WACKEN OPEN AIR 2026 35 Bands Revealed In Epic Announcement Show

Wacken, Germany — The 35th anniversary of Wacken Open Air culminated early this morning with a spectacular on‑site reveal of the first 35 bands booked for the 2026 edition (running July 29–August 1). The announcement came during the closing hours of W:O:A 2025, specifically just before Machine Head took the Faster Stage, accompanied by a massive drone-assisted video display on the twin stages

Headliners and special performances include:

Def Leppard, marking their first-ever Wacken appearance 

In Flames 

Powerwolf

Savatage

Nevermore

Emperor Sepultura (their last German festival show)

Running Wild (farewell tour finale)

Lamb of God

The Gathering (exclusive German return with Anneke van Giersbergen)

Triptykon (with world premiere selections) 

Blood Fire Death (Bathory tribute, Germany exclusive)

Also confirmed in the first wave: Allt, Airbourne, Any Given Day, Blood Command, Broken By The Scream, Einherjer, Europe, Faun, Future Palace, Grand Magus, Gutalax, H‑Blockx, Insanity Alert, Kupfergold, Luna Kills, Mantar, Orbit Culture, Paleface Swiss, Pig Destroyer, Ten56., The Hardkiss, Thundermother, Thrown.

The reveal took place on the final night of W:O:A 2025, before Machine Head's set on the Faster Stage, using CGI, video effects, and drone formations across both Faster and Harder stages. Wacken 2025 itself concluded in the early hours of August 3, 2025, wrapping with this high‑impact multimedia presentation.

Tickets for W:O:A 2026 go on presale Sunday, August 3, 2025 at 8 PM local time, on wacken.com and Metaltix.com. As per tradition, there will be no single‑day or VIP passes — full weekend access only .

Full lineup updates will likely follow in later waves, including additional artists and potential headliners. Historically, Wacken fills out its roster with further announcements around the holiday season or early the following year. With only 35 acts announced of the expected 150–200 bands, fans can anticipate further reveals over the coming months.