event," the statement said. In the night from Thursday to Friday, the security service was not able "to provide the number of security forces required by the end of the festival and agreed by the security concept". The broadcaster did not say why so many security guards suddenly dropped out.

According to the broadcaster, around 11,000 visitors were expected, 4,000 of them were already there. The festival, at which Casper and Von Wegen Lisbeth, among others, were supposed to perform, started on Thursday with a pre-program, and it wasn't supposed to really get going until this Friday. But that's not the case now. The BR asked visitors to "leave the campsite in a controlled manner" - or not to arrive at all. "All questions about ticket refunds" should be "answered as quickly as possible via relevant channels," said the BR.