Based on your assessment, I think I had the best first Wacken ever. I come from a poor Carribean country and we rarely ever get any famous bands playing locally or large metal festivals within reasonable reach. But when my band had competed to represent the Caribbean at the Wacken Metal Battle and won, here I was going to Germany to perform at Wacken. Just imagine.. first metal festival ever AND its Wacken AND Ill be performing there on the same stage Sepultura would be on 3 hours after my show. I didnt stay in the regular campgrounds, but pitched my tent at the "Artist Village" where there were free shower facilities. Best of all... it was Wacken 2018 and it didnt rain that year. So much more to say but this is the comment section. Hope you dug my story. Wacken was amazing and i look forward to being there again.
@@Woozy.0 Wasnt planning to say band because i didnt want to sound like i wanted to plug myself. But ok. My band's name is Asylum. In RUclips search for "Asylum - Chaos Bleeds" or "Asylum - God's Creation". We are a thrash/death mix. Hope you dig it. 👍
My favourite festival is Brutal Assault in Czech republic. I was 13x there. It is usually week after Wacken. I am from Slovakia, for me it is around 5 hours by train to get there. And everything is much cheaper then on wacken, hellfest and so on. And it is smaller I think limit is 20000 people but line-up is always great for death/black metal heads.
@@SpaceNightWolfLordDo it! Drinks are half the price compared to here, the tickets are cheaper, flights can be cheap. It's a stunning location that has a great lineup every year! I would just make sure to pay for secure camping and be careful with the food, as you often pay by amount so "more" can make it £10+ when it looked cheap to start.
Brutal Assault is always classic, im there since 2010 i think, and im there again this year too. hahaha hope we can meet each other there, im chilling a lot at the river where you can go the steps down
I feel you so much. I‘m from Germany and I‘ve been to a lot of festivals during ages 18 - 23ish. When you get older it‘s like: man, I need to take a shit in silence, I wanna shower, I don‘t want to hear that drunkard in the next tent yelling for three days, I can‘t stand the stench of piss, sweat and beer anymore, where are my keys, I need something to eat, everything hurts and I can‘t stand the noise anymore. When I was young it was all ok for three days. Now I need just a little bit of luxury. I was at Wacken in 2003 and it was the only festival in Germany that I attended where it didn‘t rain. But that lead to me needing 5 days to wash of all the sand and dry dirt after coming home. It was so dry and hot it was hard to keep being hydrated. It was great, but I absolutely feel you, when you say you can‘t stand the mud. I feel that. It is so annoying and frustrating being wet for 3 - 5 days in row, coming home with a fucking pneumonia, have to throw away most of your stuff. Festivals are great. But yeah, maybe you grow out of it or just need a different vibe than being all covered in shit.
I was there from 2002 - 2011 and mostly agree with you and OP, but I gotta say, I prefer rain and mud over burning sun all day. I feel I can prepare for muddy weather with boots, capes and booze, but nothing helps against 35°C+ weather, especially not drinking! Some of the best concerts I've attended were in the rain, with only people who REALLY wanted to be there in the crowd, and it made a huge difference! Meanwhile, getting sunburned and dehydrated while headbanging sucks ass.
Pussy 😜 i'm 62 and attent several Metal festivals every year, also the big ones🤘😁 the festival is not the problem. no offence, i'm just kidding, to everyone his own.😛
Same. I haven't been to Download in the UK since 2010 for basically the same reasons you outlined. My biggest issue with festivals is there are too many bands. That may sound odd but 80% of a festival you're likely to miss, 5 stages or so is just a bit excessive. Would prefer fewer stellar bands rather than lots of filler bands.
Man, I've been there in 2003 too, for my first time. Repeat in 5,6,7 and 10.. In 2003 was scorching HOT. Living hell, but it didnt matter, I was 31. Now I'm 50, and you are absolutely right..let youngsters do it, have the experience, but not for me anymore...too crowded, disney for metalheads.
I'm guessing he is a rich kid if he went to all those festivals in his 20s. Most people can't afford groceries, but these dudes want to complain about privileges none of us will know. Can definitely tell he's from California.
I stopped going to these festivals years ago, for the exact reasons you brought up, spending the amount of money on headlining shows instead. But then again, living in Germany's Ruhrgebiet, I have the lucky opportunity to see whatever band I want to. I'm almost to one concert every two weeks at this point. I wouldn't want to miss the experiences I had on these festivals, though, and I agree that every metalhead should experience it at least once. The first time is magic.
As someone who lives in the same area, there's hardly any other place in the world that you can get to see such a variety of bands outside of festivals so often ! We're blessed here
Kann ich verstehen, darf ich dir was empfehlen? Es gibt das Jera on Air Festival. Ist direkt an der Grenze von Gladbach nach Niederlande. So wie du unsere Nachbarn kennst wird das deutlich zivilisierter und moderner. 150€ Ticket finde ich auch suuuper fair für 3 Tage voll Feuer. Schau mal aufs lineup, vielleicht sagts dir ja zu. Wir habens definitiv dem full froce vorgezogen . Kanns WIRKLICH nur empfehlen. Was ein lineup
My first big metal festival was Dynamo open air 1994. Cheap, great bands, only fast food, lots of beer, 3 days of non stop noise and the sanitation the worst I ever experienced. Great experience! Magic indeed.
Helvetica in Oberhausen is the fucking best thing ever. Im a big BM Guy, so there is nothing better than a small pub where you can listen to your fav bands. Turock and Turock Open Air is dope too in Essen. Man i love the ruhrgebiet
As someone who was an exhange student in Germany, that experienced festivals there at 16. Coming back to America thinking Ozfest or others would be the same led to only disappointment. Wir haben jeden Tag gesauft. Wir haben jeden Abend gefeirert. Alles Musik war so Geil. Learned a lot out there.
I've attended and performed at Wacken. Performing was an unforgettable and amazing experience. I personally enjoyed attending Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium way more !
I grew up listening to many kinds of music but stuck with hard rock and metal for the "coming of age" years between like 14 and 20. And in the 2000s every metal fan in Germany eventually hears of Wacken - tales of people who have been there, or who's brother was there once and stuff like that. And those tales grew into a hivemind of experiences, all culminating into "Wacken is great, loud, wacky, you have to visit at least once in your life". At first it was a secret, passed on over the years of people by word of mouth. And when it finally reached me, it wasn't all that "secret" anymore, kind of a must for a metal fan. And so I went in 2011, like yourself, being 19 and having not a lot of big festival experience. While it was very fun, it was also exhausting. The heat was manageable and expected, the lines for drinking water weren't, also the sheer scale of the camping ground does your head in. I went with experienced Wacken veterans who insisted on arriving at Monday to secure a close enough camping spot. A friend of mine came on thursday, and it was a 30min walk from my tent to his - you DON'T want to arrive on thursday. Sure, most people are friendly and just want to have a good time, I had no negative encounters myself. But as I said, WOA has a reputation of being completely out of line, everythings allowed, nothing is off limits, and you better come home with some amazing stories to wow people. And that, sadly, attracts people just wanting to seed chaos. For example: when I was walking to see a band, I went by a tent that had a camping cooker sitting besides the main road. On it sat a CLOSED can of noodles. They were just waiting for it to blow up eventually, not caring about the hundreds of people walking next to it and the poor ones being unfortunate enough to get covered in boiling hot noodle sauce. Also, I saw some people catapulting full noodle cans god knows where, no way to know where they would land or who they might seriously injure, maybe even kill, or maybe "just" busting a car window. With so many people, alcohol and a reputation of "anything goes, you better let loose", I won't return to WOA either. I feel at peace knowing I've been there, maybe a few years too late in retrospect, but hey, I saw Ozzy mooning tens of thousand of people while I crowdsurfed into the first row. Can't put a price on that.
I’m definitely only in it for the lineup. Especially because Europe so far way. I tried to get tickets for Hellfest this year, but no luck 😢 You’re totally right about the weather too!
Trans siberian orchestra and Savatage, not Sabaton. You look too young to remember Savatage. That is the band the TSO was built upon. You have a couple hours, can tell you the whole history as I was blessed to know a few of the originators, including the major contributor. Paul O'Neill.
I feel the same way about Lollapalooza. When I was a kid all I wanted to do was go see Lollapalooza. They had everything from Alice In Chains to NIN to Body Count to Cypress Hill and everything in between. It was one of the coolest festivals you could be at. The problem was, they would always pick these out of the way places to hold the festival. Like Missoula Montana or the Gorge amphitheater. At 14, I didn’t have a car and I had Christian parents who were not going to let me see Porno For Pyros alongside Green Day. So I never went.
You actually telling the story of a man growing up ;) It's absolutely the same with me. I'm from Germany and I've been to Wacken several times like 20 years ago (when I was 20). Same points like special bands you can only see there and stuff, it was like Christmas and your birthday at one weekend. But I stopped for all the same reasons. Years after that we went to Graspop, really cool too, BUT we had a hotelroom then 😅 All the best, cheers
My brother has been going to Hellfest a good few years in a row. I love that they have something for EEEVERYONE, black metal, death, thrash, hardcore, classic rock, classic heavy metal. Also there's exciting bands headlining every stage fit for the style of that stage. I sadly can't go but it looks amazing.
My god, dude. The lineup for this year... I'm looking into how I can divide myself in 4 cause there is legit so many amazing bands going... Too bad it falls around the same weekend as Graspop...
I'm going to Wacken for the first time this year, and I feel you on the lineup. Wacken 2023 lineup thus far is pretty shit. But for me it's a pilgrimage that I feel compelled to see once in my life. I definitely want to go to Hellfest one day as well.
Skipped Wacken this year here. Went to Graspop instead. I feel you on the line up but.. I'd still want to go. Wacken last year was the grandest spectacle of a festival. The size of the stages, the sound and effects, the variety. I don't understand exactly how they're unable to get more popular bands, their production and atmosphere is so good. I hear it's a touring thing for bands sadly. Wacken is outside of the regular festival months. But you will not regret it. Wacken is just awesome as an experience. And be sure to go see Two Steps From Hell.
@@johnnamkeh1290 I don't think it's just the normal costs of touring, because so many other European festivals have managed to attract great lineups this year.
@@PaulEubanksall of the other big festivals are in June. You have June bands and August bands, that tour festivals in those months. Wacken might get a few big European bands like Iron Maiden playing one off shows there, but it's hard when most do a festival tour. Also Hellfest is amazing, but so are smaller festivals like Sweden Rock, Brutal Assault, Bloodstock and Rockstadt. Graspop and Summer Breeze are good too. Wacken is spectacular and an awesome experience as the original big metal festival with the most history; try checking out some more bands beforehand maybe to make the most of it. It is fun, just allow extra time to make it through the mud...
Wacken will eternally hold a special place in my heart solely because of nightwish’s performance there in 2013. Completely and utterly otherworldly concert.
For someone tired of sleeping in tents but wanting a real metal experience, Tuska Open Air in Finland is awesome. It’s held in the middle of Helsinki (since 1998) and lately drawing up 60k people over three days.
And where do 60k people stay over night? No way Helsinki has a hotel bed capacity of more than 60.000 (no, it doesn't). So you have to be one of the lucky ones who scored an overpriced hotel room?
@@dnocturn84I live here. My guess (and experience) is that the vast majority of crowd in Tuska are Finns. Also, many people buy 3 day tickets so there are no 60k unique visitors, that’s the total number of tickets sold.
@@konsta9600 Ok, but then it will become a problem, when this festival grows in popularity. Available hotel beds in Helsinki is below 10k. So don't make too much advertisement for Tuska. 😉
I guess i was lucky then hahahaha whent to wacken 2022, waited 10 years to go, 5 years of planing and 3 years of saving money and was perfect! There was no rain at all, i got the first row at Judas Priest (my favorite band) concert, got richie faulkers pick after that, saw avantasia for the first time and met tons of awesome metal heads that became my friends, and i got the tickets for the next year hahahhahahaha hope to have the same luck next year
I wish I had been there in 2022 - Priest are my favourites too. Seeing Maiden this year will be cool enough, but that line-up last year was way more "me", especially with Priest and Merciful Fate.
Dude, i agree on every single word you just said. I feel exactly the same way you do about gettin older but still being a metal head. Shower is so much better than a muddy tent for me now 🤣
First time here on your channel and I totally understand where you're coming from. At almost 50 I have never been to Wacken but it's on my bucket list and will probably only go once as I'm in it for the experience and not just the music.
Roughing it in a German countryside is pure metal especially if it overcast and gloomy, I would HATE being in some sunny hot location for a metal fest.
Yeah but as a local (live only 40 minutes away from Wacken) I know our weather can be pretty shite. It's basically just a coin toss between boiling away in a dust bowl and a Battle of Paaschendale reenactment (mud fest). I had years where I had to pay a local farmer to get my car off the camp ground with his tractor and other years where it was so dusty I felt like I was chewing sand for weeks after the fact.
@@Fitzhugh666 I was there in 2011, when it still was ok. But the line ups became weaker every year and I preferred Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium, better Bands for less money and only 120 KM instead of 6 hours
@@stephanievanzwetselaar9180 Shall try it. The line up looks like very weak to me compare to Hellfest. It can be the occasion to see some bands i cannot see in Hellfest when Main Stages bands are not allowed you to see great bands on others scenes. The problem i am facing recently is to see many bands that i really like such as Powerwolf, Sabaton, Drop Kick Murphy's and so on...this is really not my type of bands. The good thing at Hellfest is that you can go to see hardcore at WarZone, or death at Altar/Temple, or psychedelic rock on Valley when you don't want to see those successful folks bands. The past week, we got great bands such as king Buffalo, Clutch, and it was very refreshing.
Wyatt I hope you see this message. The first 4 and a half minutes of this video made me tear up its so nice to see someone talk so passionately about an amazing community thank you 🙏
Hello from New England... I'm a new sub and really like your content..The best metal fest I've seen was Hellfest 2019 with Korn headlining and the mighty Gojira for direct support Unfortunately at 51 and after multiple spine surgeries my concert days are over lol thx for the vids man 🧐🤘✌️
Lived, Worked, Traveled and Saw many concerts in over 42 different countries around the world...Today at 54, I go hiking in nature and listen to the birds chirping and talk to pine cones and it cost me nothing...Simply fantastic...Rock On! From Portugal! 🇵🇹🌄🐦😇👌
I feel you here, my early years visiting graspop, wacken and Download festival 2003/04 there was something very special. Weirdly for me and my wife now it is the more unique small scale festivals that have our hearts. Tuska is now our bi annual festival without a doubt as Finish metal was a huge part of our early days in metal, small festival great lineup and a beautiful city in Helsinki make it all worthwhile.
