Governors Ball beefs up security; Rock Am Ring evacuated over terror threat

Massive three day German rock festival Rock Am Ring, which was set to close out its first night with a Friday night headlining set by Rammstein, was shut down early due to a “terrorist threat”. The fest posted this message on Facebook:

Due to a terrorist threat the police have advised us to interrupt the festival.

We ask all festival visitors to leave the festival site in a calm and controlled manner towards the exits and camping grounds.
We have to support the police investigations.

All visitors will be kept informed about any developments on all Rock am Ring Social Media channels, radio and the speakers.

We hope that the festival will continue tomorrow. Thank you for your cooperation.

Further updates will come in a Saturday morning press conference…. UPDATE: Rock Am Ring is back on. Day 2 is happening as scheduled, but with even more security.

Other bands on the linuep of the Live Nation owned festival include Liam Gallagher, Clutch, System of a Down, Prophets of Rage, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Gojira, Code Orange.

Festival attendees, as you can see in videos below, left calmly and peacefully, many singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, the Liverpool anthem that “almost 75,000” people sang in unison after a minute of silence for the Manchester Arena victims less than two weeks earlier in Sydney.

In 2016, Rock Am Ring had to cancel the last day of the fest after lightning injured 80 people!

Meanwhile, Live Nation owned festival Governors Ball is underway in NYC and, like at all Live Nation events right now, heightened security is definitely in effect. We especially noticed as we were leaving Friday night after Chance the Rapper’s headlining set. It felt like there were cops and security everywhere on the path to the buses. ABC says:

There is stepped up security this year, and while some you can see, some you don’t.

There are layers of checkpoints at the entrance with NYPD counter-terrorism units and K-9s.

Plus, there are 500 private security guards hired by the festival.

Among the items patrons are not allowed to bring into the festival are weapons of any kind, explosives, illegal substances, large backpacks, coolers, outside food, and selfie sticks.

The full list of items not allowed are listed on the festival’s website.

Organizers say they are painfully aware of what’s happening across the globe these days.

“The most important thing is being aware of your surroundings and communication,” said Tom Russell, the Governors Ball. “Not just with the people you’re showing up with, but also with the festival and the places that you’re going.”

Fans are urged to download the festival’s app, which serves as an emergency communication system.

And NYC festival season is just beginning. Stay safe out there!

More from Rock Am Ring:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BU2bQzogWp1/?tagged=rockamring
https://www.instagram.com/p/BU2cWmOlMWT/?tagged=rockamring

https://www.instagram.com/p/BU2U7kch-v2/?tagged=rockamring
https://www.instagram.com/p/BU2WR16BjCL/?tagged=rockamring