Wacken Mud Festival concludes today - Wacken's Mud Festival has come to a close
Wacken Open Air 2025: Fans Brave Muddy Conditions for Metal Extravaganza
The Wacken Open Air heavy metal festival, held in Schleswig-Holstein's Wacken, Germany, took place from July 30 to August 2, 2025. Despite the heavy rain that turned large areas into mud and sludge at the festival's start, the event was officially sold out with 85,000 fans in attendance.
Festival founder and organizer, Thomas Jensen, expressed his satisfaction with the atmosphere of the festival, despite the challenging weather conditions. Organizers relied on the fans' self-help efforts to minimize damage to the fields. To aid in this effort, 3,500 cubic meters of wood chips were brought in, significantly more than the usual 600, to stabilize the grounds.
Event director Daniel Schlatter stated that 30 tractors were on standby for the fans' departure, ensuring a smooth end to the festival. Despite the muddy conditions, no major issues were expected.
The four-day festival ticket cost approximately €349, while a package offer of €698 per person included the 4-day festival ticket, 5 nights of camping with access to the World Metal Camp, plus 3 nights' hotel accommodation in Cuxhaven, breakfasts, and additional activities. These options provided flexibility for attendees depending on whether they wanted just entry or a full travel and accommodation package for the event.
The festival featured a broad lineup of prominent metal bands and offered an appealing supporting program with early arrival options starting Sunday before the festival proper began. The final concerts of the festival were scheduled for Sunday night, bringing the event to a thrilling close.
[1] Wacken Open Air Official Website: https://www.wacken.com/ [2] Wacken Open Air Ticket and Package Information: https://www.wacken.com/tickets/ [4] Wacken Open Air Festival Dates: https://www.wacken.com/festival/ [5] Wacken Open Air Programme: https://www.wacken.com/programme/
The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment, considering the waste generated by the 85,000 attendees at the Wacken Open Air festival, such as plastic cups, food waste, and even the extra 3,150 cubic meters of wood chips brought for stabilization. In between headbanging sessions to their favorite metal bands and cheering for their favorite sports teams on temporary screens set up around the festival grounds, fans could potentially enjoy live music performances from local bands, enhancing the entertainment value of the event, and even participate in sports-betting activities if such practices were to be legalized in Germany.
