Headbanging in Wacken

© Sonja Pieper | Flickr

Just having celebrated its 25^th anniversary, Wacken Open Air is still going strong as the biggest metal festival in the world, though if you came to this town at any other time, you wouldn’t know it. Wacken is a tiny farming hamlet with a population of 1,900, but every summer 75,000 metalheads make pilgrimage to the festival, morphing the town into an explosion of tattoos and goat horns.

Iron Maiden at Wacken Open Air © CGO2 | Flickr

In true heavy metal fashion, everything about this festival is big. For four days, more than 100 bands perform on 10 stages, showcasing styles from all corners of the metal world. Headliners perform on Black Stage and True Metal Stage, which is equipped with pyrotechnics, smoke machines and Jumbotrons. The Bullhead City Circus features karaoke and the Metal Battle, where bands from more than 30 countries compete for a record deal. The Party Stage is a smaller, more intimate stage while Wackinger Stage is set up with a medieval theme. In the center of it all is the fan-favorite Beer Garden Stage.

© CGO2 | Flickr

Wacken is known for being surprisingly organized, with the line-up performing on schedule, plenty of toilets and even free childcare. What started out a simple music festival for local bands has grown into the premier metal event in the world. In addition to music, there are also soccer matches, medieval weaponry shows, concert footage screenings and organized wrestling.

To learn more about the festival, visit wacken.com.