The stage construction in the historic moated castle is showing its age.

In order to ensure the long-term performance of the Castle Festival, a new construction is now to be made.

This is necessary for reasons of statics, and the previous construction no longer meets the requirements of demanding gaming operations.

The city has now submitted the planning application for this project.

Wolfram Ahlers

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for central Hesse and the Wetterau.

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The design envisages relocating the pillars supporting the roof to the edges of the grandstand.

This should give the audience a better view of what is happening on stage.

Actors and stage designers could then use the entire stage without structural restrictions.

The festival management also expects improvements in terms of acoustics and soundproofing, which results, for example, from the fact that the front part of the roof is lowered.

The new stage roof is manufactured as a kind of framework construction made of steel elements.

The entire construction should appear filigree and unobtrusive in order to impair the image of the Wasserburg monument as little as possible.

This means that it does not have to be dismantled again after the season.

More than 100,000 spectators

It is planned that the new construction of the roof can begin after the end of the next season, i.e. in autumn, and that the new construction will then be ready for next year's season.

About three quarters of a million euros have been estimated at costs, whereby the city can take money from the Hessen cash register.

Work is also planned outside of the venue in the courtyard, namely on the moat.

Roots and frost have affected the borders there, and the bank has eroded in a number of places.

In addition, the inflow to the Nidda, which feeds the moat with water, is dilapidated.

According to the redevelopment concept, the edges of the river banks are to be equipped with a construction made of stone mats, into which plants can also be placed, in order to give them more stability.

An aeration system should improve the water quality.

With more than 100,000 spectators per season, the Bad Vilbel Castle Festival is one of the best-attended events of this genre in Germany.