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.
2027 dates not yet announced
Wacken Open Air has not published its 2027 dates yet. We only list dates the organiser has confirmed, and we will update this page when they are announced.
Last edition (2026)
Aug 1 · Wacken Festivalgelände, Wacken
Headliners: Sabaton, Def Leppard, Powerwolf, Judas Priest, In Flames, Haematom
Past editions
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.