Honestly I don't need three headliner every day for one week. For me it's not just only lineup. It's the whole package which make Wacken so perfect for me. My dad is now 72 years old and he still attending with us at Wacken. Living in a tent for a whole week ;)
the last half of the video I was busy having my hands full and earphones in, not being able to turn it off and it kept repeating the same story over and over. The first half was a nice story 😂😂
I live in Canada, we don't have many options for festivals... especially metal. I can probably think of only 2. I've been going to heavy Montreal since I was 11 and it's one of the best weekends of the year, just the environment and freedom is euphoric. Ever since I've wanted to fly over the pond and experience wacken, im gonna go one day but planning a trip that big seems so hard to me. I've barely traveled outside my province 😂
I live in BC and while my city has a great underground scene, I can’t think of any metal festivals within the province as far as I’m aware of. I’d love to go to any of these festivals, it looks absolutely incredible.
I've been to Wacken twice and I'm back to it this year. Absolutely the best festival I've been to. What makes Wacken shine is the organisation and the space in the arena to do other stuff. I've also been to Graspop and there's no metal village, no stalls, no music market, no space to be aside from in the music arena or back at the campsite. I went in 2015. It was probably worse than 2012. There was a point where people were told to stop turning up to the campsite but it rained from the Tuesday to the Saturday afternoon constantly. The sun finally came out on Sunday and started to firm up the mud into this tough clay that was like walking through drying cement. MetalDays has a beautiful location, so it's one to try but I'm definitely coming to the end of my festival camping era.
I went to Wacken in 2008 when I was about to exit my teenage years. I went to my last big festival in 2015/16(I honestly can’t remember). I’m glad I did it and have wonderful memories, but I have medical conditions that make it hard on my body(and having to explain and carry around all my medicine/ medical devices). Inflation has also made things much more of a strain to obtain. And my last reason, my social anxiety is on a shorter leash anymore. But I would never talk a person out of the experience or discourage them to go, but I also can see festival fatigue. Oh and ironic that you mentioned Hellfest not raining, because one of my earliest hearings about Hellfest it had flooded that year and people were standing amongst rat corpses and I was like “nope, I will take the live occasional mouse at Wacken over dead rats” 😂
I know that feeling. My back is fu¢ked to the point of being declared disabled and qualifying for the assistance ticket. I'm not in a wheelchair and the pain of wandering round all day and sleeping in a tent is horrific. The meds are never enough to let you enjoy anything :( It's just too much hard work and people aren't at all friendly like they used to be, staff included. Plus rather than social anxiety with me it's my huge streak of antisocial I've been carefully nurturing for the last 20 years. I think I gave up on people after seeing so many selfish arrogant twats at gigs and festivals. Also, I love rats, that sounds horrific watching dead ones float past. I would be so upset and scarred for life at the mention of there.
@@stiffk666hey man, I’m also disabled so wandering around and standing all day is often not easy, but there are festivals out there where it is easier. I would recommend metalfest in Pilsen. It is in an outdoor theatre next to the zoo in the middle of the city. It’s a 200m walk from the street to the festival, but if you’re disabled they let you get dropped of 10 meters from the venue and you have to walk 20 meters until you‘re in front of the stage. Yes you have mud when it rains but just in front of the stage. When you enter the seats there it is dry. They have parts where you can park a wheelchair or you sit on one of the benches. You can camp or stay in the city and go with the bus or taxi to the venue. If camping ground is not an option. Sound is great anywhere you are. Drinks are 2€ a beer. Btw in they clean the toilet every hour during the day, no joke, every hour. As a handicapped person myself I would say it is the easiest and most convenient Festival if you‘re not very mobile.
I was at Wacken 2017 and 2018 and it did rain for only about 1 hour each. Give it another try. It is literally heaven for us metalheads 🤟 Edit: 2024 it rained for 2 hours. Also great!!
I recommend Copenhell to any metalhead. It has an intricate feel that you don't find often on the big festivals. At the same time, Live Nation is one of their main investors, meaning they attract huge names every year even though it is a significantly smaller festival compared to Wacken & Hellfest. Another festival I really enjoy is Sweden Rock. There is a great 80s vibe to things there. Not as intricate as Copenhell, but more kickass and festival-like for sure
My first Sweden Rock this year and I loved it. Smaller than some (good in some ways) and less spectacular but still big bands, varied lineup, long performance times (not 40 minutes for most bands like most festivals, I think Copenhell the same), great layout with food toilets and bars all over. Hellfest is great but huge crowds and expensive. I want to try Graspop again but that is similar. I think Copenhell and Tons of Rock are top of where I want to try. Brutal Assault and Bloodstock I will go back to.
Oooh I so wanna go to Sweden Rock but it's such a hassle to get there without a car... The lineup is so amazing every year and it's right next to Muskelrock timewise. (Which is more niche but has a gread oldschool lineup) Copenhell sounds nice and is probably easier to get to. :)
@@speedyspeedgirl1778 Copenhell is the week after and about 1-2 hours away by train, I want to do both together sometime! I think Copenagen would have cheap flights
I've been going to Wacken every year since 2009, except for the 2 years we were all remote. I can agree that a big part is that I meet people there that I have known for 18 years and only meet here. There have been some years with really bad weather in the last few years, but I couldn't say it's the majority. What you are right about is the line-up, although for me the variety is enough, objectively it is a bit stuck for the core group of bands. There are still first timers I'm happy about every year and small bands especially in Metal Battle. But yes, like other festivals have a much broader lineup and cater to many more genres. But the big difference is of course that I literally live in the middle of Europe, which of course influences my evaluation of festival significantly. I also have to say that Hellfest and Graspop are too big for me, if I looked right they are over 100k and Wacken stays at 75k. For a while the prices of the two were also an issue, but with the expansion of Wacken to 4 days and the last price increase it is now more the travel that still represents in big plus. I like a little smaller festival, currently I am very pleased with the Full Force, because it is located on a lake and you can watch a stage from the water. Finally, it must be said that Wacken has changed a lot. In 2019 there was a much bigger offer with an own supermarket with normal prices and the sanitary facilities were extremely good. The beer pipeline, no hint a real underground pipeline through which beer is pumped, hardly needs to be appointed. Unfortunately, after the pandemic, everything was somehow strange, for one thing, the metalbag has fallen away, which is a mortal sin and the whole setup and the feeling were somehow different. I often meet people from all over the world who see Wacken as a kind of Mecca and it means a lot to be there, for me it was never to that extent, but that's definitely because it's only a 4-6 hour journey for me, from the front door to the tent. But was a very good video.
It's funny. I first went in 2000 and I loved it, but the years after that it grew so much, so much that wasn't really about metal or music at all started to cluster around the festival and I felt like a lot of people started going that weren't really metal heads but just normal festival people attracted by the media attention Wacken generated in the early 2000s. So I stopped going around 2005, I think, going instead to smaller, more underground festivals. I returned in 2008 and 2009 because a dear friend had returned from studying abroad and really wanted to go with me. But the general experience reinforced the feeling of it being more of a commercial spectacle rather than a metal festival or at least it not being for me and my tastes anymore. So I've not gone again since then and me and mainstream metal have continued to go in somewhat different directions since. So same kind of experience maybe, but 10 years shifted.
UK festivals totally suck.. I've been to Wacken Open Air 4 times now,and it's definitely my go to festival.. fricking love it there! And yes,it rains...and it's usually biblical,but that's because you're only a few miles away from the North Sea!! That's why Wacken's motto is Rain or Shine!! I'm 53..and I'll carry on going until either they stop,or I stop breathing !!
@@bradders9743 I don't remember this, but I also was so far in the back, so I could listen without earplugs and don't get run over ... I also don't remember, if there were circle pits during Priest and Motorhead, but did you see the one while Heaven Shall Burn played. .... might have been a "world record". If you didn't see it, check it out here on youtube
Just saying something that no one mentioned here as far as I noticed: Last year it didn't rain at all in Wacken. And I promise you it was horrible. The dust in the air was almost touchable, my snot was pitch black every single day. So many people had respiratory issues someone thought there was an epidemic of tuberculosis there. My girlfriend got so sick - and we went straight from Wacken to Brutal Assault - due to air quality there, that in Czech Republic she left our tent not more than twice. Plus the structure of Wacken decreased a lot, especially comparing years such as 2017 and 2018 to 2022. You can clearly see that they lost a lot of important sponsors during the Corona crisis. The supermarket Kaufland built inside the ground? Forget about it. The beer pipe from Hamburg to Wacken pumping thousands of liters of cold Becks? It's history. Remember all the stands inside selling cd's, vinyl and that insane amount of merch from stores from all over the world? You can forget about that too. And I'm not mentioning the line-up here. Oh, and there was the pre-Wacken day, that you had to pay extra to attend the main stages area. Right now it will happen by default, but guess what? The "pay extra" price is already incorporated in the regular ticket price. I came to a conclusion I'm not going to Wacken anymore especially because the smaller festivals - such as Metal Days and Brutal Assault have even more solid line-ups for half the price. I used to love Wacken, it was the reason why I came to Europe for the first time in my life to see Emperor's reunion after so many years disbanded... I grew reading about it on Metal magazines, watching some VHS from Dissection and Hypocrisy playing there in the late 90s... now I have the impression it is just a place where people gather and don't even care about who's playing... some midlife crisis bald-in-camo-shorts and some drunken ladies with pink hair just shouting "Wackeeen" for no reason. And I thought about the fact that it was just me getting old, but to be honest, I still enjoy very much other festivals in which I need to camp, barely shower, be sunstruck or flooded... it's just the sense of cost/benefit of Wacken that decreased while it seems that every other festival increased a lot.
Amen, you’re exactly right. It lives from the the people who always went to Wacken and will always no matter the bands. And they use these to worden down the experience because f* it the people come no matter what. And that’s for a lot of the big German festivals like rock am Ring etc. max money and cheaping out on everything because the people come no matter what.
The dust really is bad, it’s a lot worse at WOA in the dry years than the wet ones. You can dry off easily enough but getting that dust out of every orifice takes weeks. That and the queues for the bars when it gets hot are insane.
Pipeline from Hamburg? 😅 Dude, there has never been one. But the pipeline in Wacken still exists. Kaufland was there only once, was a Try and they tried smth other the year after kaufland. And it's not Wackens fault that you could not find the Merch sellers from all over the world. Cause they have been there.
Going again this year, from Canada, for my 60th Birthday. Loved it in 2019, looking forward to it again. Did Cruel World in Pasadena last year, yes, Metal heads can love 80’s New Wave too… Wacken is exceptional for more reasons than it’s not. 1. Price not expensive for what’s included, 2. Being able to have a Metal grocer that sells fresh old and beer at NON-FESTIVAL prices, as you would at home - killer. 3. Meeting people, friendly people, and not experiencing drunken fighting…. Yes, got a little cranky after the jet lag and couldn’t find my spouse, and was told in no uncertain terms, “we don’t do that here, everyone is chill”, you gotta love that. 4. German beer rules 5. We were shopping in the Metal Markt with all the black tshirt metalheads, and that song from the Proclaimers came on, “I’d walk 500 hundred miles…” and the whole fucking place erupted in singing. I don’t know if you’d experience THAT in North America. Loved my experience, cat wait to go this year, and maybe when I’m 65 again…🤟🏽🎸⚡️❤️
Duuude, you've helped me make up my mind. I wasn't able to attend Wacken for many years because of health & $$$ isues. Currently, things are different, so I want to experience what I've totally missed out on. Being older and less patient now, there's no way that I want to spend hours knee deep in mud watching bands. Maybe that's weak, but I actually want to enjoy myself, not be miserable the whole time! I'm glad I bumped into your channel, it's very informative and enjoyable. Keep up the great work!
Wyatt. Check out Hell's Heroes in Houston. Much smaller, but killer bands and all Metal. This year was the 6th edition. The 3 headliners were Candlemass, Queensryche and Sodom. Thanks for the videos. I enjoy them a lot.
I never been to a metal festival in my life. In the backwards country where I live that kind of thing is far from ever happen. I cannot travel to the US or Europe because my country is blacklisted as a major cocaine producer, so for regular people like me it's almost impossible to get a visa. Ironically, the ones who can travel anywhere without a problem, are the ones who actually produce cocaine or the politicians who are sponsored by them 🤷♀️
Ive been to a few music festivals in my day, and trust me you arent missing anything. The music usually sounds like shit at most outdoor events and the weather is almost always an issue.
There are metal bands as well as indie bands at Reading and Leeds, but not at Glastonbury. I don't think Michael Eavis will have the metal bands. He will have all the other genres.
@sole__doubt The weather isn't guaranteed. I was lucky in 2007 as the rain held off for the festivals I stewarded at, but it had rained a lot before the festival season started and inbetween the ones I was at but the festival sites never dried out. It rained heavily on the first day of WOMAD but steed once the gates were open. But the arena area was a shallow lake the entire time. The following year it was dry and so hot one day people had to seek shade in the arboretum. It was so dusty on the road around the arena.
Wacken is an experience. i have discovered some incredible bands there that I have never heard before. I have seen band there that I grew up with. Wacken is much more than just a music festival. Wacken is a gathering of tribes. Faster, Harder, Louder. Wacken rule.
Hey man. First time seeing one of your videos. You really said good facts about the festival I knew I was not the only one who thought of that. Cheers you earned a new sub!
Wacken is awesome. I have been there 6 times, from 1999 - 2005. Why did I quit going? Because it's a huge difference between 1999, when I was 18 years old, look at the lineup and I'm like: "Holy shit! I need to see ALL of those bands!" and now, when I look at the lineup and I have seen most bands listed multiple times already in the last 20 years.
Yeah, true, but then again, Wacken always had some special acts, there was Emperor in 2006 I think and Carcass + At the Gates in 2008, good times good times. But something you should never do is looking at old lineups - chances are you will find bands you wished you had seen but didn't know at the time, bands that maybe don't even exist anymore...
