Lollapalooza Berlin 2016

After its launch in the grounds of Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport last year, the European edition of the Lollapalooza festival moved to Treptower Park, between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, south of central Berlin, for its 2016 follow-up. A place of historical interest, the park hosted the Great Industrial Exposition of Berlin in 1896 and is also known for its Soviet War Memorial which commemorates the 80,000 Soviet soldiers who fell in the Battle of Berlin of 1945. It was here in September that, as part of a completely new and sophisticated logistical concept for Lollapalooza, Stageco Deutschland transported 620 tonnes of material on 35 trailers, from which the staging was assembled for the two-day event. One of the challenges resulting from the stringent conditions imposed by the local authorities was the need for extensive barriers and security measures within the park, leading to very long driving and walking distances. Furthermore, the sensitive ground demanded that the construction work be carried out with absolute precision and care. Substantial ground protection measures were installed well in advance of operations and formed the base for all work involving heavy equipment. Towards the end of what is often a stormy festival season, the weather was surprisingly good during the entire construction phase and the festival itself. Up to 100 riggers and technicians at a time were deployed by Stageco to erect a total of four stages along with many other special structures.