DEAG Leverages International Clout

Peter Schwenkow’s Deutsche Entertainment AG has shaken up the European festival business by announcing two new events, which means it now has four major outdoor events in the GAS territories in less than a month.

Working with its recent acquisition, Stuart Galbraith’s UK-based Kilimanjaro Live, and Ossy Hoppe’s Wizard Promotions, DEAG’s starting “Rockavaria” in the Munich Olympiapark (May 29-31), and teaming it with the new festival on the Nürburgring Formula One motor racing track on the same dates.

Although Schwenkow has been legally stopped from using the name of Marek Lieberberg’s Rock Am Ring festival, its predecessor at the Nürburgring, he’s risked reigniting the controversy by renaming his event “Green Hell – Rockfestival am Nürburgring.” It’s now being called “Der Ring – Green Hell Rock.”

DEAG’s also starting “Rock in Vienna” (June 4-6) on the Austrian capital’s Danube Island, then rounding off its season with “Rock the Ring” (June 19-21), a festival it already runs in Zurich.

DEAG reckons it can sell 350,000 tickets across the four events, according to a statement that also said the festival market moves will enable the company to “fully leverage its international clout.”