NIKOS – Festival

Public address system 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 warnings across the entire site despite stage noise

At Wacken Open Air, stage operations, music and crowd noise converge across a temporary festival site. Varying noise levels make it difficult for a public address system to deliver clearly intelligible announcements. In an emergency, warnings and instructions must remain clearly understandable throughout the entire site despite noise and moving crowds. In addition, the public mobile network is under heavy strain when visitor density is high.

Solution

One unified solution for everyday use and emergencies

One platform for everything: NIKOS unites visitor information, alerting, crowd management and control in a single, network-independent system. For events such as Wacken Open Air, NIKOS combines announcements, alerting, information messages, remote control and status monitoring on a single platform. NIKOS [dispatcher]² controls individual announcement locations, specific areas or the entire site. NIKOS [audio]² receives voice transmissions on site via radio and outputs them as an analogue audio signal. NIKOS [horn]² supplements the acoustic output at locations without an existing sound system. The rapidly deployable, radio-based units reduce long cable runs as well as material, installation and support requirements. Recurring tasks are controlled centrally and monitored or carried out by NIKOS, reducing the need for staff travel, operating stations and guard posts.

FAQ

Information for planners and organisers

Does NIKOS adhere to the applicable standards for announcements?+
Yes. The basis is DIN EN 50849 for electroacoustic emergency warning systems, whose requirements NIKOS fully meets. Developed specifically for safety-relevant announcement and alerting applications, NIKOS is technically designed for everyday use as well as for emergency situations. For ELA systems, DIN EN 50849 forms the relevant framework. Because NIKOS — unlike mobile network-based systems — does not depend on an external network, immediate usability is guaranteed at all times, meaning the standard is fully met. Other safety-related standards such as DIN EN 54, DIN VDE 0833-4 and DIN 14675 (voice alarm systems) concern a different field of use and functional scope and are not relevant for the approval of NIKOS. Since its market launch in 2017, NIKOS has been the leading public address system for temporary and mobile applications, used successfully at some of the largest open-air events in Europe. 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.
Where does NIKOS deliver cost savings?+
Depending on the application, NIKOS can implement a range of functions via a single communications platform. These savings can quickly offset NIKOS's rental and installation costs. You can find some specific examples of savings here. NIKOS mainly reduces the effort required for separate loudspeaker, control and communication solutions. Material requirements and cabling work are reduced, and information and emergency announcements can be made from a single location. Fenced festival sites offer additional savings potential because recurring inspection and reporting tasks can be monitored technically and handled from a single location. As a result, guard posts can be eliminated or deployed more effectively at safety-critical points. This offsets rental and installation costs through savings on personnel and other technology.
Is NIKOS resilient in a crisis?+
Yes. NIKOS operates via its own autonomous radio network and is entirely independent of public communications networks and their availability. Because NIKOS does not rely on cable runs but communicates via radio, the connection is automatically re-established after an interruption. NIKOS [audio]² has an internal battery with up to 16 hours of operating time and also supplies connected accessory modules. This keeps the public address system at Wacken Open Air reliably operational even in the event of a power failure or disruptions to public communications networks.
Can NIKOS be deployed at short notice and used flexibly?+
Yes. NIKOS was developed specifically for flexible outdoor deployments without fixed infrastructure. One or two people can mount the modules on a variety of structures, such as lampposts, stages, stands or trees, within just a few minutes and configure them individually. A standard Schuko power connection is sufficient for continuous operation.
Public address system 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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