Emergency doctors and security at the Donauinselfest

Security and emergency services will be working around the clock at the 30th Donauinselfest in Vienna this weekend as 200 acts take to the stage.

Organisers say five emergency doctors, 650 security staff, night vision equipment and a meteorologist will be on hand to ensure the safety of the visitors.

In 2012, three million people came to the free music festival. The site stretches from the Nordsteg to the Reichsbrücke bridge and along the left bank of the Neue Donau (New Danube) near the Brigittenauer Bucht.

In the whole perimeter of the festival checks will take place to ensure that no visitor is injured by weapons or dangerous objects. Alcohol, drugs, and objects making too much noise will also be confiscated.

650 security staff in orange tabards will be on site until 2 am every night. The coordinator of the festival Thomas Waldner said that for the first time, security will be equipped with night vision equipment.

There will be fixed cameras at 24 locations around the site. At the U6 and U1 underground stations, an individual admission barrier system will regulate the flow of people coming in and out of the underground stations and ensure that crowds are kept under control.

There will ambulances at 11 locations with five emergency doctors and 200 paramedics. For the first time, even a meteorologist is part of the security team.

The first reports expect the weather to stay warm at the weekend, but not necessarily dry. There could be a thunderstorm on Friday night according to the weather expert Kathrin Götzfried.

Some 200 artists ranging from Wolfgang Ambros to Zucchero will perform on the island from Friday to Sunday.