Festival window
Priority tiers
Headliners
- Def Leppard
- Judas PriestTier 1
- Powerwolf
- Sabaton
Tier 1 must see
- LovebitesO2 M&G Aug 3
- Arch EnemyLauren Hart era
- Broken By The ScreamDome M&G Aug 2
- Yngwie Malmsteen
- Judas Priest
Tier 2 high interest
- Scorpions Virgin Killer RebornNew
- Saxon
- Europe
- SavatageFL band
- Black Label Society
- Lamb of God
- In Flames
- Running WildFarewell
- SepulturaLast DE
- Emperor
- Uli Jon RothScorpions 50
- Animals As Leaders
- Hatebreed
- Crimson Glory
- Thundermother
- Lacuna CoilNew
Metal Battle 2026 — national winners watch
Wacken Metal Battle pits one band from each participating country in a Headbangers Stage tournament during the festival. Confirmed national champions get a Wacken slot. Tracking the US closely because Kevin attended the US National Final on June 13 in San Diego.
| Day | Time | Country | Band | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed Jul 29 | 11:25-12:05 | USA | GANNONDORF (San Diego, avant-garde black metal) - opens the tournament | Headbangers |
| Wed Jul 29 | 11:50-12:10 | Cyprus | Speak In Whispers | W:E:T |
| Wed Jul 29 | 12:15-12:35 | Canada | BornBroken | Headbangers |
| Wed Jul 29 | 12:40-13:00 | Greece | I.See.Red | W:E:T |
| Wed Jul 29 | 13:30-13:50 | Sweden | Goodnight Greatness | W:E:T |
| Wed Jul 29 | 14:20-14:40 | Austria | The Crescent's Call | W:E:T |
| Wed Jul 29 | 15:50-16:10 | France | Ashed Winter | Headbangers |
| Wed Jul 29 | 16:15-16:35 | Lithuania | SINAMORT | W:E:T |
| Wed Jul 29 | 16:40-17:00 | Luxembourg | BLANKET HILL | Headbangers |
| Wed Jul 29 | 17:05-17:25 | Italy | DEFLAG | W:E:T |
| Wed Jul 29 | 17:55-18:35 | Finland | TBA (final June 19) | Headbangers |
| Wed Jul 29 | 18:20-18:40 | Mexico | Elchivo | W:E:T |
| Wed Jul 29 | 19:10-19:30 | Latvia | MORPHIDE | W:E:T |
| Wed Jul 29 | 19:35-19:55 | Iceland | SOT | Headbangers |
| Thu Jul 30 | 11:00-11:20 | Croatia | E.N.D. | W:E:T |
| Thu Jul 30 | 11:25-11:45 | Netherlands | Novelization | Headbangers |
| Thu Jul 30 | 11:50-12:10 | Malta | HAINE | W:E:T |
| Thu Jul 30 | 12:15-12:35 | Slovakia | GAGOR | W:E:T |
| Thu Jul 30 | 13:05-13:25 | Chile | FORCE | Headbangers |
| Thu Jul 30 | 13:30-14:10 | Philippines | TBA | W:E:T |
| Thu Jul 30 | 13:55-14:15 | India | Midhaven | Headbangers |
| Thu Jul 30 | 14:20-14:40 | Japan | Given By The Flames (gothic metalcore) | Headbangers |
| Thu Jul 30 | 14:45-15:05 | El Salvador | GIDORA | W:E:T |
Source: wacken.com running order and metal-battle.com 2026 grid. Unlabeled Headbangers slots (Seers of Light, Human Nebula, Dead Memories, Witchlords, Invasion, Death Row, Days of Ruin) are likely additional national entries whose country tags will be confirmed as remaining national finals wrap up. The international Metal Battle final rounds run Wednesday and Thursday on the Headbangers Stage. About 30 national champions compete for the worldwide title.
The Music Cities Challenge
Built from the first running order published May 20, 2026. Set times are subject to change. Slots flagged for you are priority tier bands. Times in 24 hour. Stage in parentheses.
Headliner Tier 1 must see Tier 2 high interest Open block, discovery or rest
WEDNESDAY JULY 29
12:00-13:00
Broken By The Scream
Tier 1. Day 1 noon slot on Louder. Metal Blade signing this year and the M&G is confirmed at The Dome on Aug 2 — this is the festival warm-up for that. Get to the rail — narrow set.
16:00-17:00
Lovebites
Tier 1. Day 1 opener on the Faster main stage — get to the rail early. Festival set ahead of the O2 show. LOVEBITES also plays a FREE warm-up at Free & Easy Festival in Munich on Mon Jul 27.
21:00-22:30
Lacuna Coil
Tier 2, newly added. No conflict with anything else you want.
22:45-00:00
Rose Tattoo
Optional. Starts as Lacuna Coil ends, slight overlap on the tail. Easy walk if you want both.
