Hamburg (dpa / lno) – Ferris wheel, roller coaster, carousel and lots of food – the Hamburg Cathedral started its first season this year at the Holy Spirit Festival. 232 showmen have set up their rides, stands and food stalls next to the Feldstrasse bunker. “We are very happy. This is the first spring cathedral in two years that can be back,” said Sascha Belli from the State Association of Outpatient Trade and Showmen Hamburg on Friday of the German Press Agency. The head of the showmen’s specialist group runs a children’s roller coaster and a crêpe booth with his family on the Hamburger Dom. Even the extremely good weather during construction had increased the mood and anticipation of him and his colleagues enormously. “It’s incredible motivation.”
Unlike last time, there are no longer any access restrictions on the Heiligengeistfeld. Visitors only have to wear an FFP2 mask. A medical mask is sufficient for children aged 6 to 14. Proof of the recovered, vaccinated or tested status (3G) is only required when visiting the restaurants on the Spring Cathedral. “In theory, we have a good basis for decent visitor numbers,” Belli continued. The showmen are therefore hoping that the good weather will last a little longer. “A dream goal would be 1.2 to 1.5 million visitors. That would be a huge wish that we can tie in with the old days.”
Nevertheless, not everything is as it was before at the Spring Dome. The war in Ukraine also has a place at the folk festival. On the one hand, because the showmen are planning a minute’s silence instead of the opening fireworks on Friday evening. And on the other hand, because of the Russian attack, there are delivery bottlenecks, which some showmen can also feel. Flour, sunflower oil and fuel in particular are currently difficult to obtain or have become very expensive, said Robert Kirchhecker, President of the Hamburg Showmen’s Association.
The cathedral will therefore “certainly not become more expensive overall”. But it could well be that individual companies have to raise prices slightly in order to be able to work economically. “But that’s totally manageable in percentage terms. The vast majority won’t do it.” The Spring Dome runs until April 24th.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220324-99-658569/3
–
