< PreviousThere is currently no German rock and/or metal band that tours more than Heavysaurus. Next stop: Wacken. But four dinosaurs and a dragon on the hallowed Acker – can that work? Christof Leim: Sure. Or are you scared? Ha ha. No, don’t worry. We’ll rock almost 200 shows during the Pommesgabel Tour this year, about half of which are now behind us. Trust me, as Riffi’s, uh, guitar technician, I know the gang. You can basically apply what dog owners say about their pets: they just wanna play! Riffi: It’s going to be amazing. Because we’re not just the only dinosaur metal band, we’re also –and I say this with all due respect – the best one. I’m sure of that. And I promise we won’t break anything. Will you be playing your songs as usual, or have you revised the lyrics to a PG-18 version? Something like “Krombacher ist mega!” (editor’s note: translates to “Krombacher beer rules!”)… Riffi: Why would we change anything about ‘Kaugummi ist mega!’ (editor’s note: original song title translates to ‘Chewing gum rules!’)? That’s a hit. On top of that, the lyrics wouldn’t make any sense. How would one blow a beer bubble to fly around the world with? You would never be able to achieve a quality bubble that 25-26 chewing gums produce, no matter how high-quality a beer burp you manage. Christof: Mr. Heavysaurus, whom we all call ‘Heavy’, has said again and again: The smallest metalheads are the real giants for us. That’s why the band is playing their show as is. On top of that, the local kids are invited to the show. But if I know one thing about the guys and the gal in the band, they won’t be able to resist a classic tune or two. How do Heavysaurus feel about stagediving and crowdsurfing? Riffi: Heavy always wants to stage dive on tour, and Muffi Puffi and I regularly have to intervene. Not even because the kids in the front row would get flattened, but because Heavy could never even get across the pit! Christof: Yeah, crowdsurfing is something that’s best left to the grown-up shows. At our shows, the kids get to be at the front, an area we like to call the Kids’ Pit, so that won’t fly. Stagediving, circle pits, walls of death and staying up too late are things that don’t work for Heavysaurus. Can fans without kids see your show, or do they have to rent some? Riffi: They’re welcome, of course! Just please don’t leave with fewer or more kids than you arrived with. Christof: Heavysaurus is for the entire family. And from my position at the side of the stage, I can report that the adults know the lyrics just as well as the little ones. For those who don't know Heavysaurus yet: Why does a band that plays metal for kids have a place in Wacken? Riffi: I don’t get the question. Heavysaurus: awesome dino metal. Wacken Open Air: awesome metal festival. Even if you’re not as smart as Milli Pilli, that one’s not hard to figure out. Christof: A Heavysaurus show is a real, genuine rock show. Music for children, but not kids’ music. These are really cool songs with killer riffs and catchy hooks. And the lyrics aren’t unusual, either: Heavysaurus either sing about their adventures on tour, want to save the world or inspire courage. And even more often, they sing about how much they rock. That’s no different than Manowar… Four dinosaurs and a dragon will take to the W:E:T stage on Friday: Heavysaurus on the Holy Ground! We spoke to guitarist Riffi Raffi and