Open
Discovery windows
Visions of Atlantis 13:30, Thundermother 15:15 and The Gathering 18:45 on Louder are worth catching between anchors. Kadavar 21:15 on Headbangers if you skip Lacuna Coil.
THURSDAY JULY 30
16:15-17:30
Uli Jon Roth
Tier 2. The Scorpions Virgin Killer Reborn 50th anniversary set with special guests. This is your Scorpions content.
17:30-18:45
Yngwie Malmsteen
Tier 1. See conflict note below — the handoff from Roth is tight.
19:00-20:15
Europe
Tier 2. Clean slot right after Yngwie.
20:30-22:00
Savatage
Tier 2, Florida band. Overlaps only the tail of Europe.
22:15-00:00
Def Leppard
Headliner. Day 2 closer. Clean, starts after Savatage.
Conflict - Uli Jon Roth vs Yngwie Malmsteen
Roth 16:15-17:30 (Harder) into Yngwie 17:30-18:45 (Faster). Back to back with zero gap and a stage change.
Pick: see both. Watch Roth from stage right near the Faster side exit, leave at 17:20, walk to Faster. You lose Roth's last song and Yngwie's intro. If you only pick one, take Yngwie — he's your Tier 1. Roth's set repeats thematically through the Scorpions material you can catch elsewhere.
FRIDAY JULY 31 - the heavy day
17:00-18:15
Black Label Society
Tier 2. Ends as Saxon starts, slight tail overlap.
18:15-19:30
Saxon
Tier 2. Walk over after BLS.
19:45-21:15
In Flames
Tier 2. Conflicts with Hatebreed, see note.
21:30-23:00
Judas Priest
Headliner and Tier 1. Starts right as In Flames ends. Clean handoff, this is the must see of the night.
23:15-00:45
Running Wild
Tier 2, farewell, last show ever. Overlaps Priest's final 45 minutes. See note.
01:00-02:15
Sepultura
Tier 2, last German festival show. Clean, after Running Wild.
Conflict - In Flames vs Hatebreed
In Flames 19:45-21:15 (Faster) overlaps Hatebreed 19:00-20:15 (Louder).
Pick: In Flames. Both are Tier 2 but In Flames is on the path to Priest and the bigger set. Catch the first 30 minutes of Hatebreed then move to Faster, you only miss In Flames' opening two songs.
Conflict - Judas Priest tail vs Running Wild farewell
Priest 21:30-23:00 (Harder), Running Wild 23:15-00:45 (Faster). Running Wild starts 15 minutes after Priest ends, so no real overlap. The tension is energy and stamina, not time.
Pick: full Priest, then full Running Wild, then Sepultura. It works on paper. This is a three headliner night ending at 02:15. Eat and hydrate before 21:00 because there is no break after.
SATURDAY AUGUST 1 - final day
16:15-17:45
Lamb of God
Tier 2. Clean afternoon slot.
19:00-20:30
Arch Enemy
Tier 1. Lauren Hart era, Leadership episode thesis. No conflict, this is a clean must see.
20:45-22:30
Powerwolf
Headliner. Starts right as Arch Enemy ends. Clean handoff, walk from Harder to Faster.
23:00-00:45
Sabaton
Headliner. Festival closer. Starts after Powerwolf ends, clean.
Open
Discovery windows
Crimson Glory 14:00 on Headbangers is the one Tier 2 you might still catch earlier in the day. Triptykon 22:45 on Louder overlaps Powerwolf, skip it, you have a M&G slot with them instead.
Saturday is the cleanest day. Arch Enemy into Powerwolf into Sabaton is three straight headline grade sets with zero conflicts. No hard choices.
Summary of hard choices: Thursday Roth into Yngwie is the only true clash and it is solvable by leaving Roth early. Friday In Flames vs Hatebreed split the first half hour. Everything else chains cleanly. Your four headliners are all catchable in full. All five Tier 1 bands are catchable in full.
Meet and greet schedule
| Band | Day | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mantar | TBA | TBA | wacken.com |
| Triptykon | TBA | TBA | wacken.com |
Wacken meet and greets are free at the M&G stalls inside the infield, on the left side of the Faster stage. Saturday Wacken Watch report tracks new announcements. Every priority band is on the watch list.
Site Map
Wacken 2026 has published their 2025 festival maps as our stand-in — WOA confirmed the 2026 stage footprint is substantially identical, with the new 10,000m² floor panel covering in front of Faster/Harder as the visible 2026 change. The official 2026 site map typically drops in mid-July; we'll swap when it lands.
Overall grounds
Infield detail (stage area)
Stage-adjacency notes
- Faster ↔ Harder — twin main stages, ~30 seconds walk. Roth (Thu 16:15) → Yngwie (Thu 17:30) is Harder → Faster; easy. In Flames (Fri 19:45) → Priest (Fri 21:30) is Faster → Harder; easy.
- Harder ↔ Louder — ~5 min walk across Wacken Center.
