Wacken Open Air adds extra arrival day for 2024
German metal festival Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) is introducing an extra arrival day for campers in 2024 in a bid to help avoid a repeat of the scenes that marred this year’s festival.
Promoter International Concert Service was forced to run the 85,000-cap event at a reduced capacity back in August after the festival site was hit by rain and thunderstorms in the days leading up to it, leaving the camping areas “impassable”.
Around 61,000 people entered the site before no further admissions were allowed, meaning close to 25,000 ticket-holders were denied entry.
“We had to leave a third of our family standing in front of the door. That was almost emotionally unbearable.” says the Superstruct-backed event’s co-founder Thomas Jensen.
In a message to fans, W:O:A says: “In 2024, we want to do everything we can to avoid a similar situation.
“What many of you have wanted for a long time, we will implement next year: we will open some camping areas on Sunday, 28th of July 2024 from 8am, including Bauer Uwes Garten, Camper-Park and of course the heart of our camping areas, the W:O:A Campground.”
“Our team have developed a system that’ll allow us even more precise planning and can help to optimise the traffic situation for everyone”
It will mark the first time a limited number of access passes, priced €66.60 per vehicle, will be made available for the Sunday before the festival – meaning areas of the campsite will be open for a whole week.
People arriving by car must register online in advance for an exact day of arrival, with a welcome party for early arrivals to be hosted by Wacken boss Holger Hübner, aka DJ Hübi.
“In order to be best prepared for the upcoming edition, we and our team have developed a system that’ll allow us even more precise planning and can help to optimise the traffic situation for everyone,” says Jensen. “We would therefore like to thank the metalheads in advance for their support in this matter with their pre-registration – and look forward to spending a whole week on the field with some of them,”
Artists announced for next year’s event, which runs from 31 July to 3 August, include Scorpions, Amon Amorth and In Extremo. All tickets sold out in just four-and-a-half hours. Ticket-holders denied entry this year were given first refusal to buy tickets for Wacken 2024.
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Wacken rebounds to sell out 2024 in record time
Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) has rebounded from this year’s weather-related struggles to sell out next year’s festival in record time.
All 85,000 tickets were snapped up in just four-and-a-half hours yesterday evening, smashing the existing record of six hours set for 2023’s event.
Artists including Scorpions, Amon Amorth and In Extremo are already confirmed for W:O:A 2024, which will take place under the Witches & Warlocks banner from 31 July to 3 August.
The news provides a boost for organiser International Concert Service, which was forced to run last week’s festival at a significantly reduced capacity after the site was hit by rain and thunderstorms in the days leading up to it, leaving the camping areas “impassable”.
The 32nd edition of the German metal institution concluded over the weekend, having welcomed the likes of Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Dropkick Murphys, Wardruna, Beartooth, Ensiferum and Pentagram.
Revised numbers indicate that 61,000 people entered the site before no further admissions were allowed (initial police reports put the figure at around 50,000), meaning close to 25,000 legitimate ticket-holders were denied entry. Those fans were given first refusal to buy tickets for next year’s Wacken, priced €333.
“We are more than grateful and humbled for your trust,” says a message from promoters. “Especially after the difficult start of the festival this summer, where a part of our metal family couldn’t celebrate with us, we really appreciate that the community stands by us and sticks together. The fact that all 85,000 tickets are gone is simply amazing!”
Festival co-founder Thomas Jensen estimates the revenue shortfall caused by the capacity reduction to be in excess of €7 million
With tickets for 2023 costing €299, the Superstruct-backed festival’s co-founder Thomas Jensen estimates the revenue shortfall caused by the capacity reduction to be in excess of €7 million.
“It’s a third of our income: 23,500 x 299, and then you get pretty close somewhere,” Jensen tells Watson.
Weather conditions have continued to blight Europe’s festival season. The final day of Slovenia’s MetalDays was scrapped on Friday (4 August) due to torrential rain and flash flooding in the area, which prompted the authorities to issue a state of emergency. The death toll has since climbed to six, prompting prime minister Robert Golob to describe the situation as the country’s worst natural disaster since gaining independence three decades ago.
Elsewhere, Depeche Mode’s scheduled Live Nation Finland-promoted concert at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki tomorrow night (8 August) has been cancelled due to forecasted severe weather conditions.
“The health and safety of our fans, crew, and everyone working at the site are our number one priority, and we have been advised by Tukes (the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency) and the local fire department that it could be unsafe to proceed given the forecasted weather conditions,” says a representative for the band.
Other outdoor music events to be disrupted by adverse weather conditions this summer include Pitchfork (US), Bluedot (UK), Primavera (Spain), Dutch festivals Awakenings, Bospop and Wildeburg, Alexandra Palace’s Kaleidoscope Festival and Robbie Williams’ concert in Austria.