@@Knokkelman Absolutely. But a thing I have learned over the years is also, most bands are better on tour than at festivals. Big festivals are great, if you want to check a lot of bands off of your "must see list" over a single weekend. Last summer I wasn't at Wacken once again, but instead went to Summer Breeze (for non Europeans, Summer Breeze is the 2nd largest festival in Germany after Wacken with ~140 bands over 4 days). And out of those 140 bands I literally just went there for 2. Lorna Shore and Paleface. The WHOLE REST was bands I have seen before (except Bloodywood) so I ended up just watching 6 shows. The rest of the time we where chilling in our camp, getting wasted and enjoying the atmosphere. Atmosphere as in "4 day camping with metalheads all around you and no one giving a fuck" 😁 And yeah, our camp was placed, that it was basically like 150m from the mainstage so even if you didn't "watch" the shows, you still heard them live just like you where there. Point being, things change a lot, especially since my first Wacken in 1999, after being to 1-3 festivals every year (always depended on my schedule) since then. I have been to somewhere around 50 festivals in total. Too many bands have been checked off of my mist see list. It doesn't matter if I go to Wacken with 150+ bands, Summer Breeze with 140 or something smaller like Greenfield in Switzerland with "only" 70 bands. I end up watching like 6 shows and spend the rest of the time partying in the camp.
I've been going to European festivals for 10 years and they are great! We are starting to catch up and get better here in the US. Hellfest has become one of the best around and I've been lucky enough to do 6 including the double weekends in 2022.
I really get your point. But I am now almost 60 years old and I am still giong to Wacken, no matter how muddy it is. What I relly like is the general experience. Last year I needed 34 hours for the 800km, as there was a 24 hour traffic jam causeb by the wheather.. But it was even fun on the road. There were Barbecues, people living near the road helped the peaople in the cars. This is something that you will not experience anywhere else.
I've attended 2011 to 2015 (so 5 times in total) and I think that I've been through the exact same thoughtprocess as you described in this video! I feel you 😐
As someone who went to ozzfest like 3 times I can't imagine going to multi day festival, it's tiring standing around for hours and hours on end on a single day let alone 2 or three days. There are many factors to consider why you don't care to go back, but you can't rule out getting older being one of them, and if the rain really is a bad as being said then that's a deal breaker for just about anyone.
Consuming good food, drinking plenty of water, limiting alcohol and getting rest will help you with the energy. This can be difficult depending on the accomidations of the festival.
One year I spent 8 days at Wacken. We literally arrived on Sunday and left the following Sunday. It was great, but we were beyond destroyed afterwards.
And who said you have to be standing all the time! And many old people go to festivals and people with different physical disabilities! You have no clue what you’re talking about! Camping festivals for 4,5 days are the greatest musical experience ever! 4 or 5 days enjoying great bands from 10 am till midnight with many other activities, great food, drinks, good people everyone having a great time, you can chill and take breaks at anytime if you feel exhausted. 4 or 5 days without internet or social media, to, computers, just detoxing in music resort with many of your favourite bands and friends! if you can’t see how great that is! Maybe you are not really a big live music fan!
Wacken is more of a prestige thing now it feels. Like a box to tick off your bucket list. For the actual festival experience I'll take Summer Breeze, Metal Days, Metalfest, Hellfest or any number of others over Wacken any day. Also, one of the good characteristics of german culture is making the best of being dealt a bad hand. So the skies give you mud? Play in it :D
"And I've been to Florida" LOL! Very insightful video. I feel like I've been to Wacken since 2002 because I have all the dvd's and blu-rays thru 2002 - 2018 but of course I've always dreamed of going in person. You make some very good points and I still have to go someday at least once. I feel I owe it to Wacken because I've discovered most of the bands that I listen to by watching them play there.
@@terribletimes01 I still feel like it is at least one of the metal capitals of the U.S. Obituary, Nasty Savage, Savatage, etc. I'm originally from New York and I thought that was a little Capital, then when I moved down here 26 years I realized this is the metal capital. I've seen way more shows here than there. Janus, Ritz, Amphitheater, etc
@@terribletimes01Same here. 62y.o. Polish metalhead living in Saint Petersburg, since 1990 , (26 years in Poland and 2 years in Spain) Well, no fest in the US, can compare to European ones. Not even Gasparilla. No beer, no tits, no nothing. Tampa Bay, used to be „death metal US capital”, with bands, like Morbid Angel, Death, Obituary,Deicide, Six Feet Under and strictly heavymetal Savatage.(RIP Chriss Oliva) Btw. my favorite bands, from my native Poland are Vader, Decapitated and Hate. Behemoth, is little bit too extreme, as is/ was Deicide, but I saw them twice, as well.
MorbidAngel…? Then venues, like Jannus Landing, ( currently Jannus Live, Crowbar, Twighlight Zone, ( I think, they have renamed it)State Theater, or long time gone Rock it Club.
@@Kinggg679 My favorite Polish metal bands are Vader and Nocny Kochanek. Check them out at Woodstock 2017 for a great performance. I also have a collection of Metal Mania DVDs and there are great polish metal performances at that event too.
I was also there 2011, 2012, and 2014. 2012 was no joke but I made sure to bring a proper tent in 2012 after getting rained on in 2011. Luckily some danish dudes let me borrow a tarp to cover my open air tent and keep me somewhat dry that first festival. Word of advice, if you drive in, don’t oversleep the day after the festival. Waited hours hungover trying to get my car off the campgrounds in 2014. Still a bucket list item I’ll always treasure.
Bruh, I haven't seen any other of your vids, but this one has such a cool vibe, enjoyed it a lot. At first I was like 'why are you not talking about the weather', but then I was like 'ah, I see'. It is worth to be mentioned that because this is a cow field and they use chemicals for the ground during the rest of the year, when it rains this mud becomes really fckn toxic. A lot of people are having allergies and skin problems when they contact this mud. I was at Wacken only once in 2018 and it was the hottest and driest one from all the years that it exists. Everyone was thankful to gods and couldn't stop talking abt how lucky we were this year. At first I was like wtf people, it is 30 degrees and nowhere to hide from the sun, but then everyone started describing their experience with rain and mud, so I quickly got the point :)
I grew up in Milwaukee with Milwaukee metal fest threw the 90's. Best extreme metal fest ever. It's back now and making ground, starting to get back to where it used to be
I went to my first open air metal festival in 1984 at the Poperinge heavy sound in Belgium I also went to every major summer festivals in Europe, Fury fest Lemans France (before it became Hell fest) I did Wacken in 2007 (decent weather that year) and the grasspop in Dessel Belgium in 2005. My last one in Europe was the 2009 Next generation festival in Austria where I saw MPE & Norther live for the first time. I now live part time in the southern hemisphere and my next festival should be the Apu Wanka metal festival in Huancayo Peru next August 5-6 2023. That will probably be my last as I'm also getting old and close to 60 and my bones and joins are starting to hurt like hell so damp and cold weather sleeping in a tent in the middle of a muddy field is getting harder and harder every year.
I've been to Wacken 6 times between years 2010-2019. (Specifically 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2019). Through those years, the festival has become better, more grand and easily accessible and less tiring to be in. If your last experience was 2012, we are not talking about the same Wacken as of, like example, 2019. The development and evolution of Wacken is constant, every year something new and all are optimized better than last year. As a 31-year old dude I still love going, but I've had a little pause due to covid restrictions and other plans. After I've solved my financial hassles, I will participate Wacken maybe next year. Traveling all the way from Finland with a bus. It is so much fun. I encourage everyone to experience Wacken and it is awesome place to spend a week in.
And as I watched the video further, having a hotel-like environment is nice and all, but this is like comparing going for a hike vs. evening at a casino. Two different experiences with different setup. It's okay to like luxury and comfort, but to me the atmosphere and feeling of being other on fields, walking in mud or sun blaze, being outdoors, repairing your tent after rain storm on festival grounds etc. are just part of awesome experience. City festivals are fun and all and indoor festivals as well, but for me they feel much more sterile and comfy. They sure are easier to "handle", but walking knee deep in mud or dust storm or blazing sun during hangover is much more memorable. It feels natural and honest, if it makes sense. And attitude is the key here. When things get hard and challenging, like to repeat in my mind: "Helppoa ja kivaa" (it's Finnish, but Eng. translated: " Easy and fun"). Just think everything is easy, fun and your experience is part of the trip, you'll have fun regardless of conditions. Just absorb the human condition and live to the fullest.
And about rain in Wacken, 2010 was totally dry. Maybe few drops of water. 2012 had intense sunny days first 1-2 days, but after day 2 the flooding came as you told. 2013 was completely dry. 2015 was a legendary mud Wacken, there were pouring rains for a whole week before we even got there and it didn't stop at the festival days either. Still one of the best experiences ever. Both 2018 and 2019 were scorching hot with little rain pours here and there. 2019 had thunder storm warnings and festival ground evacuation few times, if I remember right. Eluveitie's gig at main stage was aborted because of it. So there is a good chance for a rain, but extreme raining occurd roughly with a chance of 1-2 times in 10 years. But if you prepare yourself for blazing heat or extreme rain well in advance, you will have a good time.
I have now done Wacken two times, 2019 and the next 2022 (covid-break). Both times fantastic weather, maybe rain on one of the days but not soaking, just drops here and there. I got the same feeling of not doing Wacken again, or any other big, at least take a break from those just because stressing about the weather is so big part of it and I have seen and heard the horror stories of "mud-Wackens", and I'd hate it. Maybe Hellfest next time but with a hotel please! This summer I'm doing this smaller rock festival in my home country (Finland), and with a hotel, so can't wait!!
I never wanted to visit Wacken, Hellfest or any other of those huge festivals. There are too many bands of different genres, I'm not interested in. The line-up is the most important to me. From maybe 100 bands who play in Wacken, there are probably five I would enjoy. And I really hate to camp! So I only go to smaller festivals. With a line-up of bands I like. And where I can stay in a hotel. This year I went to Inferno Metal Festival in Oslo for the first time. That was perfect! Awesone line-up! The location and the hotel based in the centre of the city, next to the central train station, where you can catch a train to the airport. I would highly recommend this festival.
For an authentic, but pleasant experience, give Portugal a try. The festivals are pretty solid and, in general, the lineups are getting better and better each year (which means the tickets are also getting pricier, but they're still rather affordable). And Portuguese metalheads are brutal as fuck, genuinely passionate people
I did Wacken 2012 and figured that was enough. Truly unforgettable experience, but it's way too big for me to handle. I'm sticking with things like Mystic Festival and Brutal Assault, and perhaps some smaller festivals in Poland (for example, Metal Mine Festival in Walbrzych). Kind regards from Poland.
Been doing Download for decades but their price rises this year make me feel it will be my last for a while. Fancy something different and Germany is favourite. Wacken is sold out pretty much immediately though and so is Hellfest. Full Force looks interesting. I know you can't take one across with you but we're always in a campervan which helps with the shite weather. 2016 and 19 were worse than 12 at Donington.
When I first ventured to Europe from Australia I originally sought out the larger festivals, Hellfest and GMM in 2014. It started 5years of travelling to Europe for various festivals, never made it to Wacken. In 2016, I went to Brutal Assault. I was hooked. For 4years in a row that became my all time favourite. Still to this day I think fondly of it, but the line up, the vibe, the setting, the value for money. One day I will get back 🤘.
My first TRUE festival was Wacken 2011. Since then I have visited the holy grounds 9 times. I can vouch that not all the time there is super heavy rain and liquid mud. I had 3 completely dry Wackens and the other 6 were in a mix of super heavy rain and just the right amount of rain :) I can totally agree that Wacken is probably the most well organized festival and if you consider that it is one of the biggest in the world, there is nothing close that comes to mind in that regard. Regarding the line-up I can agree to a a degree. It is nice to have all those big names (like in Hellfest or Graspop) but the problem is that you see the same bands headlining every big festival year after year. And when you have all those big names you are more or less like "I must watch that, that and that band again cause their are some of my favorites" and you don't get enough free time to rest or just go on some of the smaller stages and check out some new bands. Also I really, really like that Wacken has given a chance to some "let's say smaller or not big enough" bands to headline one of the biggest festival of the world. For example Parkway Drive or Machine Head. Those will never headline something like Hellfest, Graspop or Download. Finally, after visiting quite a few festival across Europe - even to this day Wacken has the most unique vibe and spirit. I too may not visit the festival for quite some time, cause to be honest I prefer more of a mid-sized festivals 30-40k people. It is not so tiring, less people, easier to navigate, you get more time to chill out, you still get some good bands and have time to check out new ones. Not that I ever bought a ticket for the line-up, I always buy the tickets once they release them, I don't care for the line-up, I just care about the name of the festival and the good vibe and I know they will provide bunch of good bands. Here is my list of festivals i visited - can recommend Full Force as probably not everybody have heard of it Wacken Nova Rock Brutal Assault With Full Force Graspop Hellfest Bloodstock Obscene extreme Copenhell Rock Hard Sweden Rock Tuska Masters of Rock Summer Breeze
@@lemsip207 In 2012 it was muddy in front of the stage, ground saturated and during Kamelot it rained so hard t hat there was 5 cm of water on the ground,
Don't feel bad about it, bro. It's totally understandable. I especially get it at my age in my mid-40s. I want... no... I need a comfy bed, shower, and air conditioning if I'm going to make it for days on end. I did my last 4 day camping festival 10 years ago, and that was rough. But, our VIP tickets made it better. I'm just glad there are a few metal festivals to attend in the states b/c for a while it seemed like all the best ones, meaning the best line ups were all in Europe and that just involves so much more money and planning. Love your vids. Keep 'em coming and rock on.🤘
Ohh,i remember the 2012.. and it was as you say.. but we have a blast.. also easy to say When we just have a little drive home to Denmark, and not a flight to the us.. but like your vid 🤘🤘
I really like your video and can relate to everything 100%. My hometown is only 15km away from Wacken and I have been at the campsite almost every year since 2008 from Monday morning to Sunday. It was always a pleasure for me to meet cool metalheads from all over the world. The years with mud were very exhausting, but we all had so much fun anyway. It was awesome! Since a few years Wacken offers the possibility of "Glamping", there you have your own beds with your own sanitary facilities. Maybe that's something for you that motivates you to come back. I would be happy if we meet over a beer sometime. As the slogan of Wacken already says "See you Rain or Shine" 🤘
i haven't been to Wacken. i have been to Metaldays a bunch of times and lately ive started going to Metal on the HIll, Area 53, basinfirefest(somehow appears to only be known to CZ people despite being awesome last year), Masters of Rock, Metalfest. i bought a ticket for Summerbreeze and i think it will be the new biggest festival i will attend. it already seems too big looking at videos of the festival. will see, might change my mind when i get there. but going to the other festivals, i realised that my "home" festival of Metaldays is very rearly worth it. it ends up being 7 nights of camping, expensive tickets and a whole lot of preparation for a single thing. plus the lineup is hardly worth it some years. but most importantly, it has the same problem: weather. its either a stove or a pond, no inbetween. all of the CZ festivals ive been to last year had mild weather. also, the major selling point headliner doesn't mean much to me. like sure, its nice to be able to say ive seen x legendary band. but x band are probably not even on the top of my personal list of bands i wanna see. heck, the top of my personal list is a bunch of bands who bearly released their 3rd record.
