Wacken Open Air 2026: 10,000 square meters of covering in front of the two main stages

Just four months to go until the infield of the legendary Wacken Open Air open up and the rush for the best spots in front of the main stages begins. Every year, this ritual kickoff is something truly special, as thousands of fans wait at the gates,only to finally race across the holy ground, beaming with joy and screaming at top of their lungs. Headliners Judas Priest, Def Leppard, and Powerwolf, as well as other top-tier acts like In Flames, Arch Enemy, Savatage, and many more will fascinate all metal heads at the W:O:A anniversary – Party On!

Crews are working hard on the 35th edition of the festival. As every year, feedback from the community, as well as information and ideas from the various teams is being shared and included into the preparation of the upcoming event. This helps to implement further improvements regarding the event and the festival site.
 
New Measures for W:O:A 2026:
 
Plate system in front of the two main stages.
One of the new features being introduced for this year’s anniversary edition is a plate system in front of the two main stages. “We’re covering large parts of the infield with solid slabs!”announces W:O:A founder Thomas Jensen. “A 10,000-square-meter area in front of the two main stages will be covered up. We’ve never seen anything like this in Wacken before!” He continues: “We hope this will ensure good ground conditions for our fans in this heavily used area regardless of the weather, as well as protect the Holy Ground.”
Discussions are currently underway with several service providers, but implementation for the festival (July 29 to August 1, 2026) is firmly planned.

Expansion of temporarily paved paths. 
This year, visitors will be able to walk on paved paths for up to 80% of the main routes from the campground to Wacken Plaza.
W:O:A has approximately 13.5 kilometers of paved paths for visitors, leading from the infield forecourt (Wacken Plaza) to the various camping areas. Of these, approximately 6.7 kilometers will be temporarily paved this year. That is 3.7 kilometers more than in 2025. Furthermore, a new, more than 800 meters long gravel emergency access road is currently being planned on the event site.
 
“It’s important to us to continuously push the festival forward, invest in its various areas, and make tangible improvements for fans again this year,” explains W:O:A founder Holger Hübner.
 
New lighting system for wayfinding on the main paths.
String lights featuring bulbs of various colors will mark the main routes on site to improve orientation. These routes will also be clearly indicated on festival site maps and in the W:O:A app, and are intended to increase usage of these specific paths while simultaneously preserving the additional, unpaved trails. In total, nearly 30% more string lights will be used.
 
Significant expansion of temporary surface and path reinforcement in the “Wheels Of Steel” inclusive camping area.
More than four times as many temporary ground and path reinforcements (including steel plates) are planned for the inclusive camping area “Wheels Of Steel” to significantly improve mobility there as well. Here, Wacken Open Air is expanding the area to approximately 3,500 square meters.
 

In addition, the festival team remains committed to continually staying open to new innovations that could improve the grounds and the event in the long term. For example, currently hemp shives (the woody residues of plant stems) from a regional company are being tested, which could be used in specific areas to improve the condition of muddy surfaces – in addition to the wood chips already known to the audience. The hemp shives are said to absorb up to 30 percent more moisture and could be removed from the grounds without leaving any residue after the festival and then can be used sustainably as a building material.

“We’re always trying out new ideas and approaches,” Holger Hübner comments. Thomas Jensen adds: “Every year, our focus – and that of our entire team – lies on giving our guests, our Wacken family, the best experience possible. We’re already really looking forward to this year’s anniversary edition – 35 years of Wacken! We’re going all out for it! Rain or shine! But preferably more shine.”
 

For more information on Wacken Open Air and ticket sales, visit:
wacken.com and metaltix.com