Nova Rock 2026 Police Report: 104 Driver's Licenses Confiscated and 152 Theft Reports Filed

Focused Operation on the A4

Parallel to the operations in Burgenland, a multi-day focused operation by the Lower Austrian police was conducted at the Bruck an der Leitha traffic checkpoint on the A4. This was specifically aimed at alcohol, drug, and speeding offenses in the arrival and departure traffic of the festival. "Therefore, a focus was placed on the A4 at the Bruck an der Leitha traffic checkpoint," the authority stated.

As part of this operation, 1,835 alcohol tests were conducted. 67 drivers were caught under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Of these, twelve had more than 0.5 per mille and ten had more than 0.8 per mille of alcohol in their blood. A total of 104 driver's licenses were confiscated during the checks.

One case of illegal street racing is particularly serious: "The two drivers engaged in a street race on the A4 at a speed of over 233 km/h, which is why their driver's licenses were provisionally confiscated," the police reported. During the 565 preliminary breath tests and breath tests, four drivers under the influence of alcohol, nine drivers due to insufficient physical and mental fitness to drive, and two drivers due to massive speeding were cited.

Drugs and Alcohol Behind the Wheel

The clinical examinations revealed further alarming figures. In 86 clinical examinations, doctors from the Lower Austrian medical pool identified 80 drivers impaired by narcotics. A further nine drivers refused the examination entirely. In 565 alcohol tests, an additional four drivers under the influence of alcohol were caught.

The technical inspection of the vehicles also produced an alarming report. In 30 inspections by the state's traffic experts, 100 serious technical defects and 50 defects posing imminent danger were identified. The police described the results as a clear indication of the need for such checks.

Technical Defects and Jalopies

"The high number of serious vehicle defects identified underscores the importance and necessity of the technical checks carried out," the State Police Directorate explained. The operation had made it possible to prevent potential serious traffic accidents in connection with arrival and departure traffic.

The focused operation in Lower Austria was carried out by 46 officers of the Lower Austrian State Police Directorate, reinforced by seven officers of the Vienna State Traffic Department and two officers of the Wels District Police Command. A total of over 50 police officers were deployed.

International Police Cooperation

In Burgenland, the police also drew on international support: 18 police officers from Germany and two police officers from Switzerland were available in an advisory and technical support capacity. 55 Austrian police officers were deployed in the Lower Austrian operation, supported by 18 German and two Swiss officers, as well as doctors from the Lower Austrian medical pool.

Doctors were available on all deployment days to carry out clinical examinations. This medical component proved essential, as the majority of the irregularities could only be identified through clinical assessment. "This made it possible to prevent potential serious traffic accidents in connection with the festival's arrival and departure traffic," the State Police Directorate stated.

Assessment by the Deployment Forces

The Lower Austrian police ultimately described the focused operation as a "considerable success." The authority pointed out that in previous years there had repeatedly been numerous alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers in the vicinity of the festival – a circumstance that had made the targeted checks necessary.

Overall, the report from both federal states makes clear that arrival and departure to major events such as Nova Rock represents a significant police risk area. The high number of drug impairments, the illegal street race, and the massive technical vehicle defects paint a picture of an event whose security situation goes far beyond the usual scope.

The police announced that comparable focused operations around major events would also be carried out in the future. The cooperation between the State Police Directorates of Burgenland and Lower Austria, as well as with international partners from Germany and Switzerland, is to be continued, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

From June 11 to 14, 2026, NOVA Rock took place in Burgenland. The organizers themselves initially did not comment on the police findings. The festival is one of Austria's largest rock events, attracting several hundred thousand visitors annually.

In addition to traffic checks, the police measures also included patrols in the event grounds and at the campsites. A key focus was on combating drug crime, as reflected in the 21 reports under the Narcotic Substances Act. The security deposits of around 15,000 euros were retained, among other things, for imposed fines and administrative charges.

With the end of the festival and the wave of departures on June 14, the deployment forces simultaneously shifted into evaluation and reporting mode. The figures now available form the basis for the police strategy at future major events in the region. The findings from Nova Rock 2026 are to feed into the planning for similar events.