his, ahem, guitar tech Christof Leim. Christof Leim Credits: Jens Vetter, Franz Schepers, Christof Leim Riffi Raffi, guitarist and the only dragon in Heavysaurus Heavysaurus are the most successful rock and metal band for kids – and grown-upsby Victoria Schaffrath he former country inn will once again serve as the ninth stage of W:O:A this year – and it's a force to be reckoned with! Anyone who thinks there’s no place to take a breath (and party on!) amidst the mosh pits and metal madness should plan a detour to the legendary LGH. It’s where village charm meets thunder, beer garden vibes meet thrashing beats and bratwurst meets black metal. A new feature this year: The spacious beer garden at the Landgasthof opens its doors on Sunday, perfect for anyone who wants to warm up early or simply get into the right mood. Beneath the tree shade, you can enjoy the calm be- fore the storm with a cool drink in hand, or simply head straight for the first morning pint. But the LGH Club Stage is not just a treat for the palate. In addition to a colourful selection of bands from all genres of heavy music, there is a special highlight on the agenda: Heavy metal radio play “L.B. Steel” will be performed on Saturday – including a live band to accompany the exciting story with booming riffs, thundering drums and plenty of ambience. Anyone who loves metal and is in the mood for an amusing adven - ture involving three ‘metal detec- tives’ should mark this event in their festival calendar! And between concerts, it's worth taking a stroll around the small Renaissance fair in the LGH garden: Here you’ll find mead, crafts and historical flair – an exciting contrast to the oth- erwise electricity-heavy world of W:O:A. And as if all this wasn’t reason enough to come by, there’s also logistical relief: This year, the shuttle bus to the Wacken public swimming pool stops di- rectly at the Landgasthof! , With Guns N' Roses, Machine Head, Gojira and Papa Roach, W:O:A 2025 will once again be hosting some massive headliners. But even beyond the Faster and Harder Stage, the schedule is more eclectic than ever before For Wacken guests with a festival wristband, the Landgasthof will offer everything from concerts to radio play shows, karaoke evenings and the big beer garden There’s a lot going on at the Landgasthof all week long ::Britta Görtz’s voice has been flavouring various metal pro- ductions and projects for more than 25 years. She’s so good, she’s in demand as a vocal coach that shows metal pros how to utilise and protect their voices and even as interim lead singer for Heaven Shall Burn whenever fronter Marcus Bischoff is fighting an infection – that is, if the schedule of her own band Hiraes allows. The great news: Your own sing-alongs don’t have to end in shredded vocal cords, either! Görtz will be cooking up her mixture of information, en- tertainment and thundering growls for all willing fans on Friday on the Welcome To The Jungle Stage. A fusion of Ukrainian and English-language rock is what you can expect from The Hardkiss. Founded in Kyiv in 2011 by married couple Julia Sanina and Valeriy Bebko, the band has long been one of the biggest acts in their home country. They have won several music awards and have participated in the prelimi- nary rounds for Eurovision. With a mixture of pop and prog ele- ments and emotional, rebellious lyrics, they produce hits such as their latest single, “Crush“. Af- ter Russia's invasion of Ukraine, The Hardkiss released the song “ Як ти ?” (translates to “How are you?