Your reasons for not going to Wacken are the very reason why so many of the metal bands don't come to America. In Europe, they still eat, sleep, and die for Heavy Metal. In America, we just roll with the latest fad and get softer as we get older. I want to go to Wacken before I die. Definitely on my bucket list. I'm 56, my wife and I just got our passports. We're just about to be on our way. Wish me luck. Long live METAL!
I disagree. We have die hard metal heads here for life but absolutely no exposure because of assholes like Clear Channel who bought a lot of the metal radio stations and softened them up. They don't get any promotions, even if a big festival is coming through a town. It gets maybe a blurb in a newspaper. Lack of exposure and promotion is why major bands don't come play in America. Also, festivals suck in America because every alphabet agency in existence from local to federal has to put their dick skinners on it. They nerf shows like crazy. Want Rammstein (professional pyro technicians) to play with fire and do all kinds of crazy shit? No, the Fire Marshall said no and won't permit it. Wanna play past 10pm, maybe 11pm? No, local noise ordinance permits won't allow it. The government will allow giant pop festivals go on as planned, but not metal.
sorry dude you are just projecting. If you think there is no thriving scene or genre defining bands in usa it’s because you just aren’t a part of it. Also the best european (and japanese and many others) metal bands regular tour the usa. The real scene has always been and will always be in smaller and diy spaces. Not these commercial, poser dweeb big festivals. If you love metal and extreme music and are sitting in your house pouting about how no one in the usa likes metal like all the cool europeans, that’s on you. Don’t project that false bullshit on the rest of us though!
I'm nearly 50 and have got to the point where I can't handle the bigger festivals. I've been going to Bloodstock UK since 2017 and love it so much we buy the tickets straight away not caring about the line up. I love to see all the up and coming bands and the atmosphere is amazing. I'm going on the headbangers boat later this year. I've never been to the USA before and I'm very excited. I reckon the experience is going to be very different. I'm looking forward to having a bit of luxury with a bed, toilet and shower. Plus it will be nice not to have to walk miles between bands.
I can relate to this, dude. My place ist about 200 miles away from Wacken, so just a 2 hours drive on german Autobahn (just kidding 😅). Been there many times, but for years now Wacken relies on its legendary status. Even if its a much longer drive for my, I consider going to Graspop or Hellfest more often. If I would have to travel all the way from the US to Europe, it doesn´t matter ist you fly to Germany, France or Belgium. For me, it´s all about bands and the lineup, and here Wacken gets worse every year while charging more and more for the ticket. So I´m out, too. Cheers!
When I was 16 years old, my biggest dream was to visit Wacken. I am from Germany so going to wacken is not that big affort for me. Around 9h by car. Now I'm 26 and still never have been to Wacken. The one reason is that there are so many people who are just doing "Festival Tourism", so many people who actually don't listen to metal music. The other reason is the line up. Back in 2011, the lineup was amazing, but in the last few years, there wasn't this mind-blowing line up Wacken was famous for. Nowadays, I'm very happy to visit Summer Breeze yearly and this year for the first time at the Ragnarök festival. Both are in Germany. I would also love to go to Hellfest and the Graspop Metal meeting or Metal days in Slowenia.
Yeah Breeze is just chill. Though it was awfully warm the last 2 years. It's also way more affordable than Wacken and the line up barely leaves you a lot of breathing room between the bands. Green camping feels like a must for me though.
What i love about Hellfest is that there's generally an opening between 6pm - 8pm where there's a band i can easily miss, and the sun passes behind the main-stages / VIP building, so thats when i will go take a shower. There's hardly anyone else doing it at that time as the rush is usually between 9am - 3 pm. Solves alot of the Hygiene concerns. aside from that it's basically disneyland for metalheads
Come to Brutal Assault in Czechia... set inside an old Habsburg fortress, with all those bastions and ravelins, it is beyond awesome... yes its not the size of Wacken, not by any stretch of imagination, only 25-30,000 but the atmosphere is unmatched... come and check when you get the chance
I hear ya about being older and needing some comforts. My Mud stomping days are pretty much over but I still love great music. I might put on a pair of boots and get down there in the mud but it would have to be one hell of a show to get me there!. Great video, Thanks for sharing. Cheers!.👍🤘💯☮️
Relatable, I went to Wacken in 2005 and 2006. Had a blast at both occasions but I can't see myself going back. I spend several years going to Roadburn when it was mostly fixated on the whole hype of stoner, doom and sludge. I literally went from stage to stage all day by myself while friends were there too, I ran into them occasionally but we barely saw each other due to different music taste. Went to Euroblast for all the tech metal by myself. I only went to a festival once to hang out with friends and it was an awesome holiday. But yeah, I have seen so many bands by now ranging from massive to I never thought I'd see these guys. I'd still go if the line up is right and the circumstances suit. PS: Metal cruise ships sicken me, it's a pure waste of resources.
i were 48 at my last Wacken 2017, been there 4 Times since they Start. 2k13 and 17 i stayed in an Hotel, and we attend only for some Gigs, half an Day/Night. Was great, was dirty, was loud, was the normal infection Pool:). Pure subjective , but i felt that the Respect and overall Behaviour of the Crowd went south. Could also just be me and my Age, that i set other Standards, which dont meet actual Crowds, so, its not them, its me who is the Problem;). And what they bring up set with the Investement you have to do, well, there are very great 3-5 Bands one Time Gigs here in Germany, i much more Apreciate. That said, who wasnt there, what you are waiting for? One Time in Life you have to see and feel it. if you need an Encore, thats up to you:)
Some valid points here, even for me as a Wacken regular. I suppose that there are many different factors for choosing pretty much any festival out there. I happen to live in Hamburg, which is barely 80km (or 50 miles) away from Wacken. Theoretically, I could drive there and back again every day, have a proper shower at home, sleep on my own comfy bed and not care about camping in the mud and rain at all. Problem is, that would be way too much driving about for the rest of my friends who cannot be bothered to do this every day. Especially now that Wacken has been extended from three to four full days. Then again, they also prefer not having to spend the nights at the Wacken grounds either. Therefore, the compromise we've settled on is an Airbnb (or any other holiday rental we can find) within about 30km (20 miles) of Wacken, capable of hosting us four. That way, we've got the full day at Wacken and can still drive back to the holiday rental within 20 minutes for a quiet evening, where we can shower and sleep like human beings and cook something decent every night as well. One of us four will always have up to two drinks for that entire day in order to be able to stay under the drinking limit and the rest can pretty much drink as much as they please. And even if the weather doesn't play along, we always have alternatives to choose from. Our last Wacken was 2018 and not only did it not rain one bit, it was so dry that we actually needed cloth masks to keep our lungs from inhaling a ton of dust. This year, we are going again after the pandemic break and though we are indeed somewhat underwhelmed by this year's lineup, we are still looking forward to having a good time and maybe even discovering a few promising bands while we're there.
Great video man. Been to Wacken twice so totally get what you're saying. Have you ever been to Download in the UK? It's big but somehow feels much smaller. No language barrier and if you're on it early you can stay local and travel there each day. Potential British weather problems though 😂
I remember the Machine Head show in 2012, it was amazing but we were knee deep in mud and way too exhausted to move tbh. Then again i was 18 in 2012 so i was young and full of energy which probably helped with handling the shit weather. 2014 on the other hand was really sunny and dusty in comparison for example
Hey Wyatt. In Poland, beautiful historical city Gdańsk, 10 min walk from city centre we have Mystic Festival. Crowd 15 000, extra metal bands (Kerry King, Bruce Dickinson, Megadeth, Satyricon, Kreator or Machine Head only this year, 90 bands, four days, 5 Stages (1 km distance, location Shipyard with industrial climate, good shiny weather 20C+, good polish beer, 170 euro four days. It's good option to see a lot of great bands and have a comfortable for people like me 30+. Not biggest but very good option. Check this on youtube.
I get what you're saying. But all I can say is that I've been to many, many festivals and none of them have the same feel as Wacken. I get a buzz at Wacken that I haven't found elsewhere. And I was there in 2015, where the amount of rain was beyond comprehension, and it will still fantastic. Yes, I somewhat agree when it comes to the lineup. It's always great, but it doesn't have the wow factor that it has had in previous years. I admit I'd love to go to 70k one day. But the cost for me as a European makes it really tough to justify when I have plenty of excellent festivals on my doorstep. And for me Wacken is the best of them all.
I totally get that, festivals can just have a special place in your heart that make them more meaningful. I get that at Hellfest, but I understand the deep loyalty many have to Wacken. I did very much love my first Wacken in 2011
Funnily enough I am about to head out to WOA 2024 today - got lots of work to do on location. Anyway: Some of your points sound very relatable to me. I miss the "old days" when the WOA was gravitating more towards the underground and made less "commercial" choices. Don´t get me wrong, I am not hating on anyone who likes to listen to "metal pop culture" and simply goes there to experience "superficial" metal culture - you do you, enjoy your favourite bands. But to me, personally, it seems as if my subculture (and hence a part of my identity) is also slowly homogenised like so many other subcultures before. This year we get a lineup featuring artists like The Warning, for example: They sell because, well, they´re girls - yet at best this music can be labeled pop rock. Hämatom will do a double feature with Finch this year - a German hip hop artists who, with all due respect to both him and Hämatom, simply has nothing to do with heavy metal music. What makes me happy though is that Thomas and Holger (the founders) still provide newcomers with a chance to shine: I mean the winners of all the Metal Battles in different countries are the reason I still work at WOA and spend my time there - cause there is a lot of artists to dig, still. I guess this is just 2024 then: Metal - just like punk and all the other subcultures - simply appeals more and more to "mainstream" people. And for as much as it sucks to see how festivals turn into commercialised businesses, it also fills me with quite some joy that we, in a way, grow out of the kinda elitists metal mindset typical for the 80s. And welcome "regular" folks on the road. Looking forward to see all of you on the holy ground!
Very relatable. This year we're going to Graspop, because of the line up, but we bought VIP cards and we stay in a nearby hotel 😁 Last year we went to the metal day of PinkPop, also had VIP tickets which was great as it was hot as hell. There was an open bar and kitchen without any lines included. And there were clean toilets. The luxury was very much appreciated.🤘🏽
I'm 52 years old, but there's no metal festival for me without lying in the tent camp. I've been to metalcruze, but that one time will do. But wacken is not the same anymore, is more of a brand now. Greetings from Norway :)
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No "Metal Festival" in The US will ever ever compare to the Metal Festivals in Europe ....
Oh I agree
@@wyattsmetal Let’s start one, Metal Festival in Arizona/ California in the middle of the Desert 🏜️……..Dueing Winter 🥶
Thank God . I tend to avoid Trainwrecks .
Some US festivals are insane thou. Maryland deathfest is amazing, esp for people like me who give 2 fucks about power metal/euro metal
Why Europe likes metal, rock, deatcore? Compare to US?
Based on your assessment, I think I had the best first Wacken ever. I come from a poor Carribean country and we rarely ever get any famous bands playing locally or large metal festivals within reasonable reach. But when my band had competed to represent the Caribbean at the Wacken Metal Battle and won, here I was going to Germany to perform at Wacken. Just imagine.. first metal festival ever AND its Wacken AND Ill be performing there on the same stage Sepultura would be on 3 hours after my show. I didnt stay in the regular campgrounds, but pitched my tent at the "Artist Village" where there were free shower facilities. Best of all... it was Wacken 2018 and it didnt rain that year. So much more to say but this is the comment section. Hope you dug my story. Wacken was amazing and i look forward to being there again.
Post your band bro!
Free advertisement, give up the name of your band :D
Come on bro, we wanna hear your stuff!
@@Woozy.0 Wasnt planning to say band because i didnt want to sound like i wanted to plug myself. But ok. My band's name is Asylum. In RUclips search for "Asylum - Chaos Bleeds" or "Asylum - God's Creation". We are a thrash/death mix. Hope you dig it. 👍
@@archados good solid band 😃... after a few listens it reminds me of a mesh up of god forbid/sepultura/krisiun/
Don't forget that in the last days the mud is not only dirt and water, it has piss as well, a lot of piss.
and shit
My favourite festival is Brutal Assault in Czech republic. I was 13x there. It is usually week after Wacken. I am from Slovakia, for me it is around 5 hours by train to get there. And everything is much cheaper then on wacken, hellfest and so on. And it is smaller I think limit is 20000 people but line-up is always great for death/black metal heads.
@NoiseMarineChampion I live in Sweden and i have been there 2019, 2022 and this year i am going back. I love it.🤘
I also go Brutal Assault. Im from Austria, so Czech BA is more close than Wacken.
@@SpaceNightWolfLordDo it! Drinks are half the price compared to here, the tickets are cheaper, flights can be cheap. It's a stunning location that has a great lineup every year! I would just make sure to pay for secure camping and be careful with the food, as you often pay by amount so "more" can make it £10+ when it looked cheap to start.
Need to check it out, just coming back from Ressurection Fest in Spain, it was brutal.
Brutal Assault is always classic, im there since 2010 i think, and im there again this year too. hahaha hope we can meet each other there, im chilling a lot at the river where you can go the steps down
I feel you so much. I‘m from Germany and I‘ve been to a lot of festivals during ages 18 - 23ish. When you get older it‘s like: man, I need to take a shit in silence, I wanna shower, I don‘t want to hear that drunkard in the next tent yelling for three days, I can‘t stand the stench of piss, sweat and beer anymore, where are my keys, I need something to eat, everything hurts and I can‘t stand the noise anymore. When I was young it was all ok for three days. Now I need just a little bit of luxury. I was at Wacken in 2003 and it was the only festival in Germany that I attended where it didn‘t rain. But that lead to me needing 5 days to wash of all the sand and dry dirt after coming home. It was so dry and hot it was hard to keep being hydrated. It was great, but I absolutely feel you, when you say you can‘t stand the mud. I feel that. It is so annoying and frustrating being wet for 3 - 5 days in row, coming home with a fucking pneumonia, have to throw away most of your stuff. Festivals are great. But yeah, maybe you grow out of it or just need a different vibe than being all covered in shit.
