With six days to go before the Schueberfouer kicks off, the Luxembourg City council took stock on Thursday 17 August of what’s new for the 681st edition of the Greater Region’s biggest funfair. More than 2m visitors are expected over the 20 days of festivities.
Regarding rides, the Petersburger Schlittenfahrt and the Big Monster will be joining Airwolf Sky Control and the Gladiator, along with the Wilde Maus, of course, which is available in an XXL version this year: visitors can don virtual reality goggles and experience the thrills of this rollercoaster tenfold.
For younger visitors, the Ballonfahrt and the Flying Star are the new attractions this year.
Two days of reduced fares
There will be 211 fairground operators at the Schueberfouer, mainly from the Benelux region, France and Germany (though, as per usual, one operator from Australia is coming in too). Several highlights will punctuate the three-week run, such as Burgomasters’ Day on 29 August and Queens’ Day on 31 August.
Bargain seekers can look forward to the reduced-rate Family Day on 30 August (with a 30% discount on ride prices) and the Half Price Day on 11 September, which lasts until 8pm. At 10pm that evening, a fireworks display will bring the funfair to a close.
Prices on the rides remain the same as last year.
Every year, the question of cost is the subject of much comment, but Charel Hary dismisses it out of hand: “Prices for the rides are the same as last year,” insists the president of the National Federation of Fairground Traders (Fédération nationale des commerçants forains). However, he does not rule out price increases for food stalls, given the inflation of recent months.
Focus on safety
In addition to the forces of law and order, security guards from GDL Security will be on hand in the Fouer alleys this year. In recent weeks, there have been a number of accidents at funfairs in Belgium and the south of France, so the issue cannot be ignored.
“If an extreme weather event were to occur, we would have to suspend the operation of the attractions,” said mayor (DP). She was nevertheless confident, given the encouraging weather forecast for the first week of activities at the Schueberfouer.
And (DP) pointed out that the fairground trades are inspected by an approved body. “Last year, a merry-go-round was closed at the very beginning of the Fouer because it was not yet ready in terms of safety,” pointed out the alderman for festivals and markets.
Luxcontrol is responsible for inspections prior to the Schueberfouer’s opening. “There is no fairground that opens without being inspected,” said Laurent Schwaller, head of the public space, festivals and markets department at the City of Luxembourg.
The city has also reiterated the importance of using public transport to access the fairground, which will be open every day from 11am to 1am.
This article was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.