Why are concert drinks in Rostock so expensive?

Rostock. On the open-air stage (and before) a real concert pleasure again, on the other hand, price frustration too often with a beer car: While Seeed, Die Ęrzte, Die Toten Hosen, Evanescence, The Broilers in Iga-Park, Fani after almost three years of Corona break, many visitors are dissatisfied with the high prices of drinks at Iga-Park in Rostock.

Fans are not allowed to bring food and drinks inside – to the concert hall – but beer costs up to six euros, even water costs five euros. With weekend concerts and high summer temperatures expected, this can become even more problematic. Now comes out: the teams themselves give out some price specs.

That’s what the fans say

“The beer prices in Seeed surprised me negatively,” confirms Markus von Scheibner shortly before the Tuesday performance of Die Ęrzte. “Maybe these are special Iga Park prices.” Nevertheless, he hopes: “Today it should actually be cheaper – these are doctors. They are fair, “said the 42-year-old.

And he should be right: compared to the first concert weekend, the beer at the doctors’ concert is 50 cents cheaper, the cola costs 1 euro less, and the guests pay 4.50 euro instead of 5 euro for water.

“You get the whole box for the price,” criticizes Frank Basler, who bought the Coke. “Prices are high.” His daughter gives up. “It’s also expensive at the town hall, that’s the way it is at parties,” says Claudia Matzka from Rostock. “Nobody is forcing us to buy anything.”

Janine Russ from Rostock sees it similarly. “It’s like a festival here and the prices are high there too. The stands have a monopoly and can set it up like that – says the 24-year-old. “If you know this in advance and want a drink here, you need to be prepared and take some more money with you.”

Despite all understanding, it is too expensive for students. “As an apprentice, I don’t earn that much. In “Broilers” I paid ten euros for vodka-energy with a deposit. It was amazing, he says. “I couldn’t afford more than one drink. Luckily my brother was there and bought me another drink.

The “Rostocker” is only on it

Anyone who has absolutely nothing to do with € 5.50 a beer, though it may seem at first glance: “We don’t set prices,” assures Alexander Köthe, marketing director of the Rostock brewery. Yes, Rostocker Pils is served at Iga Park and it is also true that almost all beer wagons bear the logo of the local brewer. “But the prices are always set by the innkeeper, the seller,” says Köthe.

The brewery delivers its beer to wholesalers, from which the catering supplies the coveted beer at concerts. “We can provide non-binding price recommendations. But we can’t dictate the selling price to anyone. We don’t talk about it, it would also be a problem under antitrust law, ”says Köthe.

The “owners” borrowed trolleys for handling from the brewery or wholesaler. “We have nothing to do with anything else. Except for our own brewing festival, we never serve it ourselves. ” Köthe cannot even say at the moment how much Rostocker Pils is selling at the Konzert Park ticket offices.

Teams decide

According to OZ information, the host – Iga Park – has nothing to do with prices. Organizers in Rostock can advertise who can serve and earn money at their events. And it changes – from concert to concert: at “Die Ęrzte” and “Die Toten Hosen” the bar was taken over by the Leipzig-based company – Haus & Park Entertainment GmbH. It has the same manager as the Mawi concert agency: Matthias Winkler.

In turn, at the upcoming concerts – with Roland Kaiser and Sarah Connor – the people of Leipzig are dropping out. The license for alcohol is held by a company from Rostock. Also last weekend – at Seeed and Co. – the people of Leipzig were not at the tap.

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Haus & Park boss Winkler says about prices: “In many cases, prices are agreed with the artists.” This means that teams set a limit on the price of drinks. It should be like that with “Doctors” and “Pants”. “The price depends essentially on rent per area and serving trucks, energy, water and waste costs, personnel costs, and rising purchase prices,” says Winkler. Wages in particular have risen by almost 30 percent since the summer of 2019.

To put it bluntly: not only the owner of the apartment earns from the desire of concert-goers. Winkler: “In the national comparison, prices in Iga-Park are at the lowest price level at festivals and open-air festivals.”

Katharina Ahlers and Andreas Meyer