I was there from 2002 - 2011 and mostly agree with you and OP, but I gotta say, I prefer rain and mud over burning sun all day. I feel I can prepare for muddy weather with boots, capes and booze, but nothing helps against 35°C+ weather, especially not drinking! Some of the best concerts I've attended were in the rain, with only people who REALLY wanted to be there in the crowd, and it made a huge difference! Meanwhile, getting sunburned and dehydrated while headbanging sucks ass.
Pussy 😜 i'm 62 and attent several Metal festivals every year, also the big ones🤘😁 the festival is not the problem. no offence, i'm just kidding, to everyone his own.😛
Same. I haven't been to Download in the UK since 2010 for basically the same reasons you outlined. My biggest issue with festivals is there are too many bands. That may sound odd but 80% of a festival you're likely to miss, 5 stages or so is just a bit excessive. Would prefer fewer stellar bands rather than lots of filler bands.
This is so true - actually I want a packpatch with your comment 🤣
Man, I've been there in 2003 too, for my first time. Repeat in 5,6,7 and 10.. In 2003 was scorching HOT. Living hell, but it didnt matter, I was 31. Now I'm 50, and you are absolutely right..let youngsters do it, have the experience, but not for me anymore...too crowded, disney for metalheads.
Look at this guy saying "back in the day" but he means 2011... Thanks for making me feel positively ancient.
I had to grab my geritol...daggum
Was there in 1999 and 2000. 10.000 and 20.000 people as far as I remember.
I catch myself doing the same thing sometimes lol. I think it's because things move so fast these days, 10 years feels like "back in the day".
I'm guessing he is a rich kid if he went to all those festivals in his 20s. Most people can't afford groceries, but these dudes want to complain about privileges none of us will know. Can definitely tell he's from California.
It's also nice he went there and no one taught him how to pronounce Wacken.
I stopped going to these festivals years ago, for the exact reasons you brought up, spending the amount of money on headlining shows instead. But then again, living in Germany's Ruhrgebiet, I have the lucky opportunity to see whatever band I want to. I'm almost to one concert every two weeks at this point. I wouldn't want to miss the experiences I had on these festivals, though, and I agree that every metalhead should experience it at least once. The first time is magic.
It helps to get a bus with a real bed. And space to carry good Equipment
As someone who lives in the same area, there's hardly any other place in the world that you can get to see such a variety of bands outside of festivals so often ! We're blessed here
Kann ich verstehen, darf ich dir was empfehlen?
Es gibt das Jera on Air Festival. Ist direkt an der Grenze von Gladbach nach Niederlande.
So wie du unsere Nachbarn kennst wird das deutlich zivilisierter und moderner.
150€ Ticket finde ich auch suuuper fair für 3 Tage voll Feuer. Schau mal aufs lineup, vielleicht sagts dir ja zu.
Wir habens definitiv dem full froce vorgezogen .
Kanns WIRKLICH nur empfehlen. Was ein lineup
My first big metal festival was Dynamo open air 1994. Cheap, great bands, only fast food, lots of beer, 3 days of non stop noise and the sanitation the worst I ever experienced. Great experience! Magic indeed.
Helvetica in Oberhausen is the fucking best thing ever. Im a big BM Guy, so there is nothing better than a small pub where you can listen to your fav bands. Turock and Turock Open Air is dope too in Essen. Man i love the ruhrgebiet
As someone who was an exhange student in Germany, that experienced festivals there at 16. Coming back to America thinking Ozfest or others would be the same led to only disappointment. Wir haben jeden Tag gesauft. Wir haben jeden Abend gefeirert. Alles Musik war so Geil. Learned a lot out there.
I've attended and performed at Wacken. Performing was an unforgettable and amazing experience. I personally enjoyed attending Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium way more !
Graspop 2023 was the best I've been too
Was at Graspop this year too. Definitely was a great time.
I performed at Monsters of Rock 1995😅
@@Vbnklll I was there that year, was named Metallica 'Escape from the studio ' 👍😁
I grew up listening to many kinds of music but stuck with hard rock and metal for the "coming of age" years between like 14 and 20. And in the 2000s every metal fan in Germany eventually hears of Wacken - tales of people who have been there, or who's brother was there once and stuff like that. And those tales grew into a hivemind of experiences, all culminating into "Wacken is great, loud, wacky, you have to visit at least once in your life". At first it was a secret, passed on over the years of people by word of mouth. And when it finally reached me, it wasn't all that "secret" anymore, kind of a must for a metal fan. And so I went in 2011, like yourself, being 19 and having not a lot of big festival experience.
While it was very fun, it was also exhausting. The heat was manageable and expected, the lines for drinking water weren't, also the sheer scale of the camping ground does your head in. I went with experienced Wacken veterans who insisted on arriving at Monday to secure a close enough camping spot. A friend of mine came on thursday, and it was a 30min walk from my tent to his - you DON'T want to arrive on thursday.
Sure, most people are friendly and just want to have a good time, I had no negative encounters myself. But as I said, WOA has a reputation of being completely out of line, everythings allowed, nothing is off limits, and you better come home with some amazing stories to wow people. And that, sadly, attracts people just wanting to seed chaos.
For example: when I was walking to see a band, I went by a tent that had a camping cooker sitting besides the main road. On it sat a CLOSED can of noodles. They were just waiting for it to blow up eventually, not caring about the hundreds of people walking next to it and the poor ones being unfortunate enough to get covered in boiling hot noodle sauce.
Also, I saw some people catapulting full noodle cans god knows where, no way to know where they would land or who they might seriously injure, maybe even kill, or maybe "just" busting a car window.
With so many people, alcohol and a reputation of "anything goes, you better let loose", I won't return to WOA either. I feel at peace knowing I've been there, maybe a few years too late in retrospect, but hey, I saw Ozzy mooning tens of thousand of people while I crowdsurfed into the first row. Can't put a price on that.
I’m definitely only in it for the lineup. Especially because Europe so far way. I tried to get tickets for Hellfest this year, but no luck 😢 You’re totally right about the weather too!
I never knew my G is a metal head 🤘
We should attend a gig together in India. Delhi also has a good scene.
Karl! Wtf you doin here 😂 GOAT
whooah hello karl
Tickets chahiye ji
Trans siberian orchestra and Savatage, not Sabaton. You look too young to remember Savatage. That is the band the TSO was built upon. You have a couple hours, can tell you the whole history as I was blessed to know a few of the originators, including the major contributor. Paul O'Neill.
I feel the same way about Lollapalooza. When I was a kid all I wanted to do was go see Lollapalooza. They had everything from Alice In Chains to NIN to Body Count to Cypress Hill and everything in between. It was one of the coolest festivals you could be at. The problem was, they would always pick these out of the way places to hold the festival. Like Missoula Montana or the Gorge amphitheater. At 14, I didn’t have a car and I had Christian parents who were not going to let me see Porno For Pyros alongside Green Day. So I never went.
You actually telling the story of a man growing up ;) It's absolutely the same with me. I'm from Germany and I've been to Wacken several times like 20 years ago (when I was 20). Same points like special bands you can only see there and stuff, it was like Christmas and your birthday at one weekend. But I stopped for all the same reasons. Years after that we went to Graspop, really cool too, BUT we had a hotelroom then 😅 All the best, cheers
'03? I was there as well ;-) Graspop many years
My brother has been going to Hellfest a good few years in a row. I love that they have something for EEEVERYONE, black metal, death, thrash, hardcore, classic rock, classic heavy metal. Also there's exciting bands headlining every stage fit for the style of that stage. I sadly can't go but it looks amazing.
My god, dude. The lineup for this year... I'm looking into how I can divide myself in 4 cause there is legit so many amazing bands going... Too bad it falls around the same weekend as Graspop...
I'm going to Wacken for the first time this year, and I feel you on the lineup. Wacken 2023 lineup thus far is pretty shit. But for me it's a pilgrimage that I feel compelled to see once in my life. I definitely want to go to Hellfest one day as well.
Skipped Wacken this year here. Went to Graspop instead. I feel you on the line up but.. I'd still want to go. Wacken last year was the grandest spectacle of a festival. The size of the stages, the sound and effects, the variety. I don't understand exactly how they're unable to get more popular bands, their production and atmosphere is so good. I hear it's a touring thing for bands sadly. Wacken is outside of the regular festival months. But you will not regret it. Wacken is just awesome as an experience. And be sure to go see Two Steps From Hell.
@@johnnamkeh1290 I don't think it's just the normal costs of touring, because so many other European festivals have managed to attract great lineups this year.
@@PaulEubanksall of the other big festivals are in June. You have June bands and August bands, that tour festivals in those months. Wacken might get a few big European bands like Iron Maiden playing one off shows there, but it's hard when most do a festival tour.
Also Hellfest is amazing, but so are smaller festivals like Sweden Rock, Brutal Assault, Bloodstock and Rockstadt. Graspop and Summer Breeze are good too. Wacken is spectacular and an awesome experience as the original big metal festival with the most history; try checking out some more bands beforehand maybe to make the most of it. It is fun, just allow extra time to make it through the mud...
"You've got to be hard to be at Wacken" - Some random Belgian on walking next to me on the way to Wacken '07. True to this day.
😂holy hell
Huh? Hows that?
Not true i went and i have erectile dysfunction so i was nost definitely not hard
Wacken will eternally hold a special place in my heart solely because of nightwish’s performance there in 2013. Completely and utterly otherworldly concert.
The only mention of Nightwish on this page. Strange.
For someone tired of sleeping in tents but wanting a real metal experience, Tuska Open Air in Finland is awesome. It’s held in the middle of Helsinki (since 1998) and lately drawing up 60k people over three days.
And where do 60k people stay over night? No way Helsinki has a hotel bed capacity of more than 60.000 (no, it doesn't). So you have to be one of the lucky ones who scored an overpriced hotel room?
@@dnocturn84I live here. My guess (and experience) is that the vast majority of crowd in Tuska are Finns. Also, many people buy 3 day tickets so there are no 60k unique visitors, that’s the total number of tickets sold.
@@konsta9600 Ok, but then it will become a problem, when this festival grows in popularity. Available hotel beds in Helsinki is below 10k. So don't make too much advertisement for Tuska. 😉
@@dnocturn84true😳 number of hotels in helsinki is trending upwards though!
Ota teltta perkele
I guess i was lucky then hahahaha whent to wacken 2022, waited 10 years to go, 5 years of planing and 3 years of saving money and was perfect! There was no rain at all, i got the first row at Judas Priest (my favorite band) concert, got richie faulkers pick after that, saw avantasia for the first time and met tons of awesome metal heads that became my friends, and i got the tickets for the next year hahahhahahaha hope to have the same luck next year
I wish I had been there in 2022 - Priest are my favourites too. Seeing Maiden this year will be cool enough, but that line-up last year was way more "me", especially with Priest and Merciful Fate.
Well i guess this didn't age that well did it. 😉
@@Muskelbiber007 The weather was bomb this year though :D
@@xBFMVxKittyx Well i guess 3rd time is the charm then. ;) Always glad when the wacken guys get a break from the rain.
Dude, i agree on every single word you just said. I feel exactly the same way you do about gettin older but still being a metal head. Shower is so much better than a muddy tent for me now 🤣
First time here on your channel and I totally understand where you're coming from. At almost 50 I have never been to Wacken but it's on my bucket list and will probably only go once as I'm in it for the experience and not just the music.
Everyone should go to Wacken at least once definitely, just feel the magic of it wears a bit thin over time
Roughing it in a German countryside is pure metal especially if it overcast and gloomy, I would HATE being in some sunny hot location for a metal fest.
Yeah but as a local (live only 40 minutes away from Wacken) I know our weather can be pretty shite. It's basically just a coin toss between boiling away in a dust bowl and a Battle of Paaschendale reenactment (mud fest). I had years where I had to pay a local farmer to get my car off the camp ground with his tractor and other years where it was so dusty I felt like I was chewing sand for weeks after the fact.
I totally get this. I’m going next year for the first time. Everyone should go once to every festival they can. FUCKING METAL
I went for my first time this year. It is amazing, just amazing
@@Fitzhugh666 I was there in 2011, when it still was ok. But the line ups became weaker every year and I preferred Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium, better Bands for less money and only 120 KM instead of 6 hours
@@rudolfbecker4313 you need too try Summerbreeze Open air or Alcatraz. Open air That is better than Graspop
@@stephanievanzwetselaar9180 Shall try it. The line up looks like very weak to me compare to Hellfest. It can be the occasion to see some bands i cannot see in Hellfest when Main Stages bands are not allowed you to see great bands on others scenes. The problem i am facing recently is to see many bands that i really like such as Powerwolf, Sabaton, Drop Kick Murphy's and so on...this is really not my type of bands. The good thing at Hellfest is that you can go to see hardcore at WarZone, or death at Altar/Temple, or psychedelic rock on Valley when you don't want to see those successful folks bands. The past week, we got great bands such as king Buffalo, Clutch, and it was very refreshing.
Just coming back from Resurrection Fest in Spain. It was insane.
Wyatt I hope you see this message. The first 4 and a half minutes of this video made me tear up its so nice to see someone talk so passionately about an amazing community thank you 🙏
I appreciate you enjoyed it so much thank you!
Hello from New England... I'm a new sub and really like your content..The best metal fest I've seen was Hellfest 2019 with Korn headlining and the mighty Gojira for direct support Unfortunately at 51 and after multiple spine surgeries my concert days are over lol thx for the vids man 🧐🤘✌️
Lived, Worked, Traveled and Saw many concerts in over 42 different countries around the world...Today at 54, I go hiking in nature and listen to the birds chirping and talk to pine cones and it cost me nothing...Simply fantastic...Rock On! From Portugal! 🇵🇹🌄🐦😇👌
from portugal too
@@c4rolina_xD 🤘From Poland !🌲🌲🌳🌳🤘🕊🦋🐞👣
From Portugal, Porto. Cheers!
I feel you here, my early years visiting graspop, wacken and Download festival 2003/04 there was something very special. Weirdly for me and my wife now it is the more unique small scale festivals that have our hearts.
Tuska is now our bi annual festival without a doubt as Finish metal was a huge part of our early days in metal, small festival great lineup and a beautiful city in Helsinki make it all worthwhile.
Its hard to live like a savage After being on a cruise ship 😆😆. I just wait until they go on YT. Usually within a day.
Great job on this 👍.
Honestly I don't need three headliner every day for one week. For me it's not just only lineup. It's the whole package which make Wacken so perfect for me. My dad is now 72 years old and he still attending with us at Wacken. Living in a tent for a whole week ;)
already love your dad, without meeting him. I'm only 62 but also still there every year on Graspop
This!
