Wacken Open Air has announced the first confirmed bands for the 2026 edition. The 35th anniversary edition will take place from July 29th to August 1st in Wacken, Germany.

The festival has confirmed 35 artists, most notably Def Leppard, making their Wacken debut, Powerwolf, In Flames , and Savatage. Other bands include Europe, Nevermore, Lamb of God, Emperor, and Triptykon .

Another highlight is Sepultura , who will be playing their last show in Germany, and Running Wild with their farewell concert. The festival will announce more names soon.

Tickets are on sale at the official Wacken website .

READ ALSO: Torture Squad confirmed for Wacken Open Air 2025

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Reporter and photographer covering concerts, reviews, articles, hard news, and interviews. Experience covering concerts, major festivals, and events (over a thousand concerts worldwide). Portfolio includes articles and interviews published in Metal Hammer Portugal, Metal Hammer Spain, The Metal Circus (Spain), Metal Injection (USA), Wikimetal, and other Brazilian culture and entertainment websites. Also known as The Girl Who Collected Records - [email protected]