In addition, there are not that many official parking spaces in the vicinity, and those who park wildly have only themselves to blame. "We will not only issue warnings, but also tow away the vehicles," Sascha Hessenbruch from the city's public order service explained.

Basically, the area around the Rhine meadows on both the left and right sides of the Rhine has been cordoned off over a wide area. "Please avoid the area as much as possible," said Kathrin Krumbach from the event coordination of the City of Bonn. This also applies to residents' streets, for which, according to her, one can easily obtain an access permit.

A good six kilometres of fencing will be erected, said Harder. Not only on the motorway entrances and exits and on other roads, but also around the festival site. Above all, the wooded areas will be cordoned off so that no wild pee-ers can get in. Sanitary facilities are provided, from water to porta-potties to cross urinals, says Harder, and people with walking disabilities are also catered for.

Everything is a little different when the Rhine is in flames, especially on Saturdays. There are more trams and buses in the evenings, and people should please use them, appealed those who ensure that everything runs smoothly. Angela-Maria Franken from SWB Bus und Bahn mentioned the tram lines 63/16 and 66, the bus lines 610 and 611. In addition, you can get off the train at the UN-Campus stop. According to Krumbach, a large bicycle car park will be set up near the South Bridge, and there will also be a collection point for e-scooters, which are not allowed on the grounds.

So much for the arrival. On Friday and Sunday there is rarely a state of emergency at the departure. It's different on Saturday. Everyone wants to see the fireworks and then head home. Krumbach advocated staying a little longer after the spectacle to ease the crowds at the train stops and in the streets. Until midnight, Harder added, music would still be played on the stage and the stalls would be open longer. So: "Stay longer."

It was also important to him to emphasise that the success of Rhine in Flames also depends on sales. So, please, people should consume there at the stands instead of bringing their own food. Of course, the organisers also hope for this. Some, says Harder, have been coming for 20 years. "It's a grown event.“

For the first time, there will be a children's collection point - for lost youngsters, but also for drunk teens. For this, you can turn to various teams that will be out and about in the Rhine meadows. The Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, Malteser, Johanniter and the German Red Cross will set up accident assistance points, the police will patrol and, if possible, put a stop to trick thieves. And especially on Saturday evening, many members of the city's public order service will be on the road; Hessenbruch spoke of a three-digit number. They are also supposed to keep order at the railway tracks during the departure, keyword youth protection.

All this is coordinated from the Rheinaue Park Restaurant, where a hall has been converted into an operations centre. On the Rhine, the water police will provide security with six boats, which will also come from Düsseldorf, Duisburg and Cologne.

The Bonn event opens the series of events, and Harder expects record numbers of visitors, weather permitting. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that after a three-year break from Corona, people want to come again. On the other hand, some other events will be cancelled, for example the Cologne Lights. And because the venues up the Rhine are also no longer taking part at the weekend, there could be visitors from there as well. In general, Rhein in Flammen has a large catchment area.

They will be offered a stage programme with more than 40 bands. Some of the bands, Harder said, were originally requested for 2020, and the contracts were renewed. The contract of Brückenforum GmbH to organise Rhine in Flames expires this year, then there will be a new bidding process. Harder hopes that he will be awarded the contract again.

Original text: Stefan Knopp

Translation: Mareike Graepel