Man dies at Germany’s Open Beatz Festival after Ferris wheel fall

A 31-year-old reveler died after falling from a ride at the Open Beatz Festival in Bavaria, police said Sunday.

The man was treated by an emergency doctor at the site before being transferred to hospital, where he died from his wounds.

Police said they were investigating what caused the man to fall from the Ferris wheel.

Read more: Germany’s summer music festival season opens

The festival’s organizers expressed their condolences on Facebook: “We wish all family members, relatives and those affected strength and unity at this difficult time.”

Open Beatz in the town of Herzogenaurach is the largest open-air electronic music festival in southern Germany, drawing some 20,000 people each year.

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• 10 things to bring to a German music festival

  Show off that umbrella

  Apart from the obvious tent and sleeping bag, one item on your festival packing list should be an umbrella. But don’t bring just any umbrella — the funkier the better. Make it animal shaped and attach some lights and glitter. You can pop it up high in the air while on the dance floor, which gets the crowd excited and serves the more practical purpose of helping your friends spot you in the crowd.

• 10 things to bring to a German music festival

  Find your inner child

  No German festival experience is complete without the right accessories. This means channeling your inner child and stocking up on bubbles, glitter guns, confetti, face paint, wigs and costumes. Especially at hippie and hipster festivals like Fusion, Nation and Melt! you’ll be an outsider if you’re not dressed up in something dangly and sparkly.

• 10 things to bring to a German music festival

  Spread your message

  So we’ve established that German festival-goers like to hold up various things on the dance floor — from animal shaped umbrellas to bubble guns. A particularly popular thing to hold aloft are homemade signs, such as the one above saying “Endlich normale Leute,” meaning “finally normal people.” A creative and funny sign will get you props from the true festival pros.

• 10 things to bring to a German music festival

  Stock up on water

  Bringing a water canister to a festival can be very useful. Getting fresh water can be a pain — the line is long and the walk there is far — so you won’t want to only fill up a bottle or two once you made it. Having a container full of water helps you wash your dirty camping dishes, brush your teeth and stay hydrated. Plus you can use it as a shower and skip the long lines there as well.

• 10 things to bring to a German music festival

  Fight those festival germs

  One thing you should always carry with you at any festival is hand sanitizer. You do the math: thousands of intoxicated festival-goers, only a few dozen Portaloos and a severe lack of soap and running water. Hmmm. Yes. Exactly. It doesn’t help the smell, but at least you’ll be able to clean your hands with a bit of hand sanitizer.

• 10 things to bring to a German music festival

  Defy the rain…

  As much as we’d like to think summer in Germany is one long sunny season, well, it’s not. Chances are it will rain; probably quite a lot. So don’t be fooled and bring only your flip-flops, because they’ll get stuck in the mud faster than a lightning bolt in a summer thunderstorm. Rubber boots are a must, as they will make you feel invincible and even allow for some puddle dancing.

• 10 things to bring to a German music festival

  …with everything you’ve got

  And gumboots aren’t the only item you need to defy the rain. Packing a poncho is always a good idea as well. It’s lightweight, fits into a small bag and will brighten up your day — or night — once the rain sets in. In Germany we take festivals seriously, so if you’re prepared, not even a little rain (or a lot) can stop the fun from lasting all the way through the night.

• 10 things to bring to a German music festival

  Stay in touch with your friends

  It’s an unwritten rule that at festivals you’ll end up losing track of your friends, no matter how many meeting points you arrange. Most festival grounds are huge and there’s hardly any cell phone reception, making it almost impossible to find them again. So you’ll need to get creative. One good solution: walkie-talkies, so you can buzz your buddies anytime. Got it? Ok, over and out.

• 10 things to bring to a German music festival

  Mark your tent

  Making your way back “home” to your tent after a long night of partying can be a difficult task, but finding your tent amidst the thousands of similar looking tents can make it even harder. So before you mistakenly climb into someone else’s tent, possibly giving someone a heart attack, mark your camping spot with an original flag. That way, it’s easier for your friends to find you as well.

• 10 things to bring to a German music festival

  Go retro

  While at a German hipster festival you might just want to go retro and bring a disposable camera. It won’t just impress the hipsters but it will also prevent you from losing or breaking a proper one. Plus, you’ll only have 24 shots, so you’ll be able to fully experience the moment. And once the festival is over, you’ll be able to pick up your pictures and relive your happy festival memories.

  Author: Anne-Sophie Brändlin

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/man-dies-at-germany-s-open-beatz-festival-after-ferris-wheel-fall/a-49679157?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom