Introduction to Wacken Open Air Festival
The Wacken Open Air Festival, also known as W: O: A, began in 1990 as a small festival with only 800 rock fans and some local metal bands. The original venue was a former gravel pit on the outskirts of the village of Wacken northwest of Hamburg. Today the four-day event is one of the largest and best-known metal festival in the world, in which around 185,000 fans from over 80 countries take part.
The Festival’s Growth and Popularity
The festival is usually sold out within hours, although the tickets are becoming more expensive this year – € 333 – and the event is becoming increasingly commercial. Nevertheless, Wacken has become a meeting point for the Metal community. Be prepared in Wacken to meet the familiar "Devils Horn" metallhead greeting – an increased fist with outstretched index and pinky fingers – as well as the familiar slaughterhill: "Wackeeeen!"
A Temporary Metropolis
During the festival week, the village of Wacken turns into a metropolis of around 95,000 people, including fans, tens of thousands of crew members and helpers as well as hundreds of musicians and media from all over the world. The 240 hectare location has a completely independent infrastructure with over 1,300 toilets, hundreds of showers, own stream and water supply, waste collection and even a small police station. There are also mobile medical stations, field kitchens, shuttle buses and a sophisticated traffic management system.
The Festival’s Infrastructure
Even with heavy rain and mud – a Wacken classic – the show continues. Tons of wood chips as the basis, a drainage system and the local farmers who pull stuck vehicles out of the mud with their tractors enable the festival even under difficult weather conditions. But in 2023 the mud gained the upper hand: the festival position was largely impassable and forced around 235,000 fans to reverse. The festival was canceled almost as a whole.
A Beer Pipeline and Culinary Delights
Whether day or night, many metalheads traditionally keep a steady beer flow. In order to prevent the taps from running dry, an underground beer pipeline was built in 2017. It connects central tanks with several taps on the site and can transport up to 10,000 liters of beer per hour. This saves transport, protects the streets and ensures that the supply is continuous.
More than Metal
Of course, the focus is on Metal in Wacken – in all its forms. The big acts play on three main phases with the name "Fast", "harder" and "louder". The most important acts that perform this year include Guns N ‘Roses, Papa Roach, machine head and Gojira. Fans gather in front of the stages on what is known as Infield, also referred to as the "holy soil" or "holy field".
Variety of Events and Activities
The festival also offers a variety of areas with different events and activities. In the Wackinger Village, for example, fans will find jugglers, knights, fire brigade shows and medieval bands. The food is also a little different here and includes hearty dishes such as sucking pigs, oxen on a spit, stews and soups as well as desserts and drinks in medieval style such as Mead or or fruit wine.
Metal Takes a Position
One thing is certain of all the noise: Wacken sees itself not only as a festival, but also as a platform for social and cultural public relations. A central element is the Wacken Foundation that has existed since 2009. It is said to support aspiring bands from the metal and hard rock scene worldwide. The foundation offers financial support for studio recordings, tours and instruments. Among other things, the money is donated by fans and festival operators.
Supporting Emerging Artists
The Wacken Metal Battle – a global competition in which young bands from over 30 countries compete against each other is of particular importance. Competitive bands come from far and wide, including countries such as Trinidad & Tobago and Botswana. The price is an opportunity to play on one of the big stages of the festival. For many it is the first step towards an international career.
Health-Related Initiatives
The festival also includes health-related elements such as campaigns against blood cancer, in which the participants of the festival are asked to register as a potential stem cell donor. With such actions, Wacken shows that even loud music can make a quiet statement – and that the support for worthy causes is part and package of the metal scene.
