The Infield - our Holy Wacken Land
Faster - Harder - Louder: The infield, which fans also like to refer to as Holy Land, hosts the biggest stages of the festival. The massive double stage Faster & Harder dominates the terrain, flanked by the arched Louder stage. Our three main stages are the venues for the the biggest and most elaborate concerts of the festival and these shows are setting new standards internationally!
"This doesn't work" does not exist in the infield. Together with the bands we make everything possible, including the wildest dreams of the artists. Be it massive stage setups, complete symphony orchestras or even a concert that takes place on both Faster and Harder at the same time - there are no limits! In normal mode Faster and Louder play at the same time, while we do the changeover on the Harder. Afterwards, the Harder plays, while the other stages have their changeover. Thanks to this system, there are usually just little breaks between two shows.
The infield provides enough space for all participants of Wacken Open Air and thanks to our world-famous beer pipeline nobody gets thirsty. Extensive construction measures have made the area fit for the future in recent years: A new drainage has been laid, vulnerable sites have been secured with crushed stone and the entire area has been shaped with heavy equipment.
Wackinger Village & Wasteland
The Middle Ages meet end times, cairn fights and flamethrowers meet bagpipes - the combined area of Wackinger Village and Wasteland might seem contradictory at first but in fact complement each other fantastically.
The southern part of the area is a walk on the paths of the Middle Ages - on the Wackinger Stage, artists from genres such as medieval rock, pagan metal or folk are paying homage while great mead is being served at the bars and knights are going to battle in full armor. With the Wackinger Village, the Wacken Open Air has its own medieval event inside the festival!
While the southern half is all about the past, the northern one is devoting itself to a possible future: The post-apocalypse rules our Wasteland! The Wasteland Warriors are in command here and their crazy outfits, shows and actions are a highlight of the festival year after year. On the Wasteland Stage you will usually get to hear hard-hitting music - genres like thrash and industrial metal are fitting in perfectly. Consequently, the Wasted Wednesday also takes place here!
Wacken Plaza
For many visitors of Wacken Open Air, the Plaza is the gateway to the festival, because is the main entrance that connects the campsite and the stage area. But the area has much more to offer!
The center of Wacken Plaza is occupied by Welcome To The Jungle, our location for spoken word performances and other non-music stuff. The cozy Paragu stage, with its covered seating, provides the perfect relaxation area for this kind of performance.
The Plaza is dominated by the mighty Bullhead City Circus (BCC). This gigantic tent is the home of W.E.T. and Headbangers Stage. The two stages are not tied to specific genres, just like the stages in the infield cover the entire spectrum of the metal world.
On Thursday the <a href="t3://page?uid=134#531">Night To Dismember</a> will take place inside the BCC!
The camping area
The largest part of the Wacken Open Air area is occupied by the gigantic campground. You camp on agricultural areas, each with an own identification letter for better orientation. The ways on and between these camps have clear names.
The camping is included in the ticket price for W:O:A, this also applies to camping in mobile homes, caravans etc. If the ground conditions allow it, we park all vehicles so that you can camp right next to them.
The campsite is equipped with showers and toilets, which are also included in the ticket. There are therefore no additional fees! The site can only be accessed or visited by people who have a valid ticket.
Further infrastructure includes signposts, light poles, breakfast tents, small supermarket tents and a few stalls for food and drinks. On the camping sites there is no limit for your own food and drinks!
Special camping areas
There are some areas on the campsite that offer special amenities or are subject to slightly different rules.
- Wheels Of Steel-Area: This course is close to the stage area and is kept free for handicapped metalheads and their companions. There are also some special services, like employees who can repair broken wheelchairs.
- Camperpark Wacken: Parcels with electricity - organized by the Camperpark Wacken GbR. The area tends to be quieter and more family-friendly than others.
- Moshtel: Our container hotel, located close to the stage area. Since Wacken has no hotel, hostel or similar, we installed the the Moshtel to meet the desire of many fans for a solid accommodation directly in Wacken.
- Camping Only: Adjacent to the bus station lies the area, in which only may be camped without a vehicle. Without the vehicles, it is relatively quiet, the typical large music systems are barely found here.
- World Metal Camp: Together with our travel partners we are building a big camp for visitors who arrive without a vehicle. The focus is on the international exchange between visitors.
- Full Metal Army Camp: Each year, our fan club organizes a large shared camp with party tent, power outlets and many other amenities.
Wacken and surroundings
Wacken Open Air is not only connected to the eponymous village Wacken - the festival takes place on the areas between the communities Wacken, Gribbohm, Bokelrehm and Holstenniendorf, all of which contribute to the success of the festival. Other towns, such as Besdorf and Vaale, are also contributing positively to the festival year after year.
We ask all visitors to treat the inhabitants of the entire region with the utmost respect.
Visitors can have a great time in each of the villages, but by far the most interesting things are located in Wacken. In addition to beer and bratwurst, there are also supermarkets, ATMs, a pharmacy, dentists, our outdoor pool, the legendary Landgasthof zur Post (the initial idea for the Wacken Open Air was born here) and much more.
Our guide for the village of Wacken is recommended to anyone who has spent little or no time here so far.
Metal Church
In the center of Wacken is our most unusual concert location. The church of Wacken is integrated into the program of the festival for a few occasions every year. The special acoustics and atmosphere of the church, as well as the intimate setting and the selection of musicians, make for unforgettable events.
Of course, like all others, these performances are included in the ticket price, but due to the capacity of the church, the entrance is restricted.
