85,000 metal fans descend on Wacken for 35th edition of legendary festival
The sold-out heavy metal festival in Schleswig-Holstein starts today with headliners Def Leppard and Judas Priest, sunny weather, and half of the 85,000 guests already on site.
Arrival and preparations
By Tuesday, half of the 85,000 expected guests had already reached the festival grounds in Wacken, a small town in Schleswig-Holstein. The 35th edition of Wacken Open Air is sold out, with all tickets gone. A festival spokesperson told the German Press Agency that the arrival process was running smoothly.
Half of all expected guests are now on the site.
The arrival is proceeding as planned, and as expected in normal operation.
Thousands of mostly black-clad metal fans filled the main street on Tuesday afternoon, many carrying luggage and beer on shopping trolleys across the dry grass of the campsite. Fans posed for photos at the town sign, and chants of "Wackeeeen" echoed across the tent areas. The dry weather made setting up camp easier, with routes on the festival grounds remaining easily passable.
Line-up and schedule
The unofficial start will be given at midday on Wednesday by the Wacken fire brigade band on one of the smaller stages. The official opening follows in the afternoon with the opening of the Infield, the area in front of the two main stages. Headliners include Def Leppard and Judas Priest. Other acts set to perform are Powerwolf, Hämatom, In Flames, Saxon, Heavysaurus, Uli Jon Roth, Arch Enemy, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Rose Tattoo. The festival runs until Saturday.
- Wacken fire brigade band performs, unofficial start
- Infield opens, official start of 35th Wacken Open Air
Weather forecast
The German Weather Service predicts sunny conditions for the start of the festival. Highs of 29 to 30 degrees Celsius are expected on Wednesday, rising to 30 to 31 degrees on Thursday. The dry, warm weather has already helped early arrivals pitch tents and move around the site without mud.
Traffic and logistics
Police reported increased traffic on the roads around Wacken on Tuesday and urged fans to switch off their navigation devices in good time and follow the organizer's signage. The traffic concept with designated arrival routes appeared to be working, with only short waiting times reported on Monday. Thousands had already made their way to the site on Sunday and Monday, and the police noted that the established traffic plan continued to prevent major disruptions.
