I’ll take you on a short trip to the WACKEN Open Air 2025 festival. For those who don’t know, let me briefly explain what Wacken is. It’s an iconic heavy metal music festival held in the small village of Wacken, located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The festival has been organized since 1990 and has become one of the biggest and most famous heavy metal festivals in the world. In short, Wacken is often called the Mecca of metal music.
This year, Wacken took place between July 30 – August 2, 2025. The festival grounds opened early for campers on July 27, which helped prevent overcrowding on the official opening day. Over 85,000 visitors attended this year’s Wacken.
Among the bands performing this year were: Guns N’ Roses, Machine Head, Saltatio Mortis, Papa Roach, Gojira, Apocalyptica, Saxon, Within Temptation, Dimmu Borgir, Ministry, Michael Schenker (My Years with UFO), Peyton Parrish, Beyond The Black, Clawfinger, Grave Digger (45th Anniversary Show), August Burns Red, Obituary, Wind Rose, Brothers of Metal, Tarja & Marko Hietala, Hanabie, Decapitated, Destruction, Orange Goblin, Angel Witch, Warbringer, and many more.
July 29
I stepped onto Wacken’s sacred grounds on July 29, but since it was late, I couldn’t enter the festival area. Instead, we spent time in the village of Wacken itself. This year my friends Barbaros and Gülay joined me.
I had been checking the weather forecast constantly before the festival, and the news wasn’t good. Bringing a good tent, raincoat, and boots was absolutely necessary. Having been to Wacken before, I already knew some of the hardships we’d face—but I didn’t expect this much rain and mud.
Day 1
A cold, rainy Wacken day—hello again!
Since it took a long time to get my photo pass approved for the main stages, I only managed to catch the last five songs of a band called Dogma, watching them from a distance. Their performance and stage visuals were excellent—their nun costumes created a striking image.
Then I headed over to Warbringer, who were full of energy and delivered a powerful show. Unfortunately, the rain got so heavy I had to stop shooting midway to protect my camera and lenses.
Once the rain eased, I went to watch the Japanese band Hanabie, and they definitely didn’t disappoint. As the day went on and the crowd increased, the mud got even worse. Later, I watched Apocalyptica, Beyond the Black, and Pentagram (Chile) before retreating to my tent as the rain intensified again. It poured all night long.
Day 2
Another muddy, exhausting day awaited us—three times harder and more draining.
I started the day with Dope, a band I’d never heard before. After five songs, I headed to the Wasteland area, a section of the festival that’s been transformed into a Mad Max-style world since 2013. The Wasteland Warriors with their costumes, vehicles, weapons, and bikes looked straight out of a movie.
Next up was Svarttjern, a Norwegian black metal band. The vocalist was completely insane—in the best way possible—a real frontman. Even if you don’t like black metal, I recommend watching them if you get the chance.
I decided to give unknown bands a chance this year, one of them being Lake Malice, a UK-based pop-metal trio. Their performance was energetic, fun, and definitely worth watching.
Then came Static-X, the band I was most excited for that day—and it was exactly the concert I hoped for. Even though Wayne Static’s early passing still saddens us, the band remains solid as ever.
After some rest and recharging batteries at the press tent, I faced a long, muddy walk back to the main stages. Guns N’ Roses were performing, but honestly, the sound was terrible and didn’t interest me. The crowd was so massive I couldn’t even reach the tent again.
Later, I caught the end of Benediction before heading to Ministry, the industrial metal legends. As always, their aggressive sound and performance were top-notch. At 66, Al Jourgensen still kills it on stage.
The night ended for me with the Norwegian black metal band 1349. After photographing three songs in the pit, I listened to a few more before calling it a night. Covered in mud, I cursed the swampy ground all the way back to my tent.
Day 3
Another day of rain and mud—but we continued!
The day started beautifully with Brothers of Metal, bringing northern folk metal vibes and plenty of flames—almost rivaling Rammstein’s pyrotechnics. Then came Landmvrks, a solid metalcore band whose latest album I love.
Afterward, Wednesday 13 delivered a fun performance, though I still think they shine more in indoor venues—so I’ll always prefer their Istanbul show.
Next up was Nailbomb, one of Max Cavalera’s projects, followed by Kylesa, a band I was thrilled to see again after many years. Then I watched Eihwar, a duo blending folk, pop, and trance—a very enjoyable act.
When Papa Roach hit the stage, they did what they do best—tight performance and great audience interaction. I left a bit early to rest at the press tent before Dimmu Borgir.
Finally, the band I’d been waiting for: Dimmu Borgir. Their concert was absolutely spectacular, though I was slightly disappointed that their song “Dimmu Borgir” wasn’t on the setlist. Still, I’ve never seen them perform badly.
As the rain started again, I went to Dark Funeral, who performed their Diabolis Interium special set—20 minutes late, which is unusual for Wacken. Still, their fiery black metal show satisfied everyone.
While walking back to the camp, Wacken surprised us: the big screens on the Harder and Faster stages suddenly displayed photos of Ozzy Osbourne, followed by Black Sabbath songs. Drones lit up the sky with the message “Ozzy, we love you.”A perfect tribute. Exhausted and muddy, I returned to my tent for the night.
Day 4 (Final Day)
The last day began with Warkings, a German band known for their costumes and fun stage show—definitely worth checking out.
Next was the American metalcore band August Burns Red, and wow—what a concert! Energetic, powerful, and with great audience participation.
I briefly watched Decapitated before heading to W.A.S.P., one of the heavy metal giants. It was my second time seeing them after 15 years, and they were absolutely perfect.
Then I trudged through the rain and mud to photograph Obituary, who proved once again why they’re Florida death metal legends. When the rain intensified, I took shelter in the press tent.
Finally, it was time for Gojira. I’d seen them four times before, but this time was visually different—perfect sound and stage setup. The special moment was the appearance of opera singer Marina Viotti, who joined the band for “Mea Culpa,” just like at the Olympics—exclusive to Wacken. The drum sound was so powerful the ground literally shook. Easily one of the best Gojira shows I’ve seen.
The last band of Wacken 2025: Machine Head. Before they came on, the organizers appeared on stage to thank the audience and presented a short space-themed show (this year’s concept). Drones formed a spaceship in the sky with fireworks, and they announced that 2026’s theme will be “Party On!” along with the first 30 bands.
Just before Machine Head started, heavy rain returned and continued until morning. I’d seen them in Istanbul’s Headbangers Festival a month earlier, but Wacken’s sound and visuals were even better. After five songs, I decided to head to my tent to dry off and rest for my early departure.
Summary
Wacken 2025 was the rainiest and muddiest year in Wacken history—a truly challenging experience. Yet, the die-hard Wacken fans still found ways to have fun.
Criticism-wise: the festival area was expanded too much, and because of the endless rain and mud, moving from one spot to another became a nightmare. I couldn’t explore as much as I wanted, missing parts like the metal market, which had been relocated farther away.
The bus terminal was also moved to the far end of the village, forcing campers into long walks. Prices were higher than ever, meaning everyone had to spend more carefully.
Still, despite everything—rain or shine, Wacken remains Wacken.
Wacken 2025 is over, and we already look forward to 2026!