Rain or Shine it was that time again. For the 34st time Wacken Open Air took place starting on the 27th of July in a rainy Germany. As of last year, this year we again had a designated arrival path to make it to the campground. We had the triangle path, which unfortunately brought us to a campspot a bit further from the actual festival. On the first hand a bit of a pity, but as the week drove by, more a blessing.
Setting up camp in the rain is a bit different and is no one’s favorite but luckily the weathergods were in a good spirit cause once we parked the car and took the camp stuff out of the cars the rain stopped for a bit and we could at least start with a dry camp. It’s amazing to see what people actually bring with them. I have seen many amazing sleeping places. From a RV changed into a camper till a wooden cabin on wheels.
After unpacking and setting up the camp, it was time for a stroll to the festival field.
The line at the large merchandise stand was already massive. People were absolutely ready to get their hands on some official Wacken merchandise.
The farmers market was already open and just like last year, you were again able to order online and pick it up at the required time. The beer garden was already open and some bands were about to perform.
Reis against the spülmaschine was performing and opening the beer garden. This German duo really knows how to hype up a crowd with their rewritten rock and pop songs in German.
On Monday it was time for Wacken legend Mambo Kurt to perform at the beer garden and the people were totally ready for this man. There barely isn’t a Wacken without Mambo Kurt. On Tuesday the Wasteland stage opened its door to let you enter the apocalyptic world of Mad Max and you could watch some cage fighting and other amazing performances.
Wednesday
While the weather was a bit of a mix between rain and shine. The weathergods decided on Wednesday it was time to live to the anthem rain or shine. Rain was the main character during this day. But it won’t scare a few metalheads away from enjoying the actual first day of the festival. While the Holy Ground opened just in time for Wind Rose. We started the day first at the Louder stage, where Enemy Inside was performing. The German band with leading lady Nastassja Giulia gave an amazing performance and made the crowd go wild despite the rain. We saw Enemy Inside live in Utrecht in April and were in Utrecht you sometimes couldn’t hear Giulia due to the bass. The sound here was absolutely amazing. Then it was time to head to the Wackinger stage. This stage is set in the Wackinger Village, a medieval style village with different food and drink stands then the rest of the festival. I really can recommend the meat on a stick and the mead. Tabernis was performing here, these two beekeepers have their own way of making music by only using old, medieval instruments which creates these dark and deep tones. Words are not there to describe the sound they were making, but it was an amazing experience and very beautiful to hear. We saw people really getting into a zone due to the music they were making.
Then it was time to take my first steps on the Holy Ground, and I wish I could lock that moment into a frame. What an amazing feeling to take that first step on this holy ground. Wind Rose was the first headlining the Faster stage and they didn’t let that go unnoticed. Never seen so many inflatable pickaxes around me as during this gig. The Italian band mixes powermetal with folkmetal and that all wrapped around in a dwarf theme. The band looks like they got straight off the set of The Hobbit to perform here at Wacken. Their most famous song ”Diggy Diggy Hole” made the crowd go wild and insane. Especially when Alea of Saltatio Mortis joined the group on the stage and they even threw in the dance remix version of the song. Ever seen metalheads going wild on dance music. Well at Wacken it happened. After Wind Rose I took myself a little break and got a lovely meal called Nackensteak. Just a sandwich with a delicious piece of meat on it. Then it was time for Apocalyptica, The Finnish symphonic metal band performed their Metallica set on the Faster stage. I myself am a huge Metallica fan and hearing these songs performed on cellos was a totally different experience. The crowd was still singing out loud to the lyrics of the songs. Tina Guo joined the 3 men on stage to perform ”Seek and Destroy’‘ I loved the version of ”St Anger” they were playing. It really gives a different layer and tone to all the songs being played by cellos. And I know lot’s of metalheads have an opinion about classical instruments and so on but Apocalyptica showed us that cellos can rock too.