“), with proceeds going to humanitarian aid. They also em- barked on a charity tour to sup- port the Ukrainian armed forces and Ukrainian children. On Wednesday, they'll be playing a special acoustic set for the fans in Wacken – put- ting the icing on the cake that is the Metal Church schedule. Heavy metal and classical instru- ments are a perfect match – pro- jects like Apocalyptica have proven this without a doubt. For Wacken Open Air, star pianist Joja Wendt is spicing up his usual blend of jazz and classical music with a hefty dose of heat: His show is called “Iron Keys” and the grand piano, which was created specifically for this year's festival, has been christened “Beast”. “Forged from steel, for the toughest stage in the world,” is how Wendt describes this creature, which could well have come from the imaginary realm of HR Giger. Joja Wendt plays the Wasteland Stage on Friday. “ ” “” Joja Wendt playing his “Beast” Julia Sanina is the vocalist for The Hardkiss, which she founded with her husband Valeriy (left) Britta Görtz is a professional growler Credits: W:O:A, PR, Growling Infotainment, Laura BeschCredit: GunsN’Roses Axl, Slash and Duff are celebrating the finale of their grand tour of Europe and the Middle East in Wacken Back in the day, you never knew when Axl would show up. Nowadays, it’s unclear when he’ll stop: Guns N’ Roses are out to serve a fantastic time – sometimes for as long as three hours, with 30 songs or more by Christof Leim e’re all fanboys and -girls really, of one band or another. And at the start of the Nineties, the two lads from Wacken, Holger Hübner andThomas Jensen, were – like millions of oth- ers – mad about GunsN’Ros- es. Back then, the US outfit ranked among the biggest acts in the rock’n’roll circus, capti- vating audiences with brilliant songs and electrifying shows, wild living and a fair dash of megalomania. Thomas, Hol- ger and their mates—by now running their own (still) small festival—naturally dreamt of bringing the “Gunners” to their village one day… This summer that dream finally comes true: AxlRose, Slash and DuffMcKagan will shake up the W:O:A with their band. What will happen on Thursday on the Harder Stage, however, no one yet knows… That is no longer down to singer W.Axl Rose’s for- mer habit – during the two-and-a-half-year (!) “UseYourIllusion” tour from 1991 to 1993 he quite often turned up late on stage. Those days are long gone: Axl is a consummate professional and remains a perfectionist. He has recently shown that his voice is still in top shape, not only on tour but also at BlackSabbath’s farewell “BackToTheBeginning” in Birmingham. What’s more, on the current European tour GunsN’Roses typically play for three hours or more and sometimes pull over 30 songs out of the hat. The great thing is: it’s never the same old hits in the same order. Instead, the “Gunners” keep changing the set list, serving up both the me- ga-hits and second-row gems, new songs, cool cover versions and plenty of long-unheard surprises. The only other ma- jor band that does it quite like this: Metallica. A glance at recent shows tells the story: the obligatory smashers are always present – without “Welcome To The Jungle”, “Paradise City” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine” the band simply isn’t allowed to go home. Alongside them come well-loved hard-rock hits such as “It’s So Easy”, “You Could Be Mine” and “Nightrain”, natu- rally, but also epic marathons like “November Rain”, “Es- tranged” or “Civil War”, and even intricate cuts like “Loco- motive” and “Coma”. In contrast, the set is regu- larly spiced with punk num- bers (“New Rose”, “Down On The Farm”) and semi-acoustic gems (“Patience”, “Used To Love Her”). Add to that cool cover versions of BlackSab- bath or ThinLizzy and even some newer originals (“Hard Skool”, “Absurd”) – thrilling stuff for fans! Whether Guns N’ Roses play two, three or even three-and-a-half hours in Wacken is something only Axl, Slash and Duff can an- swer. We wait in eager an- ticipation.Wendsday, 30 July 16.00 - 17.00 Wind Rose 17.45 - 19.00 Apocalyptica 20.00 - 21.15 Beyond The Black 22.15 - 00.00 Saltatio Mortis “25th Anniversary Show" 12.00 - 13.00 Dogma 13.30 - 14.30 Enemy Inside 15.15 - 16.15 Lita Ford 17.00 - 18.00 Hanabie 18.45 - 20.00 Tarja & Marko Hietala 21.00 - 22.30 Deine Cousine :: 11.00 - 11.20 MB Germany / Gun Called Britney 11.50 - 12.10 MB South America Northern Region / Vhill 12.40 - 13.00 MB Central America / Theophobos 13.30 - 13.50 MB Caribbean / A Burning Rose 14.20 - 14.40 MB Sweden / Primal Instinct 15.50 - 16.10 MB Argentina / Elnueveonce 16.40 - 17.00 MB Spain / Radity 17.30 - 17.50 MB Malta / Morsrot 18.20 - 18.40 MB Iceland / Gaddavír 19.10 - 19.30 MB Balkan Regions / Mark My Words 20.15 - 21.15 Lost Society 22.45 - 00.00 Ozzyfied 01.00 - 03.00 Ballroom DJ Team feat. DJ Markus Babbel 11.25 - 11.45 MB Canada / Killotine 12.15 - 12.35 MB Mexico / Hellmidian 13.05 - 13.25 MB Switzerland / Expellow 13.55 - 14.15 MB USA / Mourning High 14.45 - 15.45 Thus (Metal Battle Winner 2024) 16.15 - 16.35 MB Hungary / Nefalem 17.05 - 17.25 MB Middle East / Necrosin 17.55 - 18.15 MB Finland / Numento 18.45 - 19.05 MB Portugal / Namek 19.35 - 20.10 From Fall to Spring 21.30 - 22.30 Nestor 00.00 - 01.00 Mambo Kurt 12.00 - 12.45 Wacken Firefighters 13.30 - 14.15 Voodoo Kiss 15.00 - 16.00 Tabernis 16.45 - 17.45 Saint City Orchestra 18.30 - 19.30 Samsas Traum 20.15 - 21.15 In the Woods 22.15 - 23.15 Skynd 14.00 - 14.45 Warbringer 15.30 - 16.15 Seven Sisters 17.00 - 17.45 Torture Squad 18.30 - 19.15 Torment “40th Anniversary Show" 20.00 - 20.45 Gehennah 21.30 - 22.15 Pentagram (Chile) 23.00 - 00.00 3 Inches of Blood 00.30 - 01.00 Sir Henry Hot Memorial 11.00 - 12.00 Metal Workouts 12.30 - 13.30 Wacken Slam Battle 14.30 - 15.30 A journey into space’, Vortrag von ESA-Astronaut Alexander Gerst 16.30 - 17.30 Wolfgang Niedecken & Mike Herting 18.00 - 19.00 Rage “Soundchaser"- Lesung 19.30 - 20.30 Acoustic Steel 21.00 - 21.30 Alien Rockin’ Explosion 21.30 - 23.00 Maschine’s Late Night Show 23.00 - 03.00 Movie Night 14.00 - 15.00 Sabbelstunde mit Manu & Konny Reimann 17.00 - 18.00 Charles the Goat 19.00 - 20.00 Random 21.00 - 22.00 Grand Slam 22.00 - 03.00 Ballroom DJ Team 17.00 - 18.00 Adoramus Gottesdienst 19.00 - 20.00 The Hardkiss Thursday, 31 JulY 16.15 - 17.15 BAP 18.45 - 20.15 Michael Schenker “My years with UFO" 15.00 - 16.00 Skyline 17.30 - 18.30 Grave Digger “45th Anniversary Show" 20.30 - 00.00 Guns N’ Roses 12.00 - 13.00 Smoke Blow 13.45 - 14.45 Prong 15.30 - 16.30 Ugly Kid Joe 17.30 - 18.45 Clawfinger 19.45 - 21.00 Static X 22.00 - 23.30 Ministry :: 11.00 - 11.20 MB Indian Sub-Continent / Panchabhuta 11.50 - 12.10 MB Ireland / AeSect 12.40 - 13.00 MB Czech Republic / Refore 13.30 - 13.50 MB Poland / Deadline 14.20 - 14.40 MB Netherlands / HYLA 15.10 - 15.30 MB Sub-Saharan Africa / Halvar 16.15 - 17.00 Umbra Conscientia 18.15 - 19.00 Macabre “40th Anniversary Show“ 20.30 - 21.30 Krisiun “Special 90s Set" 23.00 - 00.00 1349 11.25 - 11.45 MB Denmark / Danefae 12.15 - 12.35 MB Uruguay / Alpha 13.05 - 13.25 MB Caucasia & West Asia / My Own Shiva 13.55 - 14.15 MB Romania & Rep. Moldova / Diluvian Collapse 14.45 - 15.05 MB Bulgaria / Hellbøund 15.35 - 15.55 MB China / Eternal Power 17.15 - 18.00 Svarttjern 19.15 - 20.15 Hellbutcher 21.45 - 22.45 Benediction 00.00 - 03.00 Ballroom DJ Team feat. DJ Markus Babbel 12.00 - 12.45 Shantallica 13.30 - 14.15 Tabernis 15.00 - 16.00 Coppelius 16.45 - 17.45 Rauhbein 18.30 - 19.30 Miracle of Sound 20.15 - 21.15 Mystopera 22.15 - 23.15 The Rumjacks 14.00 - 14.45 Extermination Dismemberment 15.30 - 16.15 Dope 17.00 - 17.45 Nightmare 18.30 - 19.15 Lake Malice 20.00 - 20.45 Zeke 21.30 - 22.15 Fight The Fight 23.00 - 00.00 Cypecore 00.30 - 01.00 Sir Henry Hot Memorial 11.00 - 12.00 Metal Yoga 12.30 - 13.30 Wacken Slam Battle 14.00 - 15.00 Holger Schmenk - Sodom Lesung 15.30 - 17.00 Sabina Classen, Nico Rose & Acoustic Stell “Laut. Stark.Leben" - Lesung 17.30 - 18.30 Sebastian Fitzek - Lesung “Kalender Mädchen" 19.30 - 20.30 Henning Wanner plays Savatage 21.00 - 21.30 Alien Rockin’ Explosion 21.30 - 23.00 Maschine’s Late Night Show 23.00 - 03.00 Movie Night 15.00 - 16.00 V4A 17.00 - 18.00 Kilt 19.00 - 20.00 BraZing Bull 21.00 - 22.00 Tyson 22.00 - 03.00 Ballroom DJ Team Credit: personal archive Nightly entertainment: Maschine during his Late Night Show ::Friday, 1 August 12.30 - 13.30 Dominum 15.00 - 16.00 Landmvrks 17.30 - 18.45 Krokus 20.45 - 22.15 Papa Roach 00.15 - 01.30 Bad Loverz 13.45 - 14.45 Brothers of Metal 16.15 - 17.15 Peyton Parrish 19.00 - 20.30 Dirkschneider “40th Anniversay of Balls to the Walls Show" 22.30 - 00.00 Dimmu Borgir 12.00 - 13.00 Graveyard 13.45 - 14.45 Lakeview 15.30 - 16.30 Forbidden 17.15 - 18.15 Nailbomb 19.00 - 20.00 Fear Factory 20.45 - 21.45 The Boomtown Rats 22.45 - 00.00 The Hellacopters 00.45 - 02.00 Dark Funeral :: 11.00 - 11.45 Heavysaurus 13.00 - 13.45 Setyøursails 15.00 - 15.45 Drowning Pool 17.00 - 17.45 Angel Witch 19.00 - 19.45 Kylesa 21.15 - 22.15 UK Subs 23.45 - 00.45 Katatonia 12.00 - 12.45 Induction 14.00 - 14.45 Victory 16.00 - 16.45 Wednesday 13 18.00 - 18.45 Celeste 20.00 - 21.00 Orange Goblin “30th Anniversary Show" 22.30 - 23.30 Walls of Jericho 01.00 - 02.00 The Butcher Sisters 12.00 - 12.45 The Feelgood McLouds 13.30 - 14.15 Seasons in Black 15.00 - 16.00 Iotunn 16.45 - 17.45 Helsott 18.30 - 19.30 Eihwar 20.15 - 21.15 Moonsorrow 22.15 - 23.15 Schandmaul 14.00 - 14.45 Neckbreakker 15.30 - 16.15 Sacrifire 17.00 - 17.45 Istapp 18.30 - 19.15 Graphic Nature 20.00 - 20.45 Joja Wendt “Iron Keys" 21.30 - 22.15 Mimi Barks 23.00 - 00.00 Party Canon 00.30 - 01.00 Sir Henry Hot Memorial 11.00 - 12.00 Metal Yoga 12.30 - 13.30 Wacken Slam Battle 14.00 - 15.00 Growling Infotainment mit Britta Görtz 15.15 - 16.00 Chris Boltendahl - Lesung 16.30 - 17.30 Sabbelstunde mit Manu & Konny Reimann 18.00 - 19.00 Olaf Schubert 19.30 - 20.30 Kay Ray 21.00 - 21.30 Alien Rockin’ Explosion 21.30 - 