Just hours before the official start of the legendary Wacken heavy metal festival in northern Germany, organizers are turning away fans due to chaos caused by extreme rain.Following days of heavy rain, the organizers of the Wacken heavy metal festival have decided to reduce the capacity and refuse entry to some fans.

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Wacken organizers posted on Instagram that the "reasonable visitor capacity" had been reached in view of the challenges posed by the weather. "Any further travel must be suspended and cancelled with immediate effect," they said.

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The decision is a turning point in the festival's history as it is the first time such a decision had been made, organizers pointed out.

"We are very sad, but the continuing difficult weather situation unfortunately leaves us no other choice."

Fans dismayed, indignant

Fans were both disappointed and annoyed, criticizing the lack of communication.

No information had yet been provided about the consequences of the entry ban for ticket holders, and whether they will be compensated for travel costs already incurred. "We will keep you posted and ask you for your patience," wrote the organizers.

Some vistors had been waiting for hours in front of the muddy festival site, hoping for entry to the sold-out event due to kick off later on Wednesday. Some 85,000 metal fans were previously expected to attend, but that could be cut by half.

"I hope we have half of them [the expected visitors] or even more inside the festival grounds," festival co-founder Thomas Jensen told German press agency dpa on Tuesday evening,

'Metalhead' security vital amid chaos

Jensen stressed that security was the organizers' top priority, and thanked the festival team, city officials and local residents who had offered places for people to sleep.

On Tuesday evening, organizers had already announced a complete stop to the arrival of ticket holders traveling to the festival grounds via cars and trucks, calling the chaotic situation a safety risk.

"All metalheads in motor vehicles of all kinds are urged to cancel their trip to Wacken if already en route, or not to start at all. This applies until the end of the festival," announced the organiyers on their website.

Previous weather did not bode well

The extreme rain that began to hit the small village of Wacken in northern Germany earlier this week has deluged the festival site.

As a result, camping grounds and festival event areas are now swamped in mud, as visitors who had already arrived on Tuesday posted on social media.

The Wacken Open Air festival, also known as W : O : A, attracts visitors from around the world every year.

The 32nd edition this year is planned to last four days this summer, rather than the traditional three. More than 200 concerts are planned on nine stages, with performances by, among others, Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Helloween.

als/sb (with dpa)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 02, 2023 03:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).