Drought forces cancellation of Swiss rock festival

Rock festival in Gelterkinden, Basel-Landschaft, cancelled due to the drought Keystone-SDA

Organisers have cancelled the Raina Rock open-air music festival in canton Basel Country, Switzerland, due to the ongoing drought.

A member of the organising committee told the Keystone-SDA news agency that the event could not go ahead for safety reasons under the current highest risk level.

+ Heatwaves put Switzerland on drought alert

The open-air event was due to take place on August 14 and 15 at the Rainenhüsli on the boundary with Rickenbach. As the venue is located outside the built-up area, no flammable materials would have been permitted, which would have ruled out numerous items such as gas hobs, gas barbecues and electric barbecues.

Parking cars on the parched grass would also not have been permitted.

The festival will not take place again until next year. Anyone who has already bought a ticket will receive a refund, the organising committee said. Bands such as Stepfather Fred from Germany, as well as Lombego Surfers, Kalles Kaviar, Disgroove and Dennerclan from the Basel region, were due to perform at the sixth edition of the festival.

+ Should Switzerland prepare for a severe drought this summer?

Other events cancelled

Due to the drought, other events in the canton have already had to be cancelled, including the Zig open-air cinema and the Dietisberg Festival.

As a result of the measures imposed by the cantonal crisis management team to tackle the drought, an absolute ban on fires is in force, among other restrictions. Gas and electric barbecues may only be used within built-up areas.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.