The Legend Steeped ’90s

In England, North Rhine Westphalia and southern Germany there are the Monsters of Rock; in the Netherlands, Dynamo Open Air; in Denmark, Roskilde. At that time, Holger and Thomas regularly hosted their own metal parties and organized concert trips at home and abroad. One evening after TSV Wacken football practice, the idea takes shape at the country inn “Zur Post”: to stage their own openair show on a nearby field known as the “Kuhle” (the hollow field).

1990: All it takes is one field, six mostly local bands, and a ton of enthusiasm. The stage is a beer tent turned sideways, the sound gear sits on the back of a truck, and power comes from the local Raiffeisenbank. On August 24 at 7 p.m. it kicks off; admission is 12 Deutsche Marks (DM), and 800 tickets are sold for both days. This has to be repeated.

1991: The first U.S. band, Gypsy Kiss, flies in; six more acts also play. 1,300 fans already make their way to the Kuhle, and tickets cost 15 DM.

1992: The organizers secure their first big‑name headliners with Saxon and Blind Guardian. The lineup features 28 bands and, for the first time, a professional stage with a real PA. A second stage, known as the Party Stage, is added as well. Farmer Uwe Trede, a long‑time W:O:A supporter, provides a pasture for parking and camping. They need 25,000 DM, which comes as a loan from the Raiffeisenbank. Despite all efforts and a ticket price of 35 DM, the festival ends in the red. But it continues.

1993: Booking the bands Fates Warning and Doro tears another big hole in the budget. In the end, Holger and Thomas are 350,000 DM in debt, and their parents have to guarantee the loans.

1995: Rock Hard magazine reports on W:O:A for the first time, with headliners D:A:D and Tiamat and, also for the first time, the festival breaks even.

1996: A turning point: once Holger and Thomas can announce Böhse Onkelz, pre-sales surge. Kreator, The Gathering, Dritte Wahl, and Oomph! are also on the bill, ultimately drawing 10,000 fans to the village.

1997: The event moves out of the Kuhle onto Uwe Trede’s pasture which is still today’s infield. The Holy Ground is born! The W.E.T. Stage is added, and already a third of the audience travels from abroad to see Motörhead, U.D.O., Overkill, and Rage with the Lingua Mortis Orchestra.

1998: A second main stage joins as the fourth performance area. There are technical hiccups at first, but Savatage, Blind Guardian and company still deliver as expected. (Tip: Savatage will appear for the fifth time in 2026.)

1999: At its tenth anniversary Wacken finally breaks through. Within a decade the struggle to survive turns into a triumph; by now W:O:A enjoys major standing in the scene. Metaltix launches its own ticketing system, and for the first time the Holy Ground endures real northern “Schietwetter.” From now on the rule is: rain or shine!

The Record Setting ’00s

In the 2000s, Wacken matures into an international mega‑festival. Metal pilgrims from all over the world pay homage to legends and newcomers on the Holy Ground.

2001: W:O:A already spans 20 fields and 200 hectares. 79 bands play; Saxon and Motörhead headline, joined by W.A.S.P., Hammerfall, Helloween, and Dimmu Borgir—with 25,000 fans watching.

2003: The wait is finally over: Slayer come to Wacken—along with 60 other notable bands. 30,000 fans witness the shows and put away around 50,000 liters of beer over the wild days.

2004: The 15th anniversary is celebrated with fellow travelers who helped make W:O:A so big: Saxon, Doro (solo and with Warlock), Helloween, and once again the Böhsen Onkelz. Since their first appearance in 1996, their former tour manager Thomas Hess has served as W:O:A’s production chief; over the years he becomes one of Thomas and Holger’s closest confidants and dearest friends.

2005: The skies open and the infield turns slick. In the beer garden, fans build rain‑proof dens out of benches and tables. The Metal Battle, an international competition for up‑and‑coming bands, takes place for the first time. Headliners: the reunited Accept and Nightwish.

2006: The Scorpions let fans vote on which songs they should play, “Wind of Change” doesn’t make the cut. Harry Metal’s first videos set the appetite ahead of the festival, and another film grabs headlines: Full Metal Village will hit the cinemas.

2007: Another milestone: all 65,000 tickets are sold out. The rain god seems to have a ticket as well. As a countermeasure, the organizers deploy a helicopter to fly low over the camping areas, pushing water off the drenched meadows into the drainage ditches and probably giving a few people an unintended blow-dry in the process.

2008: A banner year: first, W:O:A wins the Live Entertainment Award for Best Festival; then the mighty Iron Maiden grace the field for the first time. Scream for me, Wacken!

2009: The year of the 20th anniversary, marked by Skyline and Doro releasing the Wacken anthem “We Are The Metalheads.” All proceeds go to the newly founded Wacken Foundation, which supports heavy metal and hard rock. 77,000 fans (sold out!) celebrate with 80 bands. Another highlight: the Wackinger Village brings even more programming, as does the new Bullhead City Tent. Topping the bill: Motörhead and Machine Head.

The International ’10s

In the 2010s, W:O:A gets not only louder, wilder and more emotional, it also grows bigger, more international, and more diverse.

