Cost pressure: Hessentag in Fritzlar without concert arena
Hessentag 2024 in Fritzlar (Schwalm-Eder district) will be celebrated on a smaller scale than originally planned for cost reasons. As the mayor of the North Hessian town, Hartmut Spogat (CDU), confirmed on Wednesday, the so-called Hessentag Arena will not be used for next year's state festival. It was intended to accommodate around 15,000 visitors for large concerts. "The current cost calculations indicate that the arena would result in a large deficit", Spogat explained. The radio station "Hitradio FFH" had first reported this.
The cost drivers for the national festival are "the known price increases for personnel, additional security concerns, medical services and material procurement in general." According to Spogat, the arena would have resulted in high additional costs. "We estimate around 1.5 million euros for construction and operation alone." So far, no artists have been contracted. Therefore, the decision was not accompanied by any cancellations. Alternatively, larger events are planned in a marquee with space for 4,000 to 5,000 visitors. According to the mayor, no further savings are currently planned. "I don't see any need at the moment."
"The Hessentag adapts to the cities", explained the Hessian State Chancellery when asked by the German Press Agency. The five core modules of every state festival are the state exhibition, the special exhibition "Nature on the Trail", a hall for major events, the parade and a number of parking spaces. "In addition, the Hessentag cities as organizers are free to decide how they want to organize their Hessentag."
This year's Hessentag in Pfungstadt was also significantly more expensive than expected. The budget for the state festival had initially been increased from 8.7 million euros to 10.6 million euros. In the end, the total costs rose to 13.3 million euros. According to the mayor of Pfungstadt, Patrick Koch (SPD), the reasons for this included additional costs for energy, security measures, drinks and food.
The taxpayers' association has been criticizing the scale and costs of the state festival for years. Following the cost increases at this year's Hessentag, it called on the state to fundamentally reform the event. The sums spent on the event should be significantly reduced. The festival should be celebrated for a shorter period or at a different frequency - as other federal states do.
The 61st Hessentag will be held in Fritzlar from May 24 to June 2, 2024 under the motto "A city full of life".
The municipalities involved in hosting the Hessentag festival need to carefully consider their budgets, as fixed structures like the Hessentag Arena can lead to significant financial obligations. Despite the reduction in scale for Hessentag 2024 in Fritzlar due to cost reasons, alternative larger events will still take place in a marquee to accommodate fewer visitors.
Source: www.dpa.com
