NIKOS – Festival

Evacuation announcements for Wacken Open Air

autonomous reliable cost-effective

NIKOS is not a conventional PA system, but a radio-based public address, alarm and control system for large events, construction sites and crisis situations, which you can rent by the day through certified partners and either integrate into your PA or use on its own.

Challenge

Deliver clear site-wide warnings despite stage noise

At Wacken Open Air, evacuation announcements must remain intelligible even when stage operations, crowd noise and dense visitor flows make acoustic perception more difficult. In the event of severe weather, overcrowding or an incident, visitors across the entire festival site must be warned quickly and directed effectively. The different areas and high noise levels make clear communication within just a few seconds more difficult.

Solution

One unified solution for everyday use and emergencies

With NIKOS, announcements, system monitoring, visitor information and device control come together on a single platform — fully independent of the public network. For events such as Wacken Open Air, NIKOS [dispatcher]² coordinates evacuation announcements for individual announcement locations, specific areas or the entire site. Its centrally controlled architecture reduces long cable runs, separate control technology and distributed operator stations. Recurring tasks are controlled centrally and monitored or executed by NIKOS, reducing material, installation and operating costs.

FAQ

Information for planners and organisers

Is NIKOS designed to meet the relevant standards for announcements?+
Yes, indeed: NIKOS meets the requirements of DIN EN 50849 for electroacoustic emergency warning systems. The system was developed specifically for safety-relevant announcements and alerting and is technically designed for both everyday operation and emergency situations. DIN EN 50849 represents the relevant reference framework for ELA systems. Unlike mobile network-based systems, NIKOS does not depend on any external network and is therefore immediately ready for use at all times — fully meeting the standard as a result. Other standards known from safety technology, such as DIN EN 54, DIN VDE 0833-4 and DIN 14675 (voice alarm systems), do not apply to NIKOS, as they are not applicable to radio-based public address systems like NIKOS. NIKOS is a public address system for temporary and mobile applications and has been used successfully many times for mission-critical communication tasks since 2017. RADACOM and your regional NIKOS partner will be happy to advise you on the wide range of NIKOS functions and support you in implementing the requirements cost-effectively.
How are announcements fed into existing PA systems at Wacken Open Air?+
NIKOS [audio]² receives the voice transmission wirelessly on site and outputs it as an analogue audio signal through existing PA systems. At locations without an existing sound system, NIKOS [horn]² supplements the acoustic output. This allows existing festival infrastructure to be integrated in a targeted manner.
Can NIKOS be deployed at short notice on a festival site?+
Yes. NIKOS was developed for flexible outdoor use without fixed infrastructure. The modules can be mounted and individually configured by one or two people within just a few minutes on a range of structures, such as lampposts, stages, stands or trees. A standard Schuko power socket is sufficient for continuous operation.
How are areas without sound coverage or areas in darkness included?+
NIKOS [horn]² supplements voice transmission at locations without an existing sound system. For additional visibility, NIKOS [flash]² provides visual signals, while NIKOS [LED]² is used as an LED spotlight for emergency lighting. External devices can be switched via NIKOS [relay]².
Evacuation announcements for Wacken Open Air: Where can NIKOS be rented?+
NIKOS is rented by the day through certified partners, including advice, instruction and technical support. Your regional partner coordinates the deployment with you. Find a partner and request a rental

Rent NIKOS for your operation

Talk to us about your requirements – we will advise you with no obligation.

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