After Apocalyptica the sky started to release its tears. Probably sad that they weren’t able to get tickets for this year’s Wacken. Because it started to pour down. But Beyond The Black is here to battle the rain. The German symphonic metal band with leading lady Jennifer Haben really put on a great show. Haben‘s clean voices were really good to hear from the tent I was sitting hiding from the rain. “Heart of the Hurricane” was especially amazing to hear live. The fire used during the gig really was a welcoming gift since everyone got soaked and cold. During “Free Me” Tina Guo joined the band and Haben put on some angel wings for a beautiful power ballad.
After Beyond The Black it was time for the 25th anniversary show of Saltatio Mortis. Coming down from the ceiling of the faster stage in the pouring rain really gave me the signal that rain or no rain. We were about to get this party started. Forget about the cold and the wet clothes. Just hop on and party on. Included an old Viking ship who went over the crowd, a circle pit and lots and lots of mud. Nothing stopped this gig or even this band from performing, enjoying and celebrating Wacken. During the song “My mother told me” Alea invited Gavin from Miracle of Sound on the stage to perform with him and give him the credits he deserves.
While Saltatio Mortis were playing another band was closing out the Wasteland stage, a band that hasn’t played Wacken for a long time. 3 Inches of Blood took the stage and from the first moment on it was an amazing spectacle. Finally coming back after a 12 year hiatus it felt like they never left the scene. The crowd was swept off their feet in the mud and was treated to an absolutely feast. The perfectly timed pyro to the fist pumps of Cam Pipes gave this show exactly the energy it needed. It’s still so amazing to finally hear “Destroy the Orcs” , “The Goatriders Horde” and “Deadly Sinners” live again
Thursday
A brand new day at Wacken. Less rain and more sunshine. The day started with actual sunshine near our camp. So some good time to let all the clothes and boots dry from yesterday’s rain. Then we went to see Grave Digger performing on the Harder stage with a special 45th anniversary show. With performing the famous songs like “The Grave Dancer” and “Twilight of the Gods”. No matter what age these men have. They still know how to set the holy ground on fire. Near the end of the gig they welcomed a special guest Uwe Lulis, their old guitarist joined the band for two songs Excalibur and Rebellion. After Grave Digger it was time to head to the Wackinger stage. Miracle of Sound was about to perform for the first time ever. Gavin Dunne, the mind behind it all. Showed Wacken what he was made of. Famous for his music inspired by videogames, films and tv shows. Many other artists used or covered his music over the years without always giving him the proper credits he deserves. And now it was time to see the man behind it all perform his music. And he did an amazing job. I predict we will definitely hear and see more of him at different festivals. Wacken welcomed him with open arms the night before when he took the stage with Alea from Saltatio Mortis on the Faster stage. But the Wackinger stage also welcomed him with open arms. When I heard ‘‘Valhalla Calling” sung by the original performer and writer of the song, it absolutely gave me goose bumps even though the sun was shining. Leaving the medieval vibes behind me and on to the Louder stage for Static-X, the American industrial metal band from Los Angeles. Performing with good energy and a lovely stage performance. They really made the Louder stage go wild. I saw people dancing and moshing around me, absolutely having the most fantastic time ever.
Then it was time for the major headliner of the festival. Guns n roses set to do a 3,5 hour long performance at the harder stage. There is a lot to say about the band and the performance. It did sound better than the back to the beginning performance they did at the beginning of July. But still Axel Rose his voice has seen his best days. He went off a couple of times to get changed and probably took a break as well. Since 3,5 hours of performance really is a topsport to do so and I must give my compliments for performing the whole routine. But it wasn’t the best quality. Slash and the other members sounded amazing and they really made the performance for me. I’m glad that I have heard one of my favorite songs live like “November Rain” and “Sweet Child O’Mine” and seeing Slash doing a major guitar solo felt like the cherry on the top. They filled the setlist with some covers as well like the Black Sabbath songs, “Never say Die” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”. But my advice would have been, cut one hour of the set and just mainly do your own songs and maybe let Rose not sing so much anymore but let the crowd do the job. Because that sounded much better.
