Those black barriers are an attempt to block part of our view of the festival, too – though we can't miss all the flags associated with the Third Reich hanging above the barriers. At the entrance to the big white tent covering the stage, all guests are searched for weapons by one of the hundreds of police officers that have been called in from all over Germany. There's even a water cannon in case a riot breaks out. The cost of this additional security is covered by Thuringia's taxpayers – while with 6,000 visitors paying €35 per ticket, the festival's organisers will make over €200,000 in ticket sales alone.