Wacken Open Air 2024: Annual general meeting of the metal world
The small community of Wacken is home to what is probably the biggest heavy metal festival in the world. Around 80,000 fans from all over the world are expected over the course of the week.
From village festival to mega event
Every year since 1990, the small town of Wacken in northern Germany has become a place of pilgrimage for heavy metal heads. Back then, just six local bands performed in front of 800 visitors. Today, 180 bands and more than 80,000 fans from over 80 countries travel to Wacken. Imaginative and almost professional costumes have long been part of the cult festival.
Sun instead of mud this year
Thousands of visitors arrived in tents and camper vans the day before the festival began and enjoyed ideal weather of around 20 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit) without rain. In 2023, downpours had made the festival site so muddy that only 61,000 of the 85,000 visitors were allowed to enter. At least those who were sent home got their money back and a right of first refusal for this year.
A mixture of tradition and innovation
The constant development and commitment of the organizers make Wacken a permanent fixture in the festival calendar. Although globally active investors have now joined the Wacken Open Air company, founders Holger Hübner and Thomas Jensen (middle) also opened the 2024 edition themselves.
'Rock 'n' roll with heart and soul'
Scorpions singer Klaus Meine described the Wacken Open Air as one of the most beautiful and successful festivals in the world. The Scorpions will be headlining for the third time in the last two decades. Meine raves about the unique atmosphere, the loyal fans and the organizers who have turned the festival into a five-day spectacle.
Crowdsurfing in metal fever
For a week, the otherwise quiet community is transformed into a raucous festival site. The inhabitants of Wacken warmly welcome the metal fans and benefit economically from the crowds. Local businesses and clubs get involved to offer visitors an unforgettable experience.
The centerpiece of the Wacken Open Air
The 240-hectare (593-acre) festival site is the size of 340 football pitches, but it is more than just a campsite with a stage. Organizers and numerous sponsors have set up a kind of fairground, including a medieval spectacle called Wackinger Village. The centerpiece, however, is the infield with the two main stages, "Faster" and "Harder."
Space for everyone on large and small stages for all tastes
Many non-metal fans are familiar with headliners such as Iron Maiden, Metallica and Slipknot. Another highlight is Pantera's reunion performance. The band broke up in 2003. In addition to the two main stages, smaller stages offer space for newcomers and unusual acts such as the band MegaBosch (photo) from Hanover.
A celebration of diversity
The Wacken Open Air is more than just music. It is a place where cultures come together. Workshops and culinary highlights from all over the world enrich the festival. The special atmosphere is created by people of different origins and interests coming together. Alonso Ramos and his band Fleshless Entity, for example, come from El Salvador.
Wacken stays in rhythm
Wacken Open Air 2024 will set new standards once again. The mixture of legendary bands and those who want to become legendary, innovative concepts and the special community make the festival unrivalled for many fans. A small indication of this: The 85,000 tickets at around €350 were sold out within four and a half hours.