Digital UN regulars’ table with the pool bar boss: What festival visitors can look forward to this year.
Feldkirch For music fans and culture lovers, it has been a fixed point of a successful summer since 1994: the pool bar festival. The old indoor swimming pool in Feldkirch annually attracts 25,000 visitors from all over Europe. But the corona crisis does not leave the festival without a trace. Pool bar boss Herwig Bauer talks about what the pool bar visit will look like this year.
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How great is the relief that the pool bar festival was given the green light?
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The relief is huge because for us the uncertainty was the worst state of mind. We had already prepared a great deal and had already developed many ideas during the time of the corona crisis. But without knowing what can actually be done, it makes little sense. That is why we are very relieved that, in cooperation with the responsible authorities and with the help of politics, we were able to develop a concept that enables the Poolbar Festival.
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How can you imagine a visit to the Poolbar Festival this year?
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It will be different when it arrives this year in that the area is fenced in outside. An important element of prevention is to avoid large crowds and we have to strictly limit visitor capacity. People are assigned seats in the Reichenfeld, which is legally required. Of course, as in everyday life, the distance control must also be observed. In principle, the pool bar festival is like in regular years: mild summer nights in the green are enjoyed.
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What measures are being taken to limit noise pollution for residents?
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We tried to make sure when choosing the bands in the style that they do not attract the anger of the neighbors. And we gave all bands corresponding decibel values and made it clear that the situation is completely different from that at a normal festival. We are in very close coordination with the city police and have purchased extra decibel meters to monitor the levels. In general, the public address system takes place in the same framework as in previous years. The difference is that we set up additional boxes in the area because the audience will be in the whole park and we can sound the area with a reasonable volume. The program generally starts at 7 p.m. and the live components are expected to end at 9 p.m.
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What happens if a visitor, band member or employee has a corona case?
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The authorities ultimately decide that. It will also depend on how much our offer is accepted that people can register by name. Basically, we assign a specific place to each individual visitor, but people are not obliged to leave their contact. If the offer is used by many, contact tracing is not a problem because you can immediately determine who was in the area of the infection. It will be the case with our employees that, as in the visitor area, disinfection and hygiene measures will be strictly observed. Contacts will also be reduced within the pool bar team. We are in close contact with the district medical officer and have agreed that he will always be available. If we become aware of an infection on site, the authorities will be informed immediately.
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What is on the program this year?
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For example, we always celebrate the pop quiz on Wednesday. Thursday is dedicated to the word on stage. A highlight will be Maschek’s appearance. Regional bands perform on Fridays, national and international headliners such as Lou Asril, Oehl, the Manu Delago Ensemble and Fink on Saturdays. On the first Friday we have the Austrian band Buntspecht as a guest. The design on Sunday is also new: in the evening there is no program, but from 11 a.m. the jazz brunch live band and from 2 p.m. we set up a meadow dance floor, the Sunday, where well-known DJs like Möwe or Wolfram will play. VN-MIH
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