Thrash enthusiasts depart Wacken field covered in mud - Crowd of Heavy Metal Enthusiasts Exit Wacken's Muddy Festival Grounds
Wacken Open Air 2025: Metalheads Brave Unsettled Weather Amid Muddy Conditions
The 35th edition of the Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) heavy metal festival, held in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, during late July and early August 2025, has been marked by challenging weather conditions. Despite the adversity, fans have shown their resilience, continuing the festival's tradition of enduring tough circumstances while celebrating metal music.
The festival kicked off amid storm warnings and muddy chaos, with a thunderstorm forcing an evacuation late on July 29th/early July 30th. However, the worst of the storm passed by early morning, allowing the event to resume (source [1]). Throughout the festival, attendees have dealt with cool, wet weather and mud, necessitating towing assistance for vehicles (source [2]).
Organizers urged caution for travel departures due to weather-related delays and recommended night departures where possible (source [2]). Social media updates confirm ongoing unsettled weather but emphasize the resilient spirit of the metal fans attending (sources [3], [4], [5]).
Persistent rain and water turned the infield and camping areas into a mud bath. Despite this, the festival was marked by an abundance of mud, heavy rain, sun, and a party atmosphere. Guns N' Roses performed the longest concert in Wacken's history, playing over three hours (source [6]).
The festival ended in the early hours of Monday morning after four days. A significant portion of the 85,000 fans had already left or were on their way home by the afternoon (source [7]). The first 10,000 tickets for 2026 sold out on-site (source [8]).
Def Leppard will make their first appearance at Wacken in 2026, with ticket prices increasing from €333 to €349 (source [9]). Powerwolf, In Flames, Savatage, Sepultura, and H-Blockx are among the bands announced for next year. German band Running Wild will return after more than ten years for their "Final Show" (source [10]). Sepultura will bid farewell to their German fans (source [11]).
The official sale for the remaining tickets for Wacken 2025 starts Sunday at 8 PM. Wacken Open Air topped the festival season's data usage chart with 102 terabytes of data usage, nearly 20% more than last year (source [12]). However, several illegal parkers blocked departure and emergency routes on Saturday and Sunday nights, leading to over 140 traffic violations being reported in 24 hours (source [13]).
Despite these challenges, Wacken Open Air 2025 has proven to be another memorable edition in the festival's history. Founder and organizer Holger Hübner expressed his gratitude for the event, describing it as "incredible, awesome, epic" (source [14]). The festival continues to thrive, embodying the spirit of heavy metal music and the resilience of its fans.
Sources: [1] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/evacuation-at-wacken-open-air-due-to-thunderstorm/ [2] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/wacken-open-air-2025-day-one-update-and-thank-you/ [3] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/wacken-open-air-2025-day-two-update-and-thank-you/ [4] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/wacken-open-air-2025-day-three-update-and-thank-you/ [5] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/wacken-open-air-2025-day-four-update-and-thank-you/ [6] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/guns-n-roses-set-new-record-for-longest-concert-in-wacken-history/ [7] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/wacken-open-air-2025-festival-ends-after-four-days-of-metal-madness/ [8] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/first-10000-tickets-for-wacken-open-air-2026-sold-out-on-site/ [9] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/def-leppard-to-make-their-first-appearance-at-wacken-open-air-in-2026/ [10] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/running-wild-to-return-to-wacken-open-air-after-more-than-ten-years/ [11] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/sepultura-to-bid-farewell-to-their-german-fans-at-wacken-open-air-2025/ [12] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/wacken-open-air-2025-sets-new-record-for-data-usage/ [13] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/illegal-parkers-block-departure-and-emergency-routes-at-wacken-open-air-2025/ [14] https://www.wacken.com/news/news/holger-huebner-on-wacken-open-air-2025-incredible-awesome-epic/
- The Commission, while considering the draft directive on the protection of employees in the event of transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of businesses, might reflect upon the resilience and dedication displayed by metal fans at Wacken Open Air 2025, who braved unsettled weather and muddy conditions to celebrate music and sports they love.
- As the festival-goers headed home after Wacken Open Air 2025, they may have enjoyed a variety of entertainment in-between the heavy metal concerts, such as listening to their favorite music tunes or discussing the latest sports updates on their mobile devices, given the record-breaking data usage at the event.
