About
Wacken Open Air is the world's largest heavy metal festival, held annually in the small village of Wacken in northern Germany. What started in 1990 as a small open-air concert with 800 attendees has become a global pilgrimage for metal fans, regularly drawing 75,000+ visitors from over 80 countries. The festival features around 100 bands across multiple stages over three days, covering every subgenre of metal from classic heavy metal and thrash to black metal, death metal, and folk metal. Wacken's remote rural setting — surrounded by farmland — adds to its mythic status. The festival is known for its legendary mud (the Wacken Mud) when it rains, its bull-horned logo, and the passionate dedication of its attendees, many of whom return year after year.
Highlights
- World's largest heavy metal festival
- 75,000+ attendees from 80+ countries
- 100+ bands across multiple stages over three days
- Founded in 1990 with just 800 attendees
- Located in the tiny village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein
- Famous for its mud, camaraderie, and dedicated fanbase
Details
- Location
- Wacken, Germany
- Venue
- Wacken Festival Grounds
- Founded
- 1990
- Typical month
- August
- Editions on record
- 15
- Status
- active
Links
Location
Wacken, Germany