Wacken Open Air, the iconic German metal festival, has revealed the first wave of bands set to perform at their 35th anniversary in 2026. The lineup includes Def Leppard, Lamb Of God, In Flames, Powerwolf, Emperor, Sepultura, and Running Wild, among others. Def Leppard will make their debut at the festival, while Sepultura and Running Wild will play their final shows in Germany.
Other confirmed acts include Savatage, Allt, Airbourne, Any Given Day, Blood Command, Blood Fire Death – A Tribute To Bathory, Broken By The Scream, Einherjer, Europe, Faun, Future Palace, Gutalax, Grand Magus, Insanity Alert, H-Blockx, Kupfergold, Luna Kills, Mantar, Nevermore, Orbit Culture, Paleface Swiss, Pig Destroyer, Ten56., The Gathering, The Hardkiss, Thundermother, Thrown, and Tryptikon. More bands will be announced soon.
The festival follows an epic 2025 event with performances from Mastodon, Guns N’ Roses, Gojira, Papa Roach, Mimi Barks, King Diamond, Machine Head, Hellbutcher, Midnight, The Hellacopters, Windrose, Within Temptation, and over 100 others.
Wacken Open Air 2026 takes place July 29 – August 1 in Wacken, Germany. Tickets are available at wacken.com.
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