Free Tree Festival evacuated after threat calls

The Free Tree Open Air festival in Taiskirchen, a municipality in the Ried district, was temporarily evacuated overnight after several threatening calls, ORF reported. About 3,000 visitors had to leave the festival grounds for several hours.

The calls came in at around 9:40 p.m. The organiser, Johann Gattermaier, immediately contacted the authorities and worked with police to implement the festival’s emergency plan and clear the site.

Visitors left calmly and without problems, Gattermaier said. Organisers initially could not provide more detailed information for investigative reasons.

Police searched the festival grounds after they had been evacuated but found no suspicious objects. The site was reopened to visitors at about 1:45 a.m.

It remains unclear who made the threatening calls. Police have launched an investigation.