While Guns n Roses were playing on the Harder stage it was time for Industrial metal’s favorite uncle Al Jourgensen to bless us with his presence on the Louder stage. Ministry set off and tore down the proverbial roof, after all these years they still know how to deliver with the same energy they did back in the day. Starting off with “Thieves” and playing nothing but hits throughout the entire set. Finishing off with “Jesus Build My Hotrod” and “So What”. They show everyone why they are still one of the greatest industrial bands around. While the set felt a little short when it finished, we made our way over to the W.E.T stage of some brutal black metal by 1349. The lights perfectly implemented the darkness surrounding the band and the already dark infield. For me this was actually one of the best shows I’ve seen from them and i was really glad that they played “The God Devourer”.
Friday
The busiest day for us. So many bands are performing today. Luckily the weather gods are in a good mood and with us. Because we have sunshine and no rain. First on the list is Peyton Parrish performing on the Harder stage. Famous for his cover of “Valhalla Calling” and various Disney songs. It has been two years since he performed at Wacken. The gig was good, he sang a lot of new music. Which led to positive responses from the crowd. “Leaving out all the rest” by Linkin Park was a beautiful moment and the crowd went almost completely silent.
But sometimes his voice wasn’t hearable over the bass and he sounded out of breath a couple of times. When Disney’s Mulan “I’ll make a man out of you” came on the holy ground singing alone on top of their lungs. Near the end of the gig, Peyton Parrish started to preach about how he found Jesus for a few months and how blessed he was to be here and perform. The speech went on with him saying that Jesus is there for everyone, whether you go through sickness, mental health struggles or something different. He started to sing “Valhalla Calling”, after that song, he started talking again about Jesus and played that song again. In my opinion it is a bit weird to sing one song twice and use a big stage like Wacken to talk about religion and even try to spread religion in the way he did. Knowing that thousands of people are there and even millions probably are watching the stream. (the part is cut from the stream while writing this) Although I’m happy for him that he found himself again through faith after going through a dark phase in his life.
Then on to the Faster stage, which is next to the Harder stage for Krokus. Due to Saxon not being able to attend this year’s Wacken due to health issues. Krokus served as the replacement and they did the job amazingly. The field looked crowded and they were welcomed with open arms. Marc Storace sounded very good live. So I get the decision to return from their retirement. They dedicated their song “Winning Man” to Lemmy and Ozzy. After Krokus, I went to the Wackinger Stage for Eihwar, a French Viking war trance metal band. I didn’t know what to expect from this new band. But I must say they surprised me in every way. The field was loaded with fans and everyone was having a really good time. Their music really puts you into a sort of trance and with the sun also shining I was really having an amazing time. Then I saw the second half of Fear Factory‘s show on the Louder stage. Sometimes you have to make a choice between bands and due to the mud you weren’t that able to just simply walk around very easily. It was an amazing show. The band with new singer Milo Silvestro and drummer Pete Webber really know how to keep the crowd going. It was quite loaded and full at the Louder stage and lot’s of people were crowd surfing and there was a circle pit. They decided to dedicate “A therapy for pain” to Ozzy Osbourne. After Fear Factory I went to the Faster stage as maybe half Wacken did. Papa Roach was about to perform and there were more people attending this band than the night before at Guns n Roses. For me this performance really marks number one of this festival. The crowd was in a good mood and before “leave a light on” there was this beautiful speech about mental health and the gesture of donating money to a local mental health facility. The whole crowd sang along during that song. Bit of a shame that some people weren’t able to keep their mouth shut during a moment of silence for people we have lost due to mental health issues and suicide. Jacoby Shaddix even sang a cover of Changes by Ozzy Osbourne, which was absolutely beautiful and amazing. I never heard so many people sing along with a band as it did during this show.
