Late Rush Perks St. Gallen

A month ago, ticket sales for Open Air St. Gallen were suffering thanks to poor weather and Switzerland’s preoccupation with the European football championship, but a late rush saw the event come close to selling out.

"It was impossible to get much media coverage because the papers were full of football and we were far from confident of a good year," said festival booker Christof Huber. "But the weather got better and better and the football ended and suddenly we were selling as many as 1,500 per day.

"We finished with 29,000 per day, only 1,000 per day short of a sellout, and that was a very positive result compared to what we’d been expecting a month ago."

The good weather continued throughout the three-day event, with Huber describing it as "relaxed and peaceful," as St. Gallen – which had serious financial problems at the turn of the millennium – was relieved to see late ticket sales also boost food and drink sales, making the difference between profit and loss.

The acts helping the tills ring to the sound of music June 27-29 included Lenny Kravitz, Beck, Justice, the Kooks, Sportfreunde Stiller, The Prodigy, Newton Faulkner, The Enemy, Lightspeed Champion and We Are Scientists.