Big week in Baden-Baden - Iffezheim from August 29 to September 5
- Online pre-sale starts on August 2, 4 p.m. / limited number of spectators admitted with "3G plus mask" / Baden Galopp initially offers 5000 seats / four days of racing with six group races / international four-legged stars expected for the Big Week -
"Advance ticket sales start on August 2 - and now it's up to all of us to make a great Big Week possible!" Stephan Buchner, Managing Partner of Baden Galopp GmbH & Co KG, Iffezheim, is proud of his small team, which has put together a very special event in less than five months since taking over the racecourse: "We are expecting international four-legged stars and winners for the Big Week, we are presenting six group races on four racing days and we are offering race prizes worth almost one million euros - plus the Golden Whip, probably the most coveted honorary prize in German galloping."
From Monday, August 2, 4 p.m., tickets for all four race days on August 29 and September 1, 4 and 5 can be purchased online directly at www.ticketmaster.de. Interested parties can also access the provider via the Baden Galopp homepage at www.badengalopp.de. Whether and in what form there will be a box office depends on the development of the pandemic and advance sales. The race days will be extended this year and offer eleven or twelve races; on September 4, the first race will start at 12.00 noon, the other three race days will start at 10.00 am.
Baden Galopp strongly recommends purchasing tickets online in good time: "On the one hand, visitors can secure a ticket from the greatly reduced offer, and on the other, they save themselves, all other guests and us time and crowds," says Buchner.
Lawyer Buchner explains the situation: "With an incidence of less than 35, the current Corona Ordinance on Sport of the state of Baden-Württemberg allows a maximum of 50 percent of spectators on the racecourse if they are fully vaccinated, recovered or tested." "And," Buchner continues, "as at the finest of all gallop events in Ascot, the rule is: wear a mask." To be on the safe side, Baden Galopp is initially only offering 5000 tickets per race day.
Baden Galopp is cautious, as the Big Week remains dependent on two unknown factors: firstly, the development of infection figures over the next few weeks. The other unknown factor is August 23rd: six days before the start of the Big Week, the new Corona Ordinance of the state of Baden-Württemberg will be published. Buchner assures: "As a ticket buyer, you are on the safe side: if the number of spectators has to be reduced, the ticket price will of course be refunded."
"We don't know what the figures will look like."
Baden-Galopp has developed a flexible hygiene concept that can be adapted to the current situation. This includes staggered entry, where visitors can check in with the relevant certificate (vaccinated - recovered - tested) via the Luca app or Corona-Warn-App and their ID card or passport. The citizen test must be no more than 24 hours old. "Of course, we also accept the QR code on paper or vaccination cards - but the digital smartphone app avoids paperwork and makes the procedure easier and faster for everyone involved," says Buchner.
In terms of safety, the racecourse boss sees the racecourse as having an advantage over most other sports arenas: "People are spread out over our huge grounds. What's more, our guests don't jostle on public transport, but generally come by car or two-wheeler - for this reason alone, they don't drink much alcohol." Nevertheless, Buchner is concerned: "If the incidence rises above 35, the number of spectators would have to be limited to 500 under the current regulations - that would really be a problem. But we at remain optimistic - in every respect."
