Rock for People 2012 Wrap-up

There’s definitely no accounting for bad weather. Being of British descent, I have spent years and years learning that lesson the hard way. Two huge storms hit the Rock for People festival site on Thursday evening, resulting in shows being cut short or, unfortunately, cancelled. The following day, 150km/h winds whipped through Festival Park, wreaking havoc and resulting in the festival site being evacuated for 70 minutes; further performances were delayed or cancelled. Security staff at the festival did an amazing job of clearing and eventually evacuating the area to protect RFP visitors from harm. The RFP team have estimated damage in the millions of CZK, but were quick to thank both the staff and visitors for their understanding and cooperation during the difficult time.

2012 was a testing year for the RFP team, with the elements turning against them, unexpectedly throwing a curveball and severely disrupting events. The mainstream media did a pretty good job of sensationalizing the events taking place on-site, often implying inadequacies on the part of RFP staff & organisers. But I have to say that all staff I encountered were helpful and efficient. Information from the RFP HQ was quickly published through the festival’s social media outlets, and of course the official website. A great few days of music and activities that was only marred by the storms. Let’s pray for blue skies in 2013!