Once more, the pilgrimage was made: carts creaking with too much weight, backpacks heavy, spirits high. The summit of Halde Norddeutschland awaited us, glowing under the merciless July sun like the gates of metal Valhalla. Now, several days later, Dong 2025 is a wrap, and what a ride it was. We came, we sweated, we moshed, and we occasionally got hosed down by the fire brigade.
The mountain gave us everything: scorching sun, a cowbell-powered glam explosion before lunch, melodic blackened bliss in full daylight (again), Balkan metal parties, a surprising number of circle pits, and of course: fathers crowdsurfing while holding their kids. If you weren’t there, you missed something both beautiful and slightly concerning.
As usual, the festival started with the final of Metal Battle Germany where Deadend and Gun Called Britney competed against each other for a spot at the almighty Wacken Open Air. Our congrats to Gun Called Britney for winning the Metal Battle Germany!
After this, an infield preparation scene that reminded us of last year had to take place to prepare the festival area for the rest of the festival. This resulted in Vanaheim (and the other bands after) to start later than planned. The Dutch folk metallers attracted quite the audience and seemed to be one of the most popular bands this day.
Thursday Highlights
Ensiferum showed up with the promise of a happy moshpit and Viking melodies. And while we got those, we also got a disappointingly short set. No “Twilight Tavern”, no “Two of Spades”. That one stung.
The Halo Effect brought their melodic metal pedigree to the Dong stage, but the performance felt a bit too polished, a bit too predictable. Still, solid musicianship and a good sound.
Also we would like to give a shout-out to Neurotic Machinery who unfortunately weren’t able to play last year due to the weather circumstances but granted us their comeback this year!
Last kudos to Rezet and Doomcrusher — the mountain heard you.
Friday Highlights
Sweet Electric brought glam, glitter, and a “fucking feelgood love song”, plus a cowbell that may or may not have summoned the sun. We expected cowbell cringe. We got full-blown cowbell euphoria. The crowd was small but hyped, and even the security sang along. Was that a hint of ABBA? Maybe. The drummer looked like the happiest guy alive.
Old Ruins scratched our black metal itch, albeit under the unforgiving Dong sun (as per tradition), and even treated us to a new track.
Persefone may not have drawn a huge crowd, but their energetic performance and well-earned circle pit reminded us why they’re always a joy to watch.
Dirty Shirt got the entire mountain dancing with their Balkan mayhem. They don’t perform, they party. And we get to join. Metal’s own Manu Chao, basically.
Mantar brought their stripped-down sludge chaos, showing once again that two guys can sound like the end of the world.
Kissin’ Dynamite turned the glam dial to 11 and delivered exactly the kind of glossy, over-the-top energy you’d expect from Friday’s headliner. Their set was packed with crowd-pleasers like “Back With a Bang,” “DNA,” and the ever-catchy “No One Dies a Virgin.” There was even a piano moment—yes, a literal piano appeared on stage—for “Not the End of the Road,” adding a touch of melodrama before launching back into anthems like “Raise Your Glass” and “You’re Not Alone.” The performance was as theatrical as it was tight: big sing-alongs and more hairspray than the front row could handle. And of course, the highlight — the singer, looking suspiciously like Hans Klok, crowdsurfing in an inflatable boat while still singing. Ridiculous? Absolutely. But in the best possible way. It was cheesy, it was dramatic, and it was one hell of a good time.
Props to Crash Pilots, Tyranthrope, Formosa, and Battle Beast for holding the fort earlier in the day.
Saturday Highlights
Burn Down Eden woke us up with sharp, brutal precision and a frontwoman who roared like a beast. Not everyone was into the style, but credit where it’s due: it was tight.
Khirki followed with Mediterranean vibes and a set that, while not earth-shattering, kept the energy alive.
Suidakra delivered folk-metal perfection. The fire brigade showed up mid-show and hosed the crowd. The singer joined the circle pit in the spray. Peak Dong.
Van Canto came on around early evening, but sadly their a cappella approach fell flat. The vocals were off, harmonies shaky, and it never quite clicked with the crowd—several people quietly drifted away before the end.
Destruction brought classic thrash fury. During the chaos, a dad crowdsurfed holding his kid like it was just another festival beer. Wholesome metal mayhem.
Kreator closed Saturday with a masterclass in headlining. From the first riff it was clear they were here to destroy. The sound was thunderous, the visuals perfectly synced, and the energy relentless. Mille Petrozza controlled the crowd like a general at war. Pyro, smoke, fists in the air — it was all there. The whole mountain sang along to “Violent Revolution”, “Enemy of the State”, “Hordes of Chaos”, “Satan is Real” and “Flag of Hate”. What an end to the festival!
Shout-outs also go to Weckörhead, Blodtåke, Dragonsfire, and Rise of the Northstar — we salute you!
The Dong Feeling
While the music might be the backbone, the soul of Dong lies elsewhere: in the relaxed, familiar vibe that only a 4000-person festival can provide. You bump into the same faces at the tent, at the beer stand, at the pit. Everyone’s on the same wavelength. Chaotic but kind. Wild, but not reckless. Even the security was singing along.
DJ Benne’s Afterparties
And speaking of singing: DJ Benne, you absolute legend. Your afterparties turned the beer tent into a sweaty, euphoric temple of questionable taste and unquestionable fun. Metalheads danced like no one was watching. And when the lights came on? We begged for one more track. Again.
Respect the Hill
On Sunday, the festival wound down. The hill was left spotless. No garbage dunes, no wreckage — just signs of a crowd that knows how to party and clean up after itself. That’s just as impressive as any moshpit.
Some Final Thoughts
This year, the festival layout had changed slightly. There were more cozy spots to sit and chill, a welcome improvement for those of us running on four hours of sleep and lukewarm beer. But it also seemed like there were fewer food stands, which made the mealtime hunt feel a bit limited.
And when it comes to the crew and press area, we’ve got mixed feelings. The space felt a bit too large and scattered. Where there used to be spontaneous conversations and shared beers, people now spread out and disappeared into the nooks. Add to that the continued separation of band and crew backstage (a change from a few years ago), and something important gets lost. That familiar, reunion-like vibe we used to love — the one where you’d stumble into a guitarist at the coffee table and end up talking for an hour — it’s just not there anymore.
Don’t get us wrong: the festival is still great. But we’d be lying if we said it still felt like the big metal family gathering it once was. The music is tight, the logistics are smooth, the mountain still sings. But the backstage soul is a little quieter these days.
In Conclusion
Somewhere between beer number six and sunscreen reapplication number zero, we remembered: Dong isn’t just a festival. It’s a condition. We know one thing for sure — we’ll be back.
Dong, you beautiful beast. Until next year.
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
