“Tasty” show, but – Roger Waters is allowed to perform in Frankfurt

After some legal wrangling, it is now clear: Roger Waters can perform in Frankfurt on May 28th. That was decided by the Frankfurt administrative court. The musician was successful in his urgent request for access to the Festhalle; he invokes freedom of art and expression. Both the state of Hesse and the city of Frankfurt had tried to prevent the appearance in the Festhalle – they accused the Pink Floyd co-founder of anti-Semitism.

Now the Frankfurt Administrative Court decided on Monday (April 24) that the city and state, as shareholders of the Frankfurt Trade Fair, must give the 79-year-old the opportunity “to carry out his planned concert on May 28 in the Festhalle”. Anything else could be seen as a breach of contract.

A termination of the concert contract would therefore not be lawful. The court ruled that Waters’ current stage show was tasteless due to the use of symbolism based on National Socialist rule – especially in view of the historical background of the festival hall, where Jews were deported to concentration camps from 1938.

But: this assessment evades administrative or constitutional examination. Overall, there were not enough indications of an anti-Semitic attitude on the part of the musician: the performance “in its overall view does not allow the conclusion that the applicant glorifies or relativizes National Socialist atrocities or identifies with the National Socialist racial ideology”.

Roger Waters has not yet commented on the court decision (as of Monday afternoon). The parties can appeal against the decision of the Administrative Court at the Hessian Administrative Court in Kassel.