- Louder ↔ Bullhead City stages (W:E:T, Headbangers) — ~10 min walk. Metal Battle tournament plays Headbangers stage.
- M&G stalls — inside the Infield, left side of the Faster stage.
Maps © WOA Festival GmbH — reproduced from wacken.com festival map announcement. Further reference: wacken.com/info/the-areas and the W:O:A iOS app / Android app.
Photo Albums
Shots from the pit, on our Pinterest — more boards land as we post them.
Playlists
Full lineup confirmed
Show full alphabetical roster (~140 bands)
Def Leppard
Judas Priest
Powerwolf
Sabaton
5th Avenue
9mm Headshot
Ad Infinitum
Airbourne
Alcest
Alestorm
Alfahanne
Alien Ant Farm
Alien Rockin Explosion
Allt
Anaal Nathrakh
Animals As Leaders
Angelus Apatrida
Any Given Day
Arch Enemy
Arroganz
Asrock
Battlecreek
Bear McCreary
Blaas Of Glory
Black Label Society
Black Tish
Bleed From Within
Blood Command
Blood Fire Death
Blood Red Throne
Broken By The Scream
Brunhilde
Castle Rat
Chaosbay
Corrosion Of Conformity
Craft
Crematory
Crimson Glory
Cruachan
Crypt Sermon
Cursed Abyss
Danko Jones
Deafheaven
Diabolisches Werk
Dieter Birr
Dirty Shirt
Divlje Jagode
Dritte Wahl
Dubioza Kolektiv
Einherjer
Electric Bassboy
Elakelainen
Emperor
Employed To Serve
Europe
Evil Jared X Krogi
Expellow
Faun
Finsterforst
Firespawn
Fit For An Autopsy
Focus
Future Palace
Grand Magus
Guilt Trip
Gutalax
H-Blockx
Hatebreed
Hamatom
Heartless Human Harvest
Heavysaurus
In Flames
Insanity Alert
Kadavar
Karbholz
Kupfergold
Lacuna Coil
Lamb of God
Lovebites
Luna Kills
Mambo Kurt
Manntra
Mantar
Maschine
Metaklapa
Minotaurus
Mr Hurley und Die Pulveraffen
Nevermore
Of Mice and Men
Orbit Culture
Paleface Swiss
Paradise Lost
Pig Destroyer
President
Rose Tattoo
Running Wild
Sagenbringer
Savatage
Saviourself
Saxon
Sepultura
Skyline
Stonem
Subway to Sally
Temple Of The Absurd
Ten56
The Gathering
The Hardkiss
The Limit
The Other
Thrown
Thundermother
Trold
Tryptikon
Tuxedoo
Uli Jon Roth
Unzucht
Velvet Rush
Visions of Atlantis
Wacken Firefighters
Wustenberg
Wytch Hazel
Year Of The Goat
Yngwie Malmsteen
Zeltinger Band
Notes
- Nita Strauss will not be at Wacken 2026 due to pregnancy.
- Two Japanese bands confirmed: Lovebites and Broken By The Scream. Validates Two Engine Model thesis. Both are content priorities.
- Both continue straight to London the days after the festival: Broken By The Scream at The Dome (Tufnell Park) on Sunday August 2, Lovebites at O2 Academy Islington on Monday August 3. Wacken and London back-to-back for both bands. Broken By The Scream M&G confirmed at The Dome.
- Broken By The Scream signed to Metal Blade Records in 2026. Major label inflection point, reinforces the Two Engine Model thesis.
- Arch Enemy playing with Lauren Hart replacing Alissa White-Gluz. Connects to Leadership episode thesis where Alissa left two days after that episode launched.
- Scorpions presence is via the Uli Jon Roth Virgin Killer Reborn 50th anniversary show with special guests, not the full current Scorpions touring lineup. Roth confirmed he will play Virgin Killer in full for the first time ever.
- Judas Priest Faithkeepers Tour extended to 28 dates across 15 countries, Wacken July 31 included. Ian Hill confirmed studio work on 20th album.
- Sepultura Wacken set confirmed as their last German show. Final European date is Dublin August 9.
- Running Wild Wacken set still billed as their final-ever show.
- Def Leppard released a Greatest Hits compilation June 12, 2026 (standard black and blood-red marbled vinyl with 2026 tour artwork) plus standalone single "Rejoice".
- Judas Priest released "The Best Of Judas Priest" compilation in June 2026. Faithkeepers tour intact, Wacken July 31 set unchanged.
- Sabaton announced Grand Swedish Arena Tour 2027 on June 12, tickets went on sale June 15. Wacken closing-headliner slot August 1 unchanged.
- Gannondorf, the US Metal Battle 2026 champion, is a San Diego avant-garde black metal band. They won June 13 at Brick By Brick taking both judges and crowd. Kevin attended. They open the international Metal Battle tournament on the Headbangers Stage Wednesday July 29 at 11:25.