A real metal-head doesn't complain about anything!!!
🤘🤘🤘
the last half of the video I was busy having my hands full and earphones in, not being able to turn it off and it kept repeating the same story over and over. The first half was a nice story 😂😂
Fucking hell haha, this dude could shave off 20 minutes of this video and we wouldn't miss a thing.
Man I typed in “how to book waken open” and this popped up. Great video as a fellow CA resident and older in age all the points totally make sense
I live in Canada, we don't have many options for festivals... especially metal. I can probably think of only 2. I've been going to heavy Montreal since I was 11 and it's one of the best weekends of the year, just the environment and freedom is euphoric. Ever since I've wanted to fly over the pond and experience wacken, im gonna go one day but planning a trip that big seems so hard to me. I've barely traveled outside my province 😂
I live in BC and while my city has a great underground scene, I can’t think of any metal festivals within the province as far as I’m aware of. I’d love to go to any of these festivals, it looks absolutely incredible.
I feel you. I also was in Wacken 2012... and it was my last. Since then I only go to festivals in dry weather countries
Same, I'd rather hot festivals than wet muddy ones
Hitting the like button at your point about being free. That's is what I love about hitting a good festival!!! You were spot on with that description!
I've been to Wacken twice and I'm back to it this year. Absolutely the best festival I've been to. What makes Wacken shine is the organisation and the space in the arena to do other stuff. I've also been to Graspop and there's no metal village, no stalls, no music market, no space to be aside from in the music arena or back at the campsite.
I went in 2015. It was probably worse than 2012. There was a point where people were told to stop turning up to the campsite but it rained from the Tuesday to the Saturday afternoon constantly. The sun finally came out on Sunday and started to firm up the mud into this tough clay that was like walking through drying cement.
MetalDays has a beautiful location, so it's one to try but I'm definitely coming to the end of my festival camping era.
Sounds like you may enjoy Hellfest
I went to Wacken in 2008 when I was about to exit my teenage years. I went to my last big festival in 2015/16(I honestly can’t remember). I’m glad I did it and have wonderful memories, but I have medical conditions that make it hard on my body(and having to explain and carry around all my medicine/ medical devices). Inflation has also made things much more of a strain to obtain. And my last reason, my social anxiety is on a shorter leash anymore. But I would never talk a person out of the experience or discourage them to go, but I also can see festival fatigue.
Oh and ironic that you mentioned Hellfest not raining, because one of my earliest hearings about Hellfest it had flooded that year and people were standing amongst rat corpses and I was like “nope, I will take the live occasional mouse at Wacken over dead rats” 😂
I know that feeling. My back is fu¢ked to the point of being declared disabled and qualifying for the assistance ticket. I'm not in a wheelchair and the pain of wandering round all day and sleeping in a tent is horrific. The meds are never enough to let you enjoy anything :( It's just too much hard work and people aren't at all friendly like they used to be, staff included. Plus rather than social anxiety with me it's my huge streak of antisocial I've been carefully nurturing for the last 20 years. I think I gave up on people after seeing so many selfish arrogant twats at gigs and festivals. Also, I love rats, that sounds horrific watching dead ones float past. I would be so upset and scarred for life at the mention of there.
@@stiffk666hey man, I’m also disabled so wandering around and standing all day is often not easy, but there are festivals out there where it is easier. I would recommend metalfest in Pilsen. It is in an outdoor theatre next to the zoo in the middle of the city. It’s a 200m walk from the street to the festival, but if you’re disabled they let you get dropped of 10 meters from the venue and you have to walk 20 meters until you‘re in front of the stage. Yes you have mud when it rains but just in front of the stage. When you enter the seats there it is dry. They have parts where you can park a wheelchair or you sit on one of the benches. You can camp or stay in the city and go with the bus or taxi to the venue. If camping ground is not an option. Sound is great anywhere you are. Drinks are 2€ a beer. Btw in they clean the toilet every hour during the day, no joke, every hour. As a handicapped person myself I would say it is the easiest and most convenient Festival if you‘re not very mobile.
Dead floating rats around your legs is fucking metal ngl
man 2008 was fire!
I was at Wacken 2017 and 2018 and it did rain for only about 1 hour each. Give it another try. It is literally heaven for us metalheads 🤟
Edit: 2024 it rained for 2 hours. Also great!!
I recommend Copenhell to any metalhead. It has an intricate feel that you don't find often on the big festivals. At the same time, Live Nation is one of their main investors, meaning they attract huge names every year even though it is a significantly smaller festival compared to Wacken & Hellfest. Another festival I really enjoy is Sweden Rock. There is a great 80s vibe to things there. Not as intricate as Copenhell, but more kickass and festival-like for sure
Cause Denmark has less rainfall at all... 🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂
My first Sweden Rock this year and I loved it. Smaller than some (good in some ways) and less spectacular but still big bands, varied lineup, long performance times (not 40 minutes for most bands like most festivals, I think Copenhell the same), great layout with food toilets and bars all over.
Hellfest is great but huge crowds and expensive. I want to try Graspop again but that is similar. I think Copenhell and Tons of Rock are top of where I want to try. Brutal Assault and Bloodstock I will go back to.
Oooh I so wanna go to Sweden Rock but it's such a hassle to get there without a car...
The lineup is so amazing every year and it's right next to Muskelrock timewise. (Which is more niche but has a gread oldschool lineup)
Copenhell sounds nice and is probably easier to get to. :)
@@speedyspeedgirl1778 Copenhell is the week after and about 1-2 hours away by train, I want to do both together sometime! I think Copenagen would have cheap flights
I've been going to Wacken every year since 2009, except for the 2 years we were all remote.
I can agree that a big part is that I meet people there that I have known for 18 years and only meet here.
There have been some years with really bad weather in the last few years, but I couldn't say it's the majority.
What you are right about is the line-up, although for me the variety is enough, objectively it is a bit stuck for the core group of bands.
There are still first timers I'm happy about every year and small bands especially in Metal Battle.
But yes, like other festivals have a much broader lineup and cater to many more genres.
But the big difference is of course that I literally live in the middle of Europe, which of course influences my evaluation of festival significantly.
I also have to say that Hellfest and Graspop are too big for me, if I looked right they are over 100k and Wacken stays at 75k.
For a while the prices of the two were also an issue, but with the expansion of Wacken to 4 days and the last price increase it is now more the travel that still represents in big plus.
I like a little smaller festival, currently I am very pleased with the Full Force, because it is located on a lake and you can watch a stage from the water.
Finally, it must be said that Wacken has changed a lot. In 2019 there was a much bigger offer with an own supermarket with normal prices and the sanitary facilities were extremely good. The beer pipeline, no hint a real underground pipeline through which beer is pumped, hardly needs to be appointed.
Unfortunately, after the pandemic, everything was somehow strange, for one thing, the metalbag has fallen away, which is a mortal sin and the whole setup and the feeling were somehow different.
I often meet people from all over the world who see Wacken as a kind of Mecca and it means a lot to be there, for me it was never to that extent, but that's definitely because it's only a 4-6 hour journey for me, from the front door to the tent.
But was a very good video.
I just subbed. I am 60 and you are right don't go just for the festival name , go for the band line up. See them while you can.
It's funny. I first went in 2000 and I loved it, but the years after that it grew so much, so much that wasn't really about metal or music at all started to cluster around the festival and I felt like a lot of people started going that weren't really metal heads but just normal festival people attracted by the media attention Wacken generated in the early 2000s. So I stopped going around 2005, I think, going instead to smaller, more underground festivals. I returned in 2008 and 2009 because a dear friend had returned from studying abroad and really wanted to go with me. But the general experience reinforced the feeling of it being more of a commercial spectacle rather than a metal festival or at least it not being for me and my tastes anymore. So I've not gone again since then and me and mainstream metal have continued to go in somewhat different directions since.
So same kind of experience maybe, but 10 years shifted.
UK festivals totally suck.. I've been to Wacken Open Air 4 times now,and it's definitely my go to festival.. fricking love it there!
And yes,it rains...and it's usually biblical,but that's because you're only a few miles away from the North Sea!!
That's why Wacken's motto is Rain or Shine!!
I'm 53..and I'll carry on going until either they stop,or I stop breathing !!
2011 Wacken had a soft rain on Thursday morning, just enough to keep the dust down. After that - perfect and Ozzy , Priest, and Motorhead
@@rudolfbecker4313 I was there! Saw all three. Ozzy mooned us and then had to go backstage cos he couldn't get his belt back on.
@@bradders9743 I don't remember this, but I also was so far in the back, so I could listen without earplugs and don't get run over ... I also don't remember, if there were circle pits during Priest and Motorhead, but did you see the one while Heaven Shall Burn played. .... might have been a "world record". If you didn't see it, check it out here on youtube
Why Europe likes metal, rock, deatcore? Compare to US?
Just saying something that no one mentioned here as far as I noticed:
Last year it didn't rain at all in Wacken. And I promise you it was horrible. The dust in the air was almost touchable, my snot was pitch black every single day. So many people had respiratory issues someone thought there was an epidemic of tuberculosis there. My girlfriend got so sick - and we went straight from Wacken to Brutal Assault - due to air quality there, that in Czech Republic she left our tent not more than twice.
Plus the structure of Wacken decreased a lot, especially comparing years such as 2017 and 2018 to 2022. You can clearly see that they lost a lot of important sponsors during the Corona crisis. The supermarket Kaufland built inside the ground? Forget about it. The beer pipe from Hamburg to Wacken pumping thousands of liters of cold Becks? It's history. Remember all the stands inside selling cd's, vinyl and that insane amount of merch from stores from all over the world? You can forget about that too.
And I'm not mentioning the line-up here.
Oh, and there was the pre-Wacken day, that you had to pay extra to attend the main stages area. Right now it will happen by default, but guess what? The "pay extra" price is already incorporated in the regular ticket price.
I came to a conclusion I'm not going to Wacken anymore especially because the smaller festivals - such as Metal Days and Brutal Assault have even more solid line-ups for half the price. I used to love Wacken, it was the reason why I came to Europe for the first time in my life to see Emperor's reunion after so many years disbanded... I grew reading about it on Metal magazines, watching some VHS from Dissection and Hypocrisy playing there in the late 90s... now I have the impression it is just a place where people gather and don't even care about who's playing... some midlife crisis bald-in-camo-shorts and some drunken ladies with pink hair just shouting "Wackeeen" for no reason.
And I thought about the fact that it was just me getting old, but to be honest, I still enjoy very much other festivals in which I need to camp, barely shower, be sunstruck or flooded... it's just the sense of cost/benefit of Wacken that decreased while it seems that every other festival increased a lot.
Amen, you’re exactly right. It lives from the the people who always went to Wacken and will always no matter the bands. And they use these to worden down the experience because f* it the people come no matter what. And that’s for a lot of the big German festivals like rock am Ring etc. max money and cheaping out on everything because the people come no matter what.
I'd be so pissed if I went there and then had to pay extra to see something I thought I paid for already.
The dust really is bad, it’s a lot worse at WOA in the dry years than the wet ones. You can dry off easily enough but getting that dust out of every orifice takes weeks. That and the queues for the bars when it gets hot are insane.
Yes this kind of people you descibed are what keeps me away from it nowadays..
Pipeline from Hamburg? 😅 Dude, there has never been one. But the pipeline in Wacken still exists. Kaufland was there only once, was a Try and they tried smth other the year after kaufland. And it's not Wackens fault that you could not find the Merch sellers from all over the world. Cause they have been there.
Going again this year, from Canada, for my 60th Birthday. Loved it in 2019, looking forward to it again. Did Cruel World in Pasadena last year, yes, Metal heads can love 80’s New Wave too…
Wacken is exceptional for more reasons than it’s not.
1. Price not expensive for what’s included,
2. Being able to have a Metal grocer that sells fresh old and beer at NON-FESTIVAL prices, as you would at home - killer.
3. Meeting people, friendly people, and not experiencing drunken fighting…. Yes, got a little cranky after the jet lag and couldn’t find my spouse, and was told in no uncertain terms, “we don’t do that here, everyone is chill”, you gotta love that.
4. German beer rules
5. We were shopping in the Metal Markt with all the black tshirt metalheads, and that song from the Proclaimers came on, “I’d walk 500 hundred miles…” and the whole fucking place erupted in singing. I don’t know if you’d experience THAT in North America.
Loved my experience, cat wait to go this year, and maybe when I’m 65 again…🤟🏽🎸⚡️❤️
Number 4 is the best reason! 😉
Duuude, you've helped me make up my mind. I wasn't able to attend Wacken for many years because of health & $$$ isues. Currently, things are different, so I want to experience what I've totally missed out on. Being older and less patient now, there's no way that I want to spend hours knee deep in mud watching bands. Maybe that's weak, but I actually want to enjoy myself, not be miserable the whole time! I'm glad I bumped into your channel, it's very informative and enjoyable. Keep up the great work!
Wyatt. Check out Hell's Heroes in Houston. Much smaller, but killer bands and all Metal. This year was the 6th edition. The 3 headliners were Candlemass, Queensryche and Sodom. Thanks for the videos. I enjoy them a lot.
I never been to a metal festival in my life. In the backwards country where I live that kind of thing is far from ever happen. I cannot travel to the US or Europe because my country is blacklisted as a major cocaine producer, so for regular people like me it's almost impossible to get a visa. Ironically, the ones who can travel anywhere without a problem, are the ones who actually produce cocaine or the politicians who are sponsored by them 🤷♀️
Jajaja que puteriaaa hermano
Gonorea chimba marikaaa
at least you have cheap and good cocaine
Ive been to a few music festivals in my day, and trust me you arent missing anything. The music usually sounds like shit at most outdoor events and the weather is almost always an issue.
There are metal bands as well as indie bands at Reading and Leeds, but not at Glastonbury. I don't think Michael Eavis will have the metal bands. He will have all the other genres.
@sole__doubt The weather isn't guaranteed. I was lucky in 2007 as the rain held off for the festivals I stewarded at, but it had rained a lot before the festival season started and inbetween the ones I was at but the festival sites never dried out. It rained heavily on the first day of WOMAD but steed once the gates were open. But the arena area was a shallow lake the entire time.
The following year it was dry and so hot one day people had to seek shade in the arboretum. It was so dusty on the road around the arena.
Wacken is an experience. i have discovered some incredible bands there that I have never heard before. I have seen band there that I grew up with. Wacken is much more than just a music festival. Wacken is a gathering of tribes. Faster, Harder, Louder. Wacken rule.
