Wacken Open Air (often just “Wacken” or “W:O:A”) is the world’s largest heavy-metal festival, held since 1990 in the tiny village of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. Every August the village of a few thousand residents swells with around 85,000 metal fans from across the globe.
When & where
- Founded
- 1990
- Home
- Wacken, Germany
- Genre
- Heavy metal
- When
- Early August
Upcoming editions
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2026 guides
Planning around events? These guides collect 2026 calendars, festival clusters, and practical trip ideas so you can compare dates before you book.
Performers
Official information
Official Wacken Open Air website ↗
Source: Ticketmaster · Last checked Jul 30, 2026
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About Wacken Open Air
The festival is a pilgrimage for the metal community, spanning classic heavy metal, thrash, death, black and folk metal across multiple stages. Tickets routinely sell out far in advance — often before a single band is announced — on the strength of the Wacken name alone.