During the show of Papa Roach another band was playing on the Louder stage. The Boomtown Rats, these old-timers, were apparently not very happy that they had to share the spotlight with a bigger band. Singer Bob Geldof (yes that one) kept making remarks and pointing to the Faster stage and yelling that they needed to shut the fuck up. To make things even worse while they were playing “I Don’t Like Mondays” there was a quick intermission in the song where you could hear Shaddix sing “Changes” when Geldof found it necessary to point to the Faster stage and do the international sign for wankers at them. This is also shown in the livestream and the band has lost all kind of respect it had. That was a horrible thing to do when someone is doing an emotional tribute.
No time for a rest because 15 minutes later Dimmu Borgir started at the Harder stage. This black metal band from Norway didn’t have the weather gods with them, since it started to rain again but that wouldn’t stop them. The fire during the show really gave some extra warmth to the crowd. And I must say I’m not a huge black metal fan but this I could really enjoy. It sounded good, I was able to hear the singer over the bass. Something that isn’t always the case with other bands. So I’m glad that I have seen them live.
After Dimmu Borgir it was time for the last headliner of this long day. Officially set to play on the Friday but the time made it also count as the first band of the Saturday. It is no one else than the Bad Loverz, (the best friends of Saltatio Mortis) the long lost 80’s band has finally returned for the performance of a lifetime, (words from Dennis, the leadsinger aka Alea from Saltatio Mortis) Imagine some old famous pop songs wrapped into a bit more of a rock / metal vibe with some bagpipes included sung and played by talented men in spandex outfits and wigs. I bet it is nothing compared to the show they were setting at Wacken. It was amazing and everyone was having a really good time. Thousands of people singing along to the pokemon theme, hangover and livin on a prayer. The Bad Loverz really know how to create a party and the rain didn’t stop them.
After the Bad Loverz we got treated to a beautiful homage to the prince of Darkness himself. With drones flying over the mainstage while playing “Mama I’m Coming Home” and “Paranoid” while the drones formed the shape of the Black Sabbath angel. Wacken honored Ozzy Osbourne in the most beautiful way.
Saturday
The last day of this amazing week, I’m a bit sad about the fact it will be over very soon and that I have to wait for another year. I think the gods of the weather agreed with me. Because it rained for the entire day with no break. The mud was insane today. I’m not very tall but I was in the mud to my knees. I spent the whole time at the Faster and Harder stage because I found myself in a spot which wasn’t full of standing in the mud the whole time. Started the day with the performance of W.A.S.P on the Harder stage. When you look at the announcement from the band itself Blackie Lawless should play the greatest hits during the festival tours and the album one alive during the other touring dates. However they changed that on a later date to be part of the album one alive set. But nonetheless it was an amazing show and he sounded good and the people were enjoying themselves. Now it was time for a Dutch band to show themselves. Within Temptation showed the people of Wacken that we Dutch people know how to rock. Sharon den Adel her beautiful voice could be heard loud and clear over the holy ground. During “Shed My Skin” Christoph Wieczorek from Annisokay joined the band on stage. For me hearing “Ice Queen” and “Mother Earth” made this performance one to remember. Then time for Gojira, the French band rose to fame by performing during the Olympics last year. They played a beautiful set here at Wacken. It felt a little bit like a clean performance for me. I missed some interaction, it felt a bit distant for me. I must say that I loved the songs they were playing from the Back to the Beginning gig. After Gojira it was time for the announcement of the bands for the upcoming edition of Wacken. The 35th anniversary of the festival. But before I will spill some names to you. We had one band left to watch. Machine Head closed the festival this year. Must say the rain really went wild during their performance and I think it really affected the amount of people that were watching them. But the energy they were given during the performance really warmed up the holy ground.
And with that I said goodbye to my first edition of Wacken. I had an amazing experience this year even though everything was covered in mud and my raincoat has seen better days. Really already looking forward to next year. The party edition with Savatage, Powerwolf, Def Leppard, Airbourne, Europe, In flames, Lamb of God and many more
Livestreams of your favorite shows from 2025 can be seen here
