495th shooting festival - City satisfied with shooting festival despite fewer visitors
For this year's Schützenfest in Hannover, fewer people have attended compared to the previous year. According to the city, approximately 650,000 people have visited the ten-day festival, which is about 250,000 less than in 2023. "Despite nearly daily rainfall, we look back on a varied and joyful Schützenfest 2024," said Hanover's junior mayor for youth, family, and sports, Susanne Blasberg-Bense, in a statement.
With a new concept for discrimination-free celebrations, the organizers aim to ensure more safety this year. For instance, there is an app that allows visitors to quickly contact a team of social pedagogues and street workers on site. Additionally, there is a container at one of the entrance areas serving as a kind of safe space. According to the city, the Schützenfest in Hannover is the largest of its kind worldwide.
According to vendors, the second weekend of the event was a catch-up in terms of visitor numbers. Near the Schützenfest, there was a large public viewing for the European Football Championship match between Germany and Spain on the Friday evening, followed by many people going to the Schützenfest. Similarly, after the Bruce Springsteen concert at Hannover 96's stadium, which was also nearby.
The Schützenfest in Lower Saxony, known for its rich culture and customs, is renowned as the largest shooting festival globally, held annually in Hanover. Despite the lower attendance this year, with approximately 650,000 visitors, locals are hopeful that the new measures focused on discrimination-free celebrations will attract even more people next time.
