Lieberberg Keeps Rock Am Ring

Marek Lieberberg may no longer stage his Rock Am Ring festival on the Nürburgring motor racing track, but a German court has ruled that he can continue using the festival’s name at a different venue.

The promoter gets down with Germany's Die Toten Hosen at Rock Am Ring in 2005.

The Higher Germany Court in Koblenz on Aug. 29 overturned a ruling by the area’s regional court that in June said Lieberberg could not use the Rock am Ring brand away from the Nürburgring track.

The MLK chief lost his slot at the Nürburgring when DEAG chief Peter Schwenkow and a festival team of Wizard Promotions chief Ossy Hoppe, son Oliver and recently acquired UK promoter Stuart Galbraith were prepared to pay the circuit’s asking price for it to start a new event called “Green Hell – Rockfestival am Nürburgring.

“We were of course very pleased and relieved about this decision and we consider it as a sign of rightfulness to continue the festival created by us under its name at a new location,” Lieberberg told Pollstar. “The attempt to falsify history was clearly rebuked by the court. The ridiculous claim by competitors to kidnap the tradition of our festival and their allegation to continue it blew up in their faces.”

Lieberberg has been looking for a new site for his festival, the most likely choices being the former NATO HQ at Rheindahlen or another former military airfield at Mendig.

A decision on where next year’s 30th anniversary Rock And Ring will take place (June 5-7 is expected soon.