Wacken Open Air

From Village Festival to World Festival

What began in 1990 as a small concert with 6 bands and about 800 visitors in front of the Wacken village pond has become the world's largest heavy metal open-air event: the Wacken Open Air, or W:O:A for short. In the small Schleswig-Holstein village of Wacken (around 1,800 inhabitants in the Steinburg district), around 85,000 metal fans from over 80 countries gather for four festival days at the end of July/beginning of August each year — a visitor-to-resident ratio of about 47:1.

Festival Grounds and Stages

The festival grounds extend over agricultural land around Wacken — several main stages, special stages, the famous Wackinger Village (medieval market), camping areas (camping possible from July 26), and the festival village with food stalls, merchandise, and themed camps like Residenz Evil and Moshtel. During the festival, Wacken effectively becomes the third-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein — temporarily behind Kiel and Lübeck.

35th Edition 2026 — 4 Days, 154 Bands

The 35th edition in 2026 runs from July 29 to August 1, 2026. 154 bands from the entire metal spectrum will perform on the stages — Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Thrash, Death, Black, Doom, Folk, Pagan, Hard Rock, classic metal, and the latest trends.

Confirmed Headliners and Top Acts

The officially confirmed Headliners for 2026:

• Judas Priest — Heavy metal legends from Birmingham
• Def Leppard — Hard rock classics from Sheffield
• Powerwolf — Symphonic Power Metal from Saarland
• Sabaton — Power Metal from Sweden (W:O:A debut)
• In Flames — Melodic Death Metal from Sweden

Other top acts (selection): Savatage, Arch Enemy, Lamb of God, Saxon, Paradise Lost, Alestorm, Lacuna Coil, Yngwie Malmsteen, Apocalyptica, Edguy and many more. The complete Running Order (stages × acts × time slots) will be published on wacken.com before the festival.

The Wacken DNA: Faith No Metal Pure

What sets W:O:A apart from other major festivals is its uncompromising metal identity and the genuinely felt community. The greeting "Rain or Shine" — the festival goes ahead in any weather — is part of the tradition. The "Faith No Metal" principle: no pop interludes, no compromises — only metal, uncompromisingly curated. Added to this is the Wackinger Village, a medieval show and market village with mock combat, mead, and crafts — the festival thus has a special dual soul.

Wacken in the Steinburg District

Wacken is located in the Steinburg district in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, about 50 km northwest of Hamburg. During the festival, a free shuttle bus runs from Itzehoe station — the nearest train station — to the festival grounds. For decades, W:O:A has been an important economic factor for the region and, at the same time, a tourist magnet that brings international metal fans to northern Germany year after year.