There was initial disappointment as it rained heavily at the start of the festival on Friday. But better weather is in sight as the weekend progresses. Visitors should be aware of the congestion and traffic disruption that accompanies the long weekend if they plan to drive to Nürburgring. Reporters from General Anzeiger are covering the festival with a live blog.

Here’s a look at some of what they have experienced so far. Shock rocker Marilyn Manson played at the end of the first festival day on Friday. While this was suppose to be a highlight of the festival, the rock star looked tired and worn out, playing through the set, here and there asking the audience for more applause. Headline act Thirty Seconds to Mars delighted its fans, including a fireworks, and attracting a huge crowd to the main stage. Lead singer Jared Leto brought a fan onto the stage and she got to experience the song “Dangerous Night” front and center.

American progressive metal band A Perfect Circle was convincing with atmospheric sounds paired with complex rhythms and a political message. Many fans celebrated the performance of German-American rapper Casper, who was up on the Volcano stage for his fans. Outside the festival is a camping ground where fans can pitch their tents. But there were many traces of the bad weather that passed through, including muddy grounds, deep puddles, and damaged tents and pavilions.

Keno from Plittersdorf arrived already on Wednesday with his friends and said the storm got really bad at around 4am overnight to Friday. They crawled in their tents and just hoped that the storm would pass. Despite the weather, fans set out on Friday wearing rain ponchos and plastic garbage bags. Luckily, it has improved since then and for the fans and entertainers, the weather will hopefully remain more friendly. Orig. text: Dennis Sennekamp, Britta Röös, Andreas Dyck Translation: Carol Kloeppel