Competitions began at 8am again this morning. Its the only way to fit everything into the timetable. Pretty hard if your orchestra draws an 8am start however!

A vibrant part of the event is the accordion displays by many of the accordion manufacturers in cooperation with their German / Austrian agents. There is a large area near the entrance of the main building used, so you are often walking past the different displays.

With the huge numbers walking between all the different concert venues, the atmosphere of "excitement" and "happening" is really in the air. In the competition room, each group or orchestra seem to have a large band of supporters so between each orchestra there is a considerable audience change in some rooms. The crowd strongly supporting their favourites with clapping and some cheering is also a feature of the event and its atmosphere. Great fun for accordion lovers.

On Saturday night there were five different concerts happening at once. How to be in five places at once?
Saal Tirol: Orchester Hohnerklang, conductor Hans-Günther-Kölz;
A-Train Landes-Akkordeon Bigband Hessen, conductor Wolfgang Russ-Plötz.

Saal Brüssel: "Accordion meets Hammond Organ"
Tobias Escher, Thomas Bauser. Hans Fikelscher.

Orangerie: Cafe Schmalz
Hannes Thanheiser, Claude Manach, Friedl Konlechner, Huber Sator

Saal Innsbruck: Anika & Friends
Anika Köse, Karl Koch, Andreas Reif, Christian Seisl, Stefan Zenth

Sall Dogana: Global Kryner
Christof Spörk, Sebastian Fuchsberger, Edi Koehldorfer, Anton Sauprügl, Karl Rossmann, Sabine Stieger.

Some photos of events during Saturday will be added shortly.