Nova Rock: first fans arrived

The first of 50,000 punters descend on Nickelsdorf (Burgenland) for the Nova Rock music festival today (Thursday).

The biggest music festival in Austria, Nova Rock, begins this Friday.

Police spokesman Bernhard Griensteidl said: “The parking lots will open at 10 am and the camping lot will open at 12 pm. We are prepared.”

But he advised festival-goers to avoid the peak arrival times this evening (Thursday) and Friday afternoon and warned them not to leave their vehicles on the A4 motorway exits and access roads to the festival or they would be removed.

“There will be 100 visible police officers on the site every day and there will be additional forces for traffic regulation,” Griensteidl said.

“The biggest challenge during the festival is getting the masses moving between the stages. Another challenge is reacting to all possible weather conditions – be it storms, thunder, hale – which we hope won’t happen,” he said.

A special drop-off zone has been set up on the Nickelsdorf sport field and a shuttle-bus to the festival site.