Hey man. First time seeing one of your videos. You really said good facts about the festival I knew I was not the only one who thought of that. Cheers you earned a new sub!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Wacken is awesome. I have been there 6 times, from 1999 - 2005. Why did I quit going? Because it's a huge difference between 1999, when I was 18 years old, look at the lineup and I'm like: "Holy shit! I need to see ALL of those bands!" and now, when I look at the lineup and I have seen most bands listed multiple times already in the last 20 years.
Yeah, true, but then again, Wacken always had some special acts, there was Emperor in 2006 I think and Carcass + At the Gates in 2008, good times good times.
But something you should never do is looking at old lineups - chances are you will find bands you wished you had seen but didn't know at the time, bands that maybe don't even exist anymore...
@@Knokkelman Absolutely. But a thing I have learned over the years is also, most bands are better on tour than at festivals. Big festivals are great, if you want to check a lot of bands off of your "must see list" over a single weekend.
Last summer I wasn't at Wacken once again, but instead went to Summer Breeze (for non Europeans, Summer Breeze is the 2nd largest festival in Germany after Wacken with ~140 bands over 4 days). And out of those 140 bands I literally just went there for 2. Lorna Shore and Paleface. The WHOLE REST was bands I have seen before (except Bloodywood) so I ended up just watching 6 shows. The rest of the time we where chilling in our camp, getting wasted and enjoying the atmosphere. Atmosphere as in "4 day camping with metalheads all around you and no one giving a fuck" 😁
And yeah, our camp was placed, that it was basically like 150m from the mainstage so even if you didn't "watch" the shows, you still heard them live just like you where there.
Point being, things change a lot, especially since my first Wacken in 1999, after being to 1-3 festivals every year (always depended on my schedule) since then. I have been to somewhere around 50 festivals in total. Too many bands have been checked off of my mist see list. It doesn't matter if I go to Wacken with 150+ bands, Summer Breeze with 140 or something smaller like Greenfield in Switzerland with "only" 70 bands. I end up watching like 6 shows and spend the rest of the time partying in the camp.
I've been going to European festivals for 10 years and they are great! We are starting to catch up and get better here in the US. Hellfest has become one of the best around and I've been lucky enough to do 6 including the double weekends in 2022.
I really get your point. But I am now almost 60 years old and I am still giong to Wacken, no matter how muddy it is. What I relly like is the general experience. Last year I needed 34 hours for the 800km, as there was a 24 hour traffic jam causeb by the wheather..
But it was even fun on the road. There were Barbecues, people living near the road helped the peaople in the cars. This is something that you will not experience anywhere else.
Almost 70, and booked a ticket for next year
I've attended 2011 to 2015 (so 5 times in total) and I think that I've been through the exact same thoughtprocess as you described in this video! I feel you 😐
As someone who went to ozzfest like 3 times I can't imagine going to multi day festival, it's tiring standing around for hours and hours on end on a single day let alone 2 or three days. There are many factors to consider why you don't care to go back, but you can't rule out getting older being one of them, and if the rain really is a bad as being said then that's a deal breaker for just about anyone.
There's this metal fest in Transylvania that just extended its duration to 5 days. But it's in the forest so you can just chill.
You’ve never done a camping festival? You haven’t lived dude.
Consuming good food, drinking plenty of water, limiting alcohol and getting rest will help you with the energy. This can be difficult depending on the accomidations of the festival.
One year I spent 8 days at Wacken. We literally arrived on Sunday and left the following Sunday. It was great, but we were beyond destroyed afterwards.
And who said you have to be standing all the time! And many old people go to festivals and people with different physical disabilities!
You have no clue what you’re talking about!
Camping festivals for 4,5 days are the greatest musical experience ever!
4 or 5 days enjoying great bands from 10 am till midnight with many other activities, great food, drinks, good people everyone having a great time, you can chill and take breaks at anytime if you feel exhausted. 4 or 5 days without internet or social media, to, computers, just detoxing in music resort with many of your favourite bands and friends!
if you can’t see how great that is! Maybe you are not really a big live music fan!
Wacken is more of a prestige thing now it feels. Like a box to tick off your bucket list. For the actual festival experience I'll take Summer Breeze, Metal Days, Metalfest, Hellfest or any number of others over Wacken any day.
Also, one of the good characteristics of german culture is making the best of being dealt a bad hand. So the skies give you mud? Play in it :D
"And I've been to Florida" LOL! Very insightful video. I feel like I've been to Wacken since 2002 because I have all the dvd's and blu-rays thru 2002 - 2018 but of course I've always dreamed of going in person. You make some very good points and I still have to go someday at least once. I feel I owe it to Wacken because I've discovered most of the bands that I listen to by watching them play there.
Tampa the once metal capital. Still waiting for the beast to awaken. Cheers Mike...from another brother from Tampa/St.Pete
@@terribletimes01 I still feel like it is at least one of the metal capitals of the U.S. Obituary, Nasty Savage, Savatage, etc. I'm originally from New York and I thought that was a little Capital, then when I moved down here 26 years I realized this is the metal capital. I've seen way more shows here than there. Janus, Ritz, Amphitheater, etc
@@terribletimes01Same here. 62y.o. Polish metalhead living in Saint Petersburg, since 1990 , (26 years in Poland and 2 years in Spain) Well, no fest in the US, can compare to European ones. Not even Gasparilla. No beer, no tits, no nothing. Tampa Bay, used to be „death metal US capital”, with bands, like Morbid Angel, Death, Obituary,Deicide, Six Feet Under and strictly heavymetal Savatage.(RIP Chriss Oliva) Btw. my favorite bands, from my native Poland are Vader, Decapitated and Hate. Behemoth, is little bit too extreme, as is/ was Deicide, but I saw them twice, as well.
MorbidAngel…? Then venues, like Jannus Landing, ( currently Jannus Live, Crowbar, Twighlight Zone, ( I think, they have renamed it)State Theater, or long time gone Rock it Club.
@@Kinggg679 My favorite Polish metal bands are Vader and Nocny Kochanek. Check them out at Woodstock 2017 for a great performance. I also have a collection of Metal Mania DVDs and there are great polish metal performances at that event too.
I was also there 2011, 2012, and 2014. 2012 was no joke but I made sure to bring a proper tent in 2012 after getting rained on in 2011. Luckily some danish dudes let me borrow a tarp to cover my open air tent and keep me somewhat dry that first festival.
Word of advice, if you drive in, don’t oversleep the day after the festival. Waited hours hungover trying to get my car off the campgrounds in 2014.
Still a bucket list item I’ll always treasure.
Bruh, I haven't seen any other of your vids, but this one has such a cool vibe, enjoyed it a lot. At first I was like 'why are you not talking about the weather', but then I was like 'ah, I see'.
It is worth to be mentioned that because this is a cow field and they use chemicals for the ground during the rest of the year, when it rains this mud becomes really fckn toxic. A lot of people are having allergies and skin problems when they contact this mud.
I was at Wacken only once in 2018 and it was the hottest and driest one from all the years that it exists. Everyone was thankful to gods and couldn't stop talking abt how lucky we were this year. At first I was like wtf people, it is 30 degrees and nowhere to hide from the sun, but then everyone started describing their experience with rain and mud, so I quickly got the point :)
If the mud wasn't bad enough already apparently it's toxic too?!
@@wyattsmetal yep :)
The Spot hasn't been used as cowfields in many many years.
I grew up in Milwaukee with Milwaukee metal fest threw the 90's. Best extreme metal fest ever. It's back now and making ground, starting to get back to where it used to be
I went to my first open air metal festival in 1984 at the Poperinge heavy sound in Belgium I also went to every major summer festivals in Europe, Fury fest Lemans France (before it became Hell fest) I did Wacken in 2007 (decent weather that year) and the grasspop in Dessel Belgium in 2005. My last one in Europe was the 2009 Next generation festival in Austria where I saw MPE & Norther live for the first time. I now live part time in the southern hemisphere and my next festival should be the Apu Wanka metal festival in Huancayo Peru next August 5-6 2023. That will probably be my last as I'm also getting old and close to 60 and my bones and joins are starting to hurt like hell so damp and cold weather sleeping in a tent in the middle of a muddy field is getting harder and harder every year.
I've been to Wacken 6 times between years 2010-2019. (Specifically 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2019). Through those years, the festival has become better, more grand and easily accessible and less tiring to be in. If your last experience was 2012, we are not talking about the same Wacken as of, like example, 2019. The development and evolution of Wacken is constant, every year something new and all are optimized better than last year.
As a 31-year old dude I still love going, but I've had a little pause due to covid restrictions and other plans. After I've solved my financial hassles, I will participate Wacken maybe next year. Traveling all the way from Finland with a bus. It is so much fun.
I encourage everyone to experience Wacken and it is awesome place to spend a week in.
And as I watched the video further, having a hotel-like environment is nice and all, but this is like comparing going for a hike vs. evening at a casino. Two different experiences with different setup.
It's okay to like luxury and comfort, but to me the atmosphere and feeling of being other on fields, walking in mud or sun blaze, being outdoors, repairing your tent after rain storm on festival grounds etc. are just part of awesome experience.
City festivals are fun and all and indoor festivals as well, but for me they feel much more sterile and comfy. They sure are easier to "handle", but walking knee deep in mud or dust storm or blazing sun during hangover is much more memorable. It feels natural and honest, if it makes sense.
And attitude is the key here. When things get hard and challenging, like to repeat in my mind: "Helppoa ja kivaa" (it's Finnish, but Eng. translated: " Easy and fun"). Just think everything is easy, fun and your experience is part of the trip, you'll have fun regardless of conditions. Just absorb the human condition and live to the fullest.
And about rain in Wacken, 2010 was totally dry. Maybe few drops of water. 2012 had intense sunny days first 1-2 days, but after day 2 the flooding came as you told. 2013 was completely dry. 2015 was a legendary mud Wacken, there were pouring rains for a whole week before we even got there and it didn't stop at the festival days either. Still one of the best experiences ever. Both 2018 and 2019 were scorching hot with little rain pours here and there. 2019 had thunder storm warnings and festival ground evacuation few times, if I remember right. Eluveitie's gig at main stage was aborted because of it.
So there is a good chance for a rain, but extreme raining occurd roughly with a chance of 1-2 times in 10 years. But if you prepare yourself for blazing heat or extreme rain well in advance, you will have a good time.
I have now done Wacken two times, 2019 and the next 2022 (covid-break). Both times fantastic weather, maybe rain on one of the days but not soaking, just drops here and there. I got the same feeling of not doing Wacken again, or any other big, at least take a break from those just because stressing about the weather is so big part of it and I have seen and heard the horror stories of "mud-Wackens", and I'd hate it. Maybe Hellfest next time but with a hotel please! This summer I'm doing this smaller rock festival in my home country (Finland), and with a hotel, so can't wait!!
I never wanted to visit Wacken, Hellfest or any other of those huge festivals. There are too many bands of different genres, I'm not interested in. The line-up is the most important to me. From maybe 100 bands who play in Wacken, there are probably five I would enjoy.
And I really hate to camp! So I only go to smaller festivals. With a line-up of bands I like. And where I can stay in a hotel.
This year I went to Inferno Metal Festival in Oslo for the first time. That was perfect! Awesone line-up! The location and the hotel based in the centre of the city, next to the central train station, where you can catch a train to the airport. I would highly recommend this festival.
For an authentic, but pleasant experience, give Portugal a try. The festivals are pretty solid and, in general, the lineups are getting better and better each year (which means the tickets are also getting pricier, but they're still rather affordable). And Portuguese metalheads are brutal as fuck, genuinely passionate people
I have a couple of Portuguese buddies. You're right about how passionate those guys are about Metal music.
@@rosscampanella389 Passionate, and also very welcoming. Unlike anything I've seen so far
We live in Portugal now and most festivals are in summer when it's bloody hot.
Portuguese metal fests like, Evil live? In a closed venue, in the middle of the summer, with a shitty sound?
@@extsaojose Dude, when I think about Portuguese fests, EVIL LIVƎ is definitely not the first one that comes to mind
I did Wacken 2012 and figured that was enough. Truly unforgettable experience, but it's way too big for me to handle. I'm sticking with things like Mystic Festival and Brutal Assault, and perhaps some smaller festivals in Poland (for example, Metal Mine Festival in Walbrzych).
Kind regards from Poland.
Been doing Download for decades but their price rises this year make me feel it will be my last for a while. Fancy something different and Germany is favourite. Wacken is sold out pretty much immediately though and so is Hellfest. Full Force looks interesting. I know you can't take one across with you but we're always in a campervan which helps with the shite weather. 2016 and 19 were worse than 12 at Donington.
When I first ventured to Europe from Australia I originally sought out the larger festivals, Hellfest and GMM in 2014. It started 5years of travelling to Europe for various festivals, never made it to Wacken. In 2016, I went to Brutal Assault. I was hooked. For 4years in a row that became my all time favourite. Still to this day I think fondly of it, but the line up, the vibe, the setting, the value for money. One day I will get back 🤘.
A Men 🙌🏻 give me comfort ! 2012 was awesome but a mess
Yeah, it sucks to get older. It also sucks that ticket prices have gotten so high that it's hard to justify. I miss going to festivals!
My first TRUE festival was Wacken 2011. Since then I have visited the holy grounds 9 times. I can vouch that not all the time there is super heavy rain and liquid mud. I had 3 completely dry Wackens and the other 6 were in a mix of super heavy rain and just the right amount of rain :)
I can totally agree that Wacken is probably the most well organized festival and if you consider that it is one of the biggest in the world, there is nothing close that comes to mind in that regard.
Regarding the line-up I can agree to a a degree. It is nice to have all those big names (like in Hellfest or Graspop) but the problem is that you see the same bands headlining every big festival year after year. And when you have all those big names you are more or less like "I must watch that, that and that band again cause their are some of my favorites" and you don't get enough free time to rest or just go on some of the smaller stages and check out some new bands. Also I really, really like that Wacken has given a chance to some "let's say smaller or not big enough" bands to headline one of the biggest festival of the world. For example Parkway Drive or Machine Head. Those will never headline something like Hellfest, Graspop or Download.
Finally, after visiting quite a few festival across Europe - even to this day Wacken has the most unique vibe and spirit. I too may not visit the festival for quite some time, cause to be honest I prefer more of a mid-sized festivals 30-40k people. It is not so tiring, less people, easier to navigate, you get more time to chill out, you still get some good bands and have time to check out new ones. Not that I ever bought a ticket for the line-up, I always buy the tickets once they release them, I don't care for the line-up, I just care about the name of the festival and the good vibe and I know they will provide bunch of good bands.
