The Ring Saga - another festival leaves the Nurburging

As the battle for the use of the name 'Rock Am Ring' continues in the German Courts between original promoter at the Nurburgring, Markek Lieberberg’s MLK, and new owners Capricorn Nürburgring GmbH, with MLK moving their Festival to Monchengladbach, the new German  event which took over at the Nurburgring, the DEAG promoted Der Ring - Grune Holle Rock (Green Hell) looks like it may in trouble with rumours based on DEAG accounts saying that less than 5,000 tickets have been sold, despite headliners including Muse, Metallica, Faith No More, Judas Priest and Kiss - coupled with two Facebook postings from the organisers saying that disagreements with the Nurburgring owner Capricorn means the event will move from the famous motor circuit to German Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04's Veltins-Arena, a football stadium in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, approximately 200km away from the Nurburgring.  Green Hell is planned to take place over 3 days from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st May 2015 

The first Facebook post on 30th March said this

"Dear fans, irst things first: Grüne Hölle Festival will take place for sure! Some of you may have already followed the recent discussion in the media about the festival moving to a different location. Today, we paid the last artist fee for the bands that will perform at Grüne Hölle – the festival will definitely take place. Though, the festival is very likely to move to the “Arena auf Schalke”, which is about 200 km from the Nürburgring, where camping will also be possible. This is an option we are currently looking into. We will definitely let you know before Easter what the final decision on this will be.

We already sold a total of 60,000 tickets for the sister festivals Rock in Vienna and Rockavaria with the same line-up as Grüne Hölle and we’re confident that our festival will also be a success!

In case the festival will move to Schalke-Arena, you will have the following options: use your ticket to rock with us at the new location, swap your ticket – without any extra fee – for a ticket to Rockavaria in Munich or Rock in Vienna, or you can demand a refund for the ticket you bought (at the same ticket office where you bought the ticket).

We hope you understand that we might not be able to answer all your questions right now. However, we will get back to you as soon as we have some new information for you – before Easter the very latest.

Thanks for understanding,
your Grüne Hölle team"

This was followed early on the 2nd of April with

Dear fans,

Unfortunately irreconcilable differences have teamed up with our partner, the Capricorn Nürburgring GmbH. Because we did not agree we have made the decision to move to the Arena auf Schalke. In this proven location, many bands rock history have written and we will heat up under a new flag with "Rock in the Area" Gelsenkirchen from 29 to 31 May 2015. Some of you will be certainly look forward, the other sad and disappointed - we are however glad that we were able to rescue the Festival and can take place at all!

If you have already purchased tickets for green hell and also on Schalke with Metallica, Muse, KISS and co. want to rock, your tickets are valid for the Interior; the best seats. It is also possible that your green hell their exchanging tickets for a Rockavaria or rock in Vienna or they give back at the ticket office where you purchased them.

More info and schedules will be published next week before the Presale start for rock in the area on April 9. There will still be camping opportunities for you. We have all hands full over Easter and Easter time and again with updates on you come to, and answer your questions.

Many greetings

Your rock in the area team

Press reports say a claim for breach of contract by DEAG against Capricorn Nürburgring GmbH  may follow.

"Green Hell" was a nickname for the Nurburgring coined by F1 driver Sir Jackie Stewart after a famous victory in the German Grand Prix in 1968 -  and it now looks like the rock event will be renamed