Last-minute preparations for the Mud Festival in Wacken
Wacken Open Air 2026 Announces First Wave of Performers
The Wacken Open Air festival, held in the picturesque town of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, has announced its first wave of performers for its 35th anniversary edition in 2026.
The lineup, revealed in August 2025, promises a diverse and exciting lineup of 35 bands, including some major acts. Def Leppard, In Flames, and Lamb of God are just a few of the big names set to take the stage from July 2 to August 1, 2026.
Other notable acts include Powerwolf, Savatage, The Gathering (for an exclusive German appearance), and Sepultura, who will be performing in what is said to be their last German festival show. Tryptikon will also be gracing the stage with a special best-of set featuring world premieres.
The festival will also see a Bathory tribute from Blood Fire Death, a Germany exclusive, and a guest appearance from Doro Pesch with Dirkschneider. Additional acts on the bill include Allt, Airbourne, Any Given Day, Blood Command, Broken By The Scream, Einherjer, Europe, Faun, Future Palace, Gutalax, Grand Magus, Insanity Alert, H-Blockx, Kupfergold, Luna Kills, Mantar, Orbit Culture, Paleface Swiss, Pig Destroyer, Ten56, The Hardkiss, Thundermother, Thrown, and more.
Last year's festival saw performances from Papa Roach, Machine Head, Saltatio Mortis, Apocalyptica, BAP, Michael Schenker, and Doro Pesch, among others. Notably, Guns N' Roses offered the longest concert in the festival's history, lasting three hours.
Despite adverse weather conditions, with up to 39.3 liters of rain per square meter at the start, the festival was officially sold out with 85,000 fans. The organizers had taken measures to stabilize the surfaces, bringing in 3,500 cubic meters of wood chips.
The traffic concept also worked well, according to the police, and self-help efforts of the fans were relied upon to avoid further ruining the fields during departures. The rescue service reported a decrease of 10 to 15 percent in deployments compared to 2024. The head of the Itzehoe police directorate, Frank Matthiesen, stated that the number of recorded offenses decreased compared to 2024, from 86 to 68.
There was a slight increase in about 150 cases of other incidents, including confused people. However, the festival was overall a success, with the organisers expressing their satisfaction with the event.
Tickets for next year's festival will increase from 333 to 349 euros. Those who secure one of the first 10,000 tickets on site will have the 16 euro price increase for catering credited.
The organisers have also announced that they will be announcing the lineup for 2026 in the evening (10:30 PM). When asked about Metallica, Jensen replied, "We have time."
Stay tuned for more updates on the Wacken Open Air 2026 lineup as they are announced.
- Visitors can expect a range of entertainment options at the Wacken Open Air 2026 festival, including live performances by bands such as Powerwolf and Radio Savatage.
- In addition to the music, tuning in to the festival radio broadcast could provide further entertainment and updates on the event.