Here is my list of festivals i visited - can recommend Full Force as probably not everybody have heard of it
Wacken
Nova Rock
Brutal Assault
With Full Force
Graspop
Hellfest
Bloodstock
Obscene extreme
Copenhell
Rock Hard
Sweden Rock
Tuska
Masters of Rock
Summer Breeze
It only gets muddy because of vehicles churning up the festival site. That's why there needs to temporary roads built on the site.
@@lemsip207 In 2012 it was muddy in front of the stage, ground saturated and during Kamelot it rained so hard t
hat there was 5 cm of water on the ground,
Don't feel bad about it, bro. It's totally understandable. I especially get it at my age in my mid-40s. I want... no... I need a comfy bed, shower, and air conditioning if I'm going to make it for days on end. I did my last 4 day camping festival 10 years ago, and that was rough. But, our VIP tickets made it better. I'm just glad there are a few metal festivals to attend in the states b/c for a while it seemed like all the best ones, meaning the best line ups were all in Europe and that just involves so much more money and planning.
Love your vids. Keep 'em coming and rock on.🤘
Ohh,i remember the 2012.. and it was as you say.. but we have a blast.. also easy to say When we just have a little drive home to Denmark, and not a flight to the us.. but like your vid 🤘🤘
I really like your video and can relate to everything 100%.
My hometown is only 15km away from Wacken and I have been at the campsite almost every year since 2008 from Monday morning to Sunday.
It was always a pleasure for me to meet cool metalheads from all over the world.
The years with mud were very exhausting, but we all had so much fun anyway. It was awesome!
Since a few years Wacken offers the possibility of "Glamping", there you have your own beds with your own sanitary facilities. Maybe that's something for you that motivates you to come back.
I would be happy if we meet over a beer sometime.
As the slogan of Wacken already says "See you Rain or Shine" 🤘
i haven't been to Wacken. i have been to Metaldays a bunch of times and lately ive started going to Metal on the HIll, Area 53, basinfirefest(somehow appears to only be known to CZ people despite being awesome last year), Masters of Rock, Metalfest. i bought a ticket for Summerbreeze and i think it will be the new biggest festival i will attend. it already seems too big looking at videos of the festival. will see, might change my mind when i get there. but going to the other festivals, i realised that my "home" festival of Metaldays is very rearly worth it. it ends up being 7 nights of camping, expensive tickets and a whole lot of preparation for a single thing. plus the lineup is hardly worth it some years. but most importantly, it has the same problem: weather. its either a stove or a pond, no inbetween. all of the CZ festivals ive been to last year had mild weather. also, the major selling point headliner doesn't mean much to me. like sure, its nice to be able to say ive seen x legendary band. but x band are probably not even on the top of my personal list of bands i wanna see. heck, the top of my personal list is a bunch of bands who bearly released their 3rd record.
Awesome to hear your experience every wacken festival you go....Greeting from Malaysia
Your reasons for not going to Wacken are the very reason why so many of the metal bands don't come to America. In Europe, they still eat, sleep, and die for Heavy Metal. In America, we just roll with the latest fad and get softer as we get older. I want to go to Wacken before I die. Definitely on my bucket list. I'm 56, my wife and I just got our passports. We're just about to be on our way. Wish me luck. Long live METAL!
I disagree. We have die hard metal heads here for life but absolutely no exposure because of assholes like Clear Channel who bought a lot of the metal radio stations and softened them up. They don't get any promotions, even if a big festival is coming through a town. It gets maybe a blurb in a newspaper. Lack of exposure and promotion is why major bands don't come play in America.
Also, festivals suck in America because every alphabet agency in existence from local to federal has to put their dick skinners on it. They nerf shows like crazy. Want Rammstein (professional pyro technicians) to play with fire and do all kinds of crazy shit? No, the Fire Marshall said no and won't permit it. Wanna play past 10pm, maybe 11pm? No, local noise ordinance permits won't allow it.
The government will allow giant pop festivals go on as planned, but not metal.
i saw some geezers on wacken back in my day, they must have been 70. so looks like you're still one of the spring chickens there haha
sorry dude you are just projecting. If you think there is no thriving scene or genre defining bands in usa it’s because you just aren’t a part of it. Also the best european (and japanese and many others) metal bands regular tour the usa. The real scene has always been and will always be in smaller and diy spaces. Not these commercial, poser dweeb big festivals. If you love metal and extreme music and are sitting in your house pouting about how no one in the usa likes metal like all the cool europeans, that’s on you. Don’t project that false bullshit on the rest of us though!
I'm nearly 50 and have got to the point where I can't handle the bigger festivals. I've been going to Bloodstock UK since 2017 and love it so much we buy the tickets straight away not caring about the line up. I love to see all the up and coming bands and the atmosphere is amazing. I'm going on the headbangers boat later this year. I've never been to the USA before and I'm very excited. I reckon the experience is going to be very different. I'm looking forward to having a bit of luxury with a bed, toilet and shower. Plus it will be nice not to have to walk miles between bands.
I can relate to this, dude. My place ist about 200 miles away from Wacken, so just a 2 hours drive on german Autobahn (just kidding 😅). Been there many times, but for years now Wacken relies on its legendary status. Even if its a much longer drive for my, I consider going to Graspop or Hellfest more often. If I would have to travel all the way from the US to Europe, it doesn´t matter ist you fly to Germany, France or Belgium. For me, it´s all about bands and the lineup, and here Wacken gets worse every year while charging more and more for the ticket. So I´m out, too. Cheers!
Wow, so near by and still not tempting enough for you! I definitely understand, between Wacken and Hellfest I always go Hellfest
When I was 16 years old, my biggest dream was to visit Wacken.
I am from Germany so going to wacken is not that big affort for me. Around 9h by car.
Now I'm 26 and still never have been to Wacken.
The one reason is that there are so many people who are just doing "Festival Tourism", so many people who actually don't listen to metal music.
The other reason is the line up. Back in 2011, the lineup was amazing, but in the last few years, there wasn't this mind-blowing line up Wacken was famous for.
Nowadays, I'm very happy to visit Summer Breeze yearly and this year for the first time at the Ragnarök festival. Both are in Germany.
I would also love to go to Hellfest and the Graspop Metal meeting or Metal days in Slowenia.
Yeah Breeze is just chill. Though it was awfully warm the last 2 years. It's also way more affordable than Wacken and the line up barely leaves you a lot of breathing room between the bands.
Green camping feels like a must for me though.
What i love about Hellfest is that there's generally an opening between 6pm - 8pm where there's a band i can easily miss, and the sun passes behind the main-stages / VIP building, so thats when i will go take a shower. There's hardly anyone else doing it at that time as the rush is usually between 9am - 3 pm.
Solves alot of the Hygiene concerns.
aside from that it's basically disneyland for metalheads
Come to Brutal Assault in Czechia... set inside an old Habsburg fortress, with all those bastions and ravelins, it is beyond awesome... yes its not the size of Wacken, not by any stretch of imagination, only 25-30,000 but the atmosphere is unmatched... come and check when you get the chance
I love psycho been to 2 and 7 70000 tons going to Wacken next year first timer
I hear ya about being older and needing some comforts.
My Mud stomping days are pretty much over but I still love great music. I might put on a pair of boots and get down there in the mud but it would have to be one hell of a show to get me there!. Great video, Thanks for sharing. Cheers!.👍🤘💯☮️
BS. Started too see this video, but his reason to skip it is not mine, and i'm twise as old :)
You described what pretty much every major festival is like lol… regardless of genre (I attend anything except rap fests lol).
Yea none of the issues really have to do with the subject of metal, moreso being outside in these locations for days
Thy Dynamo Festival in The Netherlands used to be the premier event, especially for thrash bands.
Relatable, I went to Wacken in 2005 and 2006. Had a blast at both occasions but I can't see myself going back. I spend several years going to Roadburn when it was mostly fixated on the whole hype of stoner, doom and sludge. I literally went from stage to stage all day by myself while friends were there too, I ran into them occasionally but we barely saw each other due to different music taste. Went to Euroblast for all the tech metal by myself. I only went to a festival once to hang out with friends and it was an awesome holiday.
But yeah, I have seen so many bands by now ranging from massive to I never thought I'd see these guys. I'd still go if the line up is right and the circumstances suit.
PS: Metal cruise ships sicken me, it's a pure waste of resources.
Wacken 2024 was perfect weather.. no rain .. 25 C.. 😁
i were 48 at my last Wacken 2017, been there 4 Times since they Start. 2k13 and 17 i stayed in an Hotel, and we attend only for some Gigs, half an Day/Night. Was great, was dirty, was loud, was the normal infection Pool:). Pure subjective , but i felt that the Respect and overall Behaviour of the Crowd went south. Could also just be me and my Age, that i set other Standards, which dont meet actual Crowds, so, its not them, its me who is the Problem;). And what they bring up set with the Investement you have to do, well, there are very great 3-5 Bands one Time Gigs here in Germany, i much more Apreciate.
That said, who wasnt there, what you are waiting for? One Time in Life you have to see and feel it. if you need an Encore, thats up to you:)
The Wacken Open AIr also have other Festivals
1. Wacken Open Air
2. Wacken Winter Open AIr
3. 70.000 Tons Of Metal
Wacken Holiday Open Air in Mallorca
You had a sub the minute you said "back in my day" and "Sabaton"
Some valid points here, even for me as a Wacken regular. I suppose that there are many different factors for choosing pretty much any festival out there.
I happen to live in Hamburg, which is barely 80km (or 50 miles) away from Wacken. Theoretically, I could drive there and back again every day, have a proper shower at home, sleep on my own comfy bed and not care about camping in the mud and rain at all. Problem is, that would be way too much driving about for the rest of my friends who cannot be bothered to do this every day. Especially now that Wacken has been extended from three to four full days.
Then again, they also prefer not having to spend the nights at the Wacken grounds either.
Therefore, the compromise we've settled on is an Airbnb (or any other holiday rental we can find) within about 30km (20 miles) of Wacken, capable of hosting us four. That way, we've got the full day at Wacken and can still drive back to the holiday rental within 20 minutes for a quiet evening, where we can shower and sleep like human beings and cook something decent every night as well. One of us four will always have up to two drinks for that entire day in order to be able to stay under the drinking limit and the rest can pretty much drink as much as they please. And even if the weather doesn't play along, we always have alternatives to choose from.
Our last Wacken was 2018 and not only did it not rain one bit, it was so dry that we actually needed cloth masks to keep our lungs from inhaling a ton of dust. This year, we are going again after the pandemic break and though we are indeed somewhat underwhelmed by this year's lineup, we are still looking forward to having a good time and maybe even discovering a few promising bands while we're there.
Great video man. Been to Wacken twice so totally get what you're saying. Have you ever been to Download in the UK? It's big but somehow feels much smaller. No language barrier and if you're on it early you can stay local and travel there each day. Potential British weather problems though 😂
I am French and will go to Hellfest for the first time in 2 weeks, I am so excited ! Nice to hear about your experience
I remember the Machine Head show in 2012, it was amazing but we were knee deep in mud and way too exhausted to move tbh. Then again i was 18 in 2012 so i was young and full of energy which probably helped with handling the shit weather. 2014 on the other hand was really sunny and dusty in comparison for example
Hey Wyatt. In Poland, beautiful historical city Gdańsk, 10 min walk from city centre we have Mystic Festival. Crowd 15 000, extra metal bands (Kerry King, Bruce Dickinson, Megadeth, Satyricon, Kreator or Machine Head only this year, 90 bands, four days, 5 Stages (1 km distance, location Shipyard with industrial climate, good shiny weather 20C+, good polish beer, 170 euro four days. It's good option to see a lot of great bands and have a comfortable for people like me 30+. Not biggest but very good option. Check this on youtube.
Agreed. Mystic is a good middle ground for people tired of huge music festivals and looking for some more comfortable conditions
I get what you're saying. But all I can say is that I've been to many, many festivals and none of them have the same feel as Wacken. I get a buzz at Wacken that I haven't found elsewhere. And I was there in 2015, where the amount of rain was beyond comprehension, and it will still fantastic. Yes, I somewhat agree when it comes to the lineup. It's always great, but it doesn't have the wow factor that it has had in previous years. I admit I'd love to go to 70k one day. But the cost for me as a European makes it really tough to justify when I have plenty of excellent festivals on my doorstep. And for me Wacken is the best of them all.
I totally get that, festivals can just have a special place in your heart that make them more meaningful. I get that at Hellfest, but I understand the deep loyalty many have to Wacken. I did very much love my first Wacken in 2011
Funnily enough I am about to head out to WOA 2024 today - got lots of work to do on location. Anyway: Some of your points sound very relatable to me. I miss the "old days" when the WOA was gravitating more towards the underground and made less "commercial" choices. Don´t get me wrong, I am not hating on anyone who likes to listen to "metal pop culture" and simply goes there to experience "superficial" metal culture - you do you, enjoy your favourite bands. But to me, personally, it seems as if my subculture (and hence a part of my identity) is also slowly homogenised like so many other subcultures before. This year we get a lineup featuring artists like The Warning, for example: They sell because, well, they´re girls - yet at best this music can be labeled pop rock. Hämatom will do a double feature with Finch this year - a German hip hop artists who, with all due respect to both him and Hämatom, simply has nothing to do with heavy metal music.
What makes me happy though is that Thomas and Holger (the founders) still provide newcomers with a chance to shine: I mean the winners of all the Metal Battles in different countries are the reason I still work at WOA and spend my time there - cause there is a lot of artists to dig, still.
I guess this is just 2024 then: Metal - just like punk and all the other subcultures - simply appeals more and more to "mainstream" people. And for as much as it sucks to see how festivals turn into commercialised businesses, it also fills me with quite some joy that we, in a way, grow out of the kinda elitists metal mindset typical for the 80s. And welcome "regular" folks on the road. Looking forward to see all of you on the holy ground!
Very relatable. This year we're going to Graspop, because of the line up, but we bought VIP cards and we stay in a nearby hotel 😁 Last year we went to the metal day of PinkPop, also had VIP tickets which was great as it was hot as hell. There was an open bar and kitchen without any lines included. And there were clean toilets. The luxury was very much appreciated.🤘🏽
I'm 52 years old, but there's no metal festival for me without lying in the tent camp. I've been to metalcruze, but that one time will do. But wacken is not the same anymore, is more of a brand now. Greetings from Norway :)