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Hockenheimring could become permanent concert venue

Hockenheimring, the motor racing circuit formerly home to German grand prix, could become a permanent live entertainment venue, under plans being drawn up by track bosses and local authorities.

The 4.57km (2.84mi) circuit, located near the town of Hockenheim in the Rhine valley, has capacity for 120,000 spectators, with past major music events including FKP Scorpio’s recent open-air Ed Sheeran shows and DEAG’s short-lived Matapaloz festival in 2017.

Despite a spectacular race last July, widely regarded as the best of the 2019 Formula 1 season, the German grand prix is not on the calendar for 2020, and the future of the event remains in doubt.

Hockenheimring (pictured) has additionally lost an event from another crucial motor racing championship, German Touring Car Masters (DTM), in 2020, and circuit management are reportedly looking to diversify further beyond motorsports.

“Despite the long tradition of motor racing at the Ring, further development … is necessary”

Local MP Karl Klein, who was invited to the track recently by Emodrom Group, the company responsible for its development, tells the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung (RNZ): “Despite the long tradition of [motor racing at] the Ring, further development and adapting to societal developments is necessary.”

According to the RNZ, “whatever the fate of the Ring, it will remain open to large public events with 100,000 or more visitors, officials emphasise. This means, above all, large open-air concerts. On this scale, [Hockenheimring] has a unique selling point in Germany that it doesn’t want to give up.”

The venue is also a suitable location for trade fairs, with Emodrom’s E4 Festival of electric cars taking place at the Hockenheimring in June.

 


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