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Wacken allows no further admission due to weather
Around 35,000 ticket-holders are believed to have been denied entry to this year’s Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) after organisers allowed no further admission due to adverse weather conditions.
The 32nd edition of the German metal festival kicked off today (2 August) and is set to run until Saturday, but the site has been hit by rain and thunderstorms in the run-up to the event, leaving the camping areas “impassable”.
Promoter International Concert Service (ICS) advised fans travelling to the event yesterday to temporarily stop their journeys and find a suitable waiting spot, with “massive rain and possible thunderstorms” forecast, but has since permitted no further entry.
“Due to the weather, the acceptable number of visitors for the Wacken Open Air 2023 was reached,” says a statement from ICS. “Any further arrival must be stopped and cancelled immediately. This decision has been made for the first time in the history of the W:O:A. We are very sad, but unfortunately the persistently difficult weather conditions leave us no other choice.”
According to SRF, police say that around 50,000 people had gained admission to the 85,000-cap festival before the ban on additional visitors was imposed. The expanded four-day event sold out in a record six hours when tickets went on sale for its 2023 event last year.
“Despite all our efforts, we had to announce the final admission stop for Wacken Open Air 2023 early this morning, caused by the ongoing weather situation and the effect on the festival grounds,” elaborates ICS in a message to fans on Instagram.
“All ticket holders who were unable to enter the festival will receive a full refund of the ticket price”
“All ticket holders who were unable to enter the festival will receive a full refund of the ticket price,” it continues. “Information regarding all further available products will follow as soon as we get them. Full information about the refund process – including when fans can expect to receive funds – will be sent to you shortly.
“We know that many of you have made huge efforts to attend Wacken 2023 and went on a long journey to come to the festival. We wanted nothing more than to celebrate with every single one of you 85,000 metalheads here on our holy ground. But in the ongoing challenging conditions, we have reached the maximum number of visitors we are able to accommodate this year.”
Organisers say they will “do our best to deliver a full programme” for those who made it through the gates, with acts such as Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Dropkick Murphys, Wardruna, Beartooth, Ensiferum, Pentagram, Jinjer, Nervosa, Deicide, Burning Witches and Two Steps From Hell lined up to perform.
Today’s opening day is also scheduled to feature a ceremony for the late Lemmy, led by Motörhead bandmates Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee, which will see the rock legend’s ashes “find a new home in Wacken” as part of the “Lemmy Forever” weekend celebrations.
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Rainstorms halt entry for Wacken festivalgoers
Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) organisers have halted entry to the festival as a result of “persistently difficult weather conditions”, just a day before the event is due to begin.
The 32nd edition of the 80,000-cap German metal institution is set to run from 2-5 August with acts such as Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Dropkick Murphys, Wardruna, Beartooth, Ensiferum, Pentagram, Jinjer, Nervosa, Deicide, Burning Witches and Two Steps From Hell on the bill.
“Bad weather sometimes happens at festivals. Rain or shine. But rarely to this extent,” said yesterday’s (31 July) statement from promoter International Concert Service (ICS), which added that the camping areas were “impassable” and advised fans travelling to the event to stop their journeys and find a suitable waiting spot until conditions improved.
However, the restrictions remain in place a day later, with ticket-holders are asked to “refrain from further journeys to Wacken” and wait for updates amid the “extraordinary situation”.
“We are in constant, cooperative exchange with all relevant authorities and responsible persons in order to continue to ensure the safety of fans, employees and all people in the region,” says the latest message from organisers. “Due to the persistently difficult weather conditions with rainfall amounts of approximately 40 litres per square meter in the last 24 hours, and the resulting condition of the camping areas, event areas and the access roads, the areas could not be filled at a sufficient speed.
“Unfortunately, according to the meteorologists present on site, massive rain and possible thunderstorms are still to be expected at any time and on a continuing basis”
“Unfortunately, according to the meteorologists present on site, massive rain and possible thunderstorms are still to be expected at any time and on a continuing basis. Currently, we are working off the vehicles that are still temporarily parked in traffic jams or on external and private areas. We have to tow each vehicle individually to the targeted parking space with a tractor, which takes a lot of time for every single vehicle. All tractors are in continuous use day and night on all areas.
“We decide from hour to hour and ask for your understanding for this extremely difficult situation. You support us the most if you stay at home now.”
Superstruct Entertainment added W:O:A to its stable of European festivals in 2019 after investing in Germany’s ICS. The expanded four-day festival sold out in a record six hours when tickets went on sale for its 2023 event last year.
Tomorrow’s opening day is scheduled to feature a ceremony for the late Lemmy, led by Motörhead bandmates Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee, which will see the rock legend’s ashes “find a new home in