23.00 Maschine’s Late Night Show 23.00 - 03.00 Movie Night 16.00 - 17.00 Just For Priest 18.00 - 19.00 Bon Scott 20.00 - 21.00 Ozzyfied 22.00 - 23.00 SLAYEnsemble 22.00 - 03.00 Ballroom DJ Team Saturday, 2 August 11.30 - 12.30 Trollfest 14.00 - 15.00 August Burns Red 16.30 - 17.30 Mastodon 19.15 - 20.45 Within Temptation 22.30 - 23.00 Promoters Farewell / Announcement 2026 23.00 - 00.30 Machine Head 12.45 - 13.45 Warkings 15.15 - 16.15 Floor Jansen 17.45 - 19.00 W.A.S.P. 21.00 - 22.30 Gojira 00.45 - 02.00 Die Kassierer 12.00 - 13.00 Callejon 13.45 - 14.45 Destruction 15.30 - 16.30 Annisokay 17.15 - 18.15 Decapitated 19.00 - 20.00 Obituary 20.45 - 22.00 D-A-D 23.00 - 00.30 King Diamond :: 11.00 - 11.55 Torsten Sträter 13.00 - 13.45 Majestica 15.00 - 15.45 Dool 17.00 - 17.45 Night Demon “Curse of the Damned 10th Anniversary Show" 19.00 - 19.45 Helmet 21.15 - 22.15 Exhorder “Slaughter in the Vatican Show" 23.45 - 00.45 Amenra 12.00 - 12.45 Vulvarine 14.00 - 14.45 Nasty 16.00 - 16.45 Crownshift 18.00 - 18.45 Midnight “Complete and Total Hell Show" 20.00 - 21.00 Soen 22.30 - 23.30 Die Apoaklyptischen Reiter 01.00 - 02.00 Fit For A King 12.00 - 12.45 Wacken Firefighters 13.30 - 14.15 Harpyie 15.00 - 16.00 Vermaledeyt 16.45 - 17.45 Seven Spires 18.30 - 19.30 Suidakra “30th Anniversary Show" 20.15 - 21.15 Månegarm “30th Anniversary Show" 22.15 - 23.15 Letzte Instanz 14.00 - 14.45 Asrock 15.30 - 16.15 Nyktophobia 17.00 - 17.45 Master Boot Record 18.30 - 19.15 Dymytry Paradox 20.00 - 20.45 Soulbound 21.30 - 22.15 Avralize 23.00 - 00.00 Non Est Deus 00.30 - 01.11 Sir Henry Hot Memorial feat. Megabosch 11.00 - 12.00 Metal Yoga 12.30 - 14.00 Wacken Slam Battle 15.00 - 16.00 Kack & Sachgeschichten Podcast 16.30 - 17.30 John Wray - Lesung “Unter Wölfen" 18.00 - 19.00 Mit Ohne Strom 19.30 - 20.30 Mambo Kurt 21.00 - 21.30 Alien Rockin’ Explosion 21.30 - 23.00 Maschine’s Late Night Show 23.00 - 03.00 Movie Night 14.00 - 15.00 L.B. Steel und das kopflose Kreuz - Live-Hörspiel 17.00 - 18.00 L.B. Steel und das kopflose Kreuz - Live-Hörspiel 20.00 - 21.00 L.B. Steel und das kopflose Kreuz - Live-Hörspiel 21.00 - 03.00 Ballroom DJ Team Credit: Travis Shinn An interview with Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn can be found online in the last issue of The Bullhead ::STREAM LOUD. PAY LESS. Book quickly on telekom.de/wacken and save an additional 25 % 2 at MetalMerch! YOUR MOSHPIT FOR MOVIES AND TV SHOWS: WATCH MAGENTA TV WITH THE EXCLUSIVE FAN PLAN! 1) Wacken fans can use this voucher code to book MagentaTV Flex for €7/month instead of €10/month for the first 3 months, after that MagentaTV Flex costs €10/month. Promotion valid until 13.08.2025 only for new MagentaTV customers without Telekom Internet and resident in Germany. No minimum term, notice period 1 month. This promotion cannot be combined with other promotions or vouchers. MagentaTV can be received via the MagentaTV app without additional hardware. If desired, MagentaTV One can be purchased for €5/month with a minimum contract term of 12 months. An existing Inter- net connection is required for use. For the internet connection the terms and conditions of the respective Internet provider apply. When using the mobile data network, the data volume is charged by the respective mobile provider. 2) Valid only as long as stocks last. only 7 € 1 per month with the 30 % code WACKEN30Next >