Who says Hamburg's infamous district is only made for soft Indie and Hipster Pop? On September 16th and 17th, 2026, Reeperbahn Festival is injecting a serious dose of heaviness into Europe’s biggest club festival – and as an official presenting partner, we’re right at the frontlines to give the Reeperbahn the proper coating of dust, sweat, and roaring guitars it deserves!

The madness kicks off on Wednesday, September 16, with a true heavyweight of the modern scene: Over at Uebel & Gefährlich, our friends from MoreCore are hosting the inaugural MoreCore Music Awards. With 72 nominees battling across nine categories, top-tier riffage needs to be rewarded – which is why Wacken Open Air is proudly presenting the "Best German Band" award. To make sure your favorites take home the trophy, hit the online voting link right here - your vote accounts for a whopping 70 percent of the final result!

The absolute climax follows on Thursday, September 17, when we take over Bahnhof Pauli right on Spielbudenplatz for our official Wacken Open Air Showcase! Doors open at 18:00 for a relaxed reception before the amps glow red-hot from 19:00 all the way until 01:00. Four top-tier acts will share the intimate stage:

Budapest's own Melodic Prog metalheads Seers Of Light well and truly earned their spot after taking 5th place at this year’s Wacken Metal Battle, bringing massive riffs and their frontwoman's powerhouse vocals to the Kiez.

Coming in hot from just down the road – a stone's throw from the Holy Ground – Grell from Neumünster are rolling in to unleash their untamed blend of Crossover, Rapcore, and Punk.

If wall-of-sound modern Metalcore is your jam, get ready for Berlin’s Seven Blood, who are set for full Kiez escalation following their legendary wreckage on the Wacken Cruise and at Summer Breeze.

Rounding off this unholy night are Gothic Rockers WISBORG, whose latest album Phantomschmerz proves just how high-energy and dark 90s vibes can sound when wrapped in a modern shell.

Mark the dates on your calendar, join us at Bahnhof Pauli, and horns up – see you on the Reeperbahn!

Get your tickets here.

Don’t think this will become routine Metalheads but it’s another another aftermovie! 

Dive deep into the international contest of neckbreakers that is the Wacken metal Battle. A place where Heavy Metal dreams do come true. 

But don’t you dare slowing down already! This clip will take the better of you and sleep is for the weak anyway.

Without any further ado: here it is - the Wacken Metal Battle Aftermovie 2026!

If you don't want to miss this very special Battle - get your ticket here! 

Your W:O:A-team

Wacken Open Air 2026 was not just the festival's 35th anniversary; it was also one of the finest editions in Wacken's history!

Missing the Holy Ground already? Then there’s no need to wait any longer!

This aftermovie captures the special spirit and atmosphere of a unique community in a place steeped in legend: our Holy Ground!
 

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the Metalheads who helped make this anniversary an unforgettable experience!

Also the pre-sale for the upcoming W:O:A 2027 is in full swing and the first three ticket categories are already gone.

Anyone wanting to grab a LOUDER TICKET or a YOUNGER TICKET should hurry too - these are in high demand!

GET YOUR TICKET AT THE WACKEN TICKET STORE!

Your

W:O:A Team
 

We’ve received a number of questions regarding Special Camping vouchers, so here is a summary of the most important information:

• Special Camping products are not sold out just because no more vouchers are available. The regular sale will begin at the end of the year.
• Vouchers grant an Early Bird pre-purchase right for the respective product once the Special Camping sale starts.
• The Special Camping sale will take place at the end of the year. Voucher holders will receive access one week before the official sale begins.
• Vouchers are valid only for the respective Special Camping area (e.g. Residence Evil).
• The voucher value does not correspond to the price of the accommodation or pitch. Instead, the voucher amount will be credited toward the purchase.
• At least one matching voucher must be redeemed per accommodation unit or pitch. Multiple vouchers of the same type can be used as a down payment toward a single product.

If you have any further questions that are not answered here, please send an email to ticketstore@wacken.com .

Your 
W:O:A team

To make sure everyone has a fair chance to grab a HARDER-TICKET, we have made this ticket category available for a total of two weeks, or while stock lasts.

The first week of pre-sales is already behind us. That means you now have almost seven days left to secure tickets from the final discounted ticket category and, on top of that, collect 666 The Core Wacken Points. The gate closes on Sunday, August 16, at midnight.

After that, the LOUDER-TICKET will remain available as the final regular ticket category.

So don't wait too long and secure your HARDER-TICKET before they're all sold out!

GET YOUR TICKETS AT THE WACKEN TICKETSTORE!

Yours
The W:O:A team

In this issue…

• we look back on an incredible week filled with unforgettable moments and revisit the highlights of the past few days.
• Lizzy Hale of Halestorm talks about her upcoming Wacken debut and reveals what she's looking forward to most about her performance in 2027.
• we meet Johannes Eckerström and John Alfredsson of Avatar, who share their funniest Wacken memories and tell us what their perfect Wacken show in 2027 would look like.
• Janne Wirman tells us how Children of Bodom found their way back to the stage after the departure and later passing of their frontman, Alexi Laiho—and why Wacken Open Air 2027 is the perfect place for their return.
• we present an exclusive photo feature showcasing Wacken artists capturing the W:O:A through their own unique lens for The Bullhead. Among them is Derrick Green of Sepultura, who wandered the Holy Ground with his camera ahead of his final show in Germany.

So click, flip through the pages, dive in—and relive the memories of Wacken once again!

from today on - August 3rd, 2026 at 06.00pm - you can request your remaining cashless payment credit for payout via our Eventportal today. 

The credit will be reimbursed within 14 days after application.

Your
W:O:A team
 

Consequently, this ticket category is once again available for our up-and-coming metal fans.

HEAD THIS WAY!

Your

W:O:A Team

The focus is currently on the also cheaper HARDER-TICKETS category which also include 666 Core Points and offers optional bundle articles

CLICK HERE FOR TICKET PRE-SALES

The first hurdle has been cleared and the FASTER-TICKETS have been gone in short time.

Our new YOUNGER-TICKETS are also in high demand and the pre-sale is still running on hight speed!

Get your HARDER-TICKET before it's also gone!

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRE-SALE!