Preparatory phase for the Mud Festival in Wacken reaching its climax
Wacken Open Air 2025: A Muddy but Memorable Festival Experience
The Wacken Open Air heavy metal festival, held in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, wrapped up last Sunday after a week of adverse weather conditions and memorable performances.
Despite the up to 39.3 liters of rain per square meter at the start, the festival was officially sold out with 85,000 fans in attendance. Guns N' Roses, the headliners, offered the longest concert in the festival's history, lasting an impressive three hours.
The festival faced challenging weather conditions, with large parts of the area turning into mud and sludge. However, the traffic concept worked well, ensuring a smooth flow of fans despite the muddy conditions.
The organisers paid tribute to the late rock icon Ozzy Osbourne with a drone show, playing the Osbourne song "Mama, I'm Coming Home" and then the Black Sabbath number "Paranoid".
The festival lineup for 2026 has not been announced yet, but the organisers have mentioned that they have time for Metallica. So far, 35 artists have been confirmed for the festival happening from July 29 to August 1, 2026. These include Def Leppard, In Flames, Powerwolf, Savatage, Nevermore, Lamb of God, Emperor, Sepultura (in their last German festival show), Running Wild (also their last bow), The Gathering, Tryptikon, Blood Fire Death (a Bathory tribute), 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, and Thrown.
The festival was not without incidents. 150 fans were taken to a hospital and there was a slight increase in around 150 cases of other incidents, including confused people. However, the number of recorded offenses decreased compared to 2024, from 86 to 68. Around 2,800 people were cared for during the festival.
Those who secure one of the first 10,000 tickets on-site will have the 16 euro price increase credited for food. The ticket prices for next year will increase from 333 to 349 euros.
Doro Pesch had a guest appearance with Dirkschneider during the festival. The departure of the fans was being handled, with 30 tractors ready.
As the festival came to an end, the organisers brought in 3,500 cubic meters of wood chips to stabilise the surfaces, ensuring a smoother experience for next year's attendees. Despite the challenges, Wacken Open Air 2025 will be remembered as a memorable event in the heavy metal community.
Engage with your fellow music enthusiasts on social-media platforms to discuss the unforgettable Wacken Open Air 2025, sharing memories of the muddy but memorable festival experience. Catch up on the latest news and announcements about the 2026 lineup, including potential headliners like Metallica.
