For many music fans, the Rockhal has a special place in their hearts. Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and Kylie Minogue are among the global artists to have filled the hall with their music. But, music was replaced with gunfire on Saturday as a simulation of a terror attack was staged in the south of the country.

Similar to the incident at the Bataclan in Paris in 2015, taking 137 lives, an actor carrying an automatic weapon stalked the Rockhal, opening fire on concert-goers, who played along and lay lifeless on the venue floor.

The Vigilnat exercise was a training exercise for Luxembourg’s emergency response units, in the unfortunate event that such an attack were to occur. Over 300 police officers took part along with members of the fire and rescue service and local authorities who, together, locked down the area and treated victims. Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel (DP) even made an appearance, though not as an actor. Bettel, interior minister Taina Bofferding (Déi Gréng), interior security minister François Bausch (Déi Gréng) and justice minister Félix Braz (Déi Gréng) observed the exercise, which had been six months in planning.