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
We don't have a confirmed Wacken Open Air edition in our listings right now. New dates are added automatically as they go on sale — in the meantime, check the official Wacken Open Air website for the latest announcements.
Official information
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.