Trouble at the old town festival: ride dismantled due to blocked escape routes!

Trouble at the old town festival: ride dismantled due to blocked escape routes!

On July 1st, 2025, Salzgitter-Bad celebrated its traditional old town festival, but the festive mood was marred by an unexpected turn of events. The “Breakdance” ride had to be dismantled, which led to enormous dissatisfaction among those responsible. The problem? Blocked escape routes. The showman was understandably upset as the location for his business had been previously approved and he had made preparations accordingly. “There’s nothing to laugh about,” was his conclusion when he announced that he no longer wanted to come to Salzgitter in the future.

The city of Salzgitter has meanwhile stated that the Bürgerfeste e.V. committee acts as the organizer and bears responsibility. “Petershagener Straße”, where the ride was set up, was leased to a general tenant who gave out parts of the area to various showmen. The problems began when the ride was not placed in the intended location. During a security inspection on Friday, it became clear that construction was continuing to move forward, although the need for a functioning escape route had already been pointed out in advance.

Security precautions and traffic restrictions

The security situation around large events has become more important in recent years. It is all the more important that security concepts, as set out in the orientation framework for events, are conscientiously adhered to. These regulations aim to ensure safety for everyone involved and relate to structural, technical and organizational aspects during the event. Especially at events with increased risk potential, all institutions involved should work closely together in order to be able to react to unforeseen events in the best possible way, as is also the case in in North Rhine-Westphalia is displayed.

At an old town festival it is not only important that everything is festive and cheerful, the traffic situation must also be taken into account. The city introduced extensive road closures to mark the occasion, resulting in traffic restrictions. The city of Salzgitter thanked the residents, businesses and visitors for their understanding in this tense situation during the festival. The police, the professional fire brigade and the Citizens' Festivals Committee worked hand in hand to ensure the safety of the event.

A look at the future

Despite the challenges that the event brought with it, the cooperation of everyone involved is essential for the success of such celebrations. As the city of Salzgitter emphasizes, the security concept is regularly reviewed and adjusted to prevent future problems and improve security for everyone. Ongoing communication between the city and security authorities is essential in order to learn as much as possible about security standards and effective measures.

The Old Town Festival once again showed how important a good interaction between permits, security concepts and practical implementation is. Because ultimately everyone just wants one thing: to experience a safe and happy celebration.