Unique, peaceful ambience
The Irish Openair Toggenburg was held for the sixth time this year. Around 5,000 visitors flocked to Rietbad to listen to the sounds of the various acts. We were thus able to meet our goal of not growing any larger in order to maintain the unique atmosphere. Unfortunately, a few showers passed through the valley on Saturday, but the evenings were characterized by good weather.
Great variety of acts
Visitors to the Irish Openair Toggenburg were given very different impressions of Irish music by the various bands. On Friday evening, bagpipe music was played by The First Leiblach Valley Pipes and Drums. The Led Farmers later impressed with rhythms from the department store of Irish folk. The program on Friday was concluded by Paddy Murphy. The band from Austria encouraged many visitors to get up and dance.
On Saturday, the music program began at 10.00 am. A special attraction was the band Marama. A huge crowd gathered in the Baltimore Irish Village to listen to the thunderstorm on the bagpipes of Marama. The evening program featured the Sally Gardens and the two regular bands Pigeons on the Gate and The Beermats. In between, the Irish Dance School Schaffhausen provided a variety of movement. The music could be listened to in the two marquees until the early hours of the morning.
A cultural specialty
A special feature of the Irish Openair Toggenburg are the three workshops that were held on Saturday. Participants were able to learn simple dance steps, learn to play the flute or get to know the bodhrán instrument. What they had learned in the bodhrán course was presented on the main stage later in the afternoon together with Don O'Connor's Celtic Fusion.
Unique ambience
This summer, the weather was rarely ideal for open airs. Unfortunately, the Irish Openair Toggenburg also had some bad luck on Saturday. Unexpected, heavy rainfall turned parking in the nature park into a muddy experience. The at times adverse weather conditions demanded a great deal of commitment from the many volunteers. Without them, an event like this would hardly have been possible. However, the weather improved considerably towards Saturday evening, creating a unique atmosphere on both evenings. The attention to detail, which can be felt everywhere on the grounds of the Irish Openair Toggenburg, was able to inspire the festival visitors.