2010: For the first time the 100‑band mark is smashed, listing 123 in total. On the bill: Mötley Crüe, Slayer, Alice Cooper, and Iron Maiden (for the second time). What began in a sand pit now covers an area of roughly 270 football pitches and, with a total attendance of 86,000, counts as the country’s largest rock and metal festival.

2011: A dream of the organizers comes true: Ozzy Osbourne himself pays tribute to the Holy Ground. Judas Priest and the indestructible Motörhead are there as well. In total, 125 bands perform.

2012: The Scorpions rock Wacken one (supposedly) last time on their “farewell tour.” Another innovation: the Headbanger Stage and the W.E.T. Stage move into the Bullhead City Circus which is one of the biggest mobile circus tents in the world, with space for 10,000 people.

2013: Rammstein set the Holy Ground ablaze with their one-of-a-kind pyro show. It’s also one of the hottest years in the festival’s history. Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister, already in fragile health, has to leave the stage after six songs.

2015: After just 12 hours the festival announces “sold out!”, a record up to that point. 158 bands are confirmed, including In Flames, Rob Zombie, Black Label Society, Sabaton, and Judas Priest. Savatage and the Trans‑Siberian Orchestra make history by performing simultaneously on both main stages. At year’s end, W:O:A icon Lemmy Kilmister dies in L.A.

2016: Iron Maiden return for their third headliner show having clearly taken a shine to W:O:A. They’re flanked by further legends: Whitesnake, Blind Guardian, and Twisted Sister on their farewell tour. In remembrance of the unforgettable W:O:A stalwart Lemmy, more than a few of the 75,000 fans shed a tear into their beer.

2017: Metalheads raise their glasses to headliner sets by Volbeat, Megadeth, and Alice Cooper. No one needs to worry about running dry either: for the first time, a kilometer long underground beer pipeline supplies the taps across the site.

2018: Veteran heroes and rising stars take turns: Helloween’s reunited Pumpkins United lineup plays, while Ghost recommend themselves as future headliners with a theatrical show of bombast. Running Wild aren’t playing often this year, but they’re in Wacken. (Tip: they play their farewell show at W:O:A in 2026.)

2019: The metal family celebrates 30 years of W:O:A. Slayer bid farewell with their last German festival show, and Sabaton deliver a double set on both main stages at the same time. A W:O:A full of community and history followed by a long, unwanted pause.

The Unfinished ’20s

In Wacken’s history, the 2020s begin with very unusual challenges: the COVID‑19 pandemic brings everything to an unexpected halt. Nevertheless, the festival survives even this period difficulty.

2020: For the first time in over 30 years, Thomas and Holger have to tell fans that Wacken Open Air cannot take place. COVID doesn’t spare heavy metal either. But fans aren’t left empty‑handed: with “Wacken Worldwide,” the W:O:A team puts together the livestream event of the year, with Heaven Shall Burn, Kreator, Blind Guardian, and Sabaton rocking the virtual stage.

2021: Full of hope for an end to the pandemic, new bands are announced. Still, also this year the festival must pause again.

2022: At long last, the metal family reunites on the Holy Ground to celebrate together. And what a comeback: Slipknot and Judas Priest make up their canceled gigs in grand style, and Powerwolf cement themselves as headliners. A special highlight is the surprise appearance by Amon Amarth, who perform high above on a platform between the two main stages. With pent‑up demand for a proper metal party, fans could also buy tickets for Wacken Wednesday, where bands like Avantasia, Epica, and Gloryhammer perform ahead of the official festival start.

2023: The weather poses an unprecedented challenge: torrential rain severely hampers arrivals, and on Tuesday morning Holger and Thomas must ask fans who haven’t yet reached the festival not to come. Instead of 85,000, only 60,000 attendees celebrate. Even so, Iron Maiden once again take the prime‑time slot, joined by Heaven Shall Burn, Helloween, Kreator, Dropkick Murphys, Megadeth, and Wardruna. Doro marks her 40th anniversary with an emotional show featuring drones that pay tribute to the late Lemmy Kilmister.

2024: The sun returns, and fans celebrate to Scorpions, Korn, and Amon Amarth. In front of the festival’s founding site, the village-inn, a statue of Lemmy is unveiled; there, Doro, Scorpions, and Joey Belladonna are the first to press their hands into molds for the “Walk of Legends.”

2025: Another long‑held dream of the organizers comes true: Guns N’ Roses rock the field with a show lasting over three hours! Other headliners include Machine Head, Saltatio Mortis, Papa Roach, and Gojira. W:O:A also brings the stars down to the Wacken planet: for the first time, the biggest companies in the space industry present themselves at the festival, joined by astronauts Alexander Gerst and Rabea Rogge. Unfortunately, the weather once again takes the spotlight: Rain falls on almost all festival days, large parts of the site are under water, and getting around becomes difficult. Yet again, metalheads prove that “Rain or Shine” isn’t just a slogan but a way of life on the Holy Ground, because the party can’t be stopped.

 

When Wacken Open Air opens its gates for the 35th time, you can expect nothing less than a legendary anniversary full of unforgettable moments, roaring riffs, and pure metal energy.

The W:O:A 2026 line-up perfectly reflects this special edition: with Def Leppard, Lamb of God, In Flames, Powerwolf, Sepultura, Europe, Airbourne, and many more giants of the metal universe, this anniversary edition will be a blast!

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