Wacken Open Air 2021 Sells Out

Wacken turned 30 last year.
Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty Images – Wacken turned 30 last year.
The 30th edition, according to the organizers, was the biggest in history.

Wacken Open Air has a loyal fanbase that usually snatches up all available 75,000 tickets within days of one edition ending. 
Last year, it took fans only 21 hours to buy up all available tickets for what would have been the festival’s 31st edition in 2020, which got canceled for obvious reasons.
Ticket holders had various options regarding their tickets: accepting a voucher for other ICS events, exchanging it for a new ticket for 2021, donating it or getting the money back. 
More than 90% of the visitors exchanged their tickets for the following year. All remaining tickets were given away via waiting lists and a fair lottery procedure. 
No artists for Wacken 2021 have been announced yet.
The promoters announced the sell out ahead of a digital streaming event dubbed Wacken World Wide, July 29-Aug. 1.
Thomas Jensen (left) and Holger Hübner
Pep Bonet – Thomas Jensen (left) and Holger Hübner
Co-founders of Wacken Open Air.

Said Wacken Open Air co-founder Holger Hübner: “We are very happy about the trust our fans show us! We will do everything we can to make Wacken Open Air 2021 an unforgettable event. We will use the additional time given to showcase the festival from its best side!”

He added that the first bands would be announced on Saturday, Aug. 1, on the last day of the online event.
Co-founder Thomas Jensen added: “We know that the current crisis is giving a hard time to many of our fans in terms of short-time work, lacking job opportunities, dismissals and illness in almost all industries. The more we are grateful for the overwhelming support that is being given to us. It does help us to look ahead confidently and greatly motivates us to prepare W:O:A for next year.”
Many of the world’s major festivals have been coming up with replacement events online, some announcing ambitious plans.
Some of Wacken’s mainstay artists, including Sabaton, Blind Guardian, Heaven Shall Burn, In Extremo, Kreator, Hämatom and Beyond The Black, will perform concerts on a mixed-reality stage that will be live streamed.
The live stream will be supplemented by legendary legendary W:O:A concerts including Iron Maiden, In Flames and Arch Enemy.