Wacken Open Air 2026 opens to 85,000 fans amid lineup reveal and price protests
Wacken Open Air 2026 runs from 29 July to 1 August in the small village of Wacken, Schleswig‑Holstein, Germany. The 35th edition expects about 85 000 visitors and features roughly 200 metal acts on ten stages. Headliners include Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Powerwolf, Europe and Sabaton. Sepultura will perform its last German show and Running Wild its final career performance. The warm‑up program began on 26 July, with early arrivals and a sunrise forecast.
A new price list sparked fan backlash: a 0.5 L beer costs €6.90 and a 0.4 L bottle of water €4.80, although organisers note the larger cup lowers the price per litre. The festival’s majority shareholder is US investment firm KKR. Brazilian fans can watch the event via Magenta Musik, which will stream the Faster, Harder and Louder stages.
The site spans 420 ha, contains about 2 000 mobile toilets and is managed by founders Holger Hübner and Thomas Jensen, who still hold stakes alongside KKR.
Entities: Deutsche Telekom · Europe (band) · Holger Hübner · Judas Priest · KKR · Magenta‑Music · Magenta‑TV · Running Wild · Schleswig‑Holstein · Sepultura · Sepultura · Thomas Jensen
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The festival will be broadcast in Brazil via Magenta Musik, showing performances from the Faster, Harder and Louder stages. (Brazilian broadcast details)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Wacken Open Air festival grounds cover 420 hectares and include about 2,000 mobile toilets. (Festival facilities description)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Sepultura’s set at Wacken Open Air 2026 is announced as its last show in Germany. (both)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] US investment firm KKR is the majority shareholder of Wacken Open Air. (both)
- [DISPUTED] The festival will host approximately 200 bands across nine stages, including acts such as Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Savatage, Running Wild and Sepultura. (Festival lineup information)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Wacken Open Air 2026 takes place from 29 July to 1 August 2026 in Wacken, Schleswig‑Holstein, Germany. (both)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Running Wild is scheduled to give its final career performance at Wacken Open Air 2026. (both)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Swedish hard‑rock band Europe will perform on 30 July 2026, marking its fourth appearance and first after nine years. (Europe performance announcement)
- [● 3 SOURCES] About 85 000 visitors are expected at Wacken Open Air 2026. (both)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Beer is priced at €6.90 for 0.5 L and water at €4.80 for 0.4 L; the larger cup size makes the price per litre lower than the previous year. (both)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Wacken Open Air 2026 runs from 29 July to 1 August 2026.
- [DISPUTED] The festival features roughly 200 bands on ten stages. (both)