This year’s Wacken Open Air (July 30 to August 2, 2025) started just the way many fans traditionally love it: pouring rain, deep mud. While the campground was evacuated at night and fans sought shelter in their cars, daytime turned into a real mud party. Rubber boots once again proved to be the most important piece of festival gear!
Pure metal feeling
The central theme of 2025: classic metal sounds took the lead. Beyond the headliners, legendary acts like King Diamond, Dimmu Borgir, Mastodon, Katatonia, and Within Temptation took the stage. Fans celebrated the return of traditional heaviness.
But the biggest buzz was the performance by Guns N’ Roses, who played Wacken for the very first time. The band delivered a mega-show lasting over three hours – a record for this festival! The set began around 8:35 p.m. and ended just before midnight.
Classics like “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, and “November Rain” were on the setlist, as well as Black Sabbath covers – an emotional tribute to Ozzy Osbourne (“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, “Never Say Die!”) after his death in July 2025. Fans celebrated along, despite some online criticism of Axl Rose’s vocal performance.
More stage highlights
While the main stage was filled with big acts in the evening, many other bands brought great energy during the afternoon and on side stages – including Gojira, Papa Roach, Beyond The Black, Landmvrks, and many more!
The positive vibe, thanks to friendship, full-metal immersion, and unforgettable moments during countless classic shows, led many long-time fans to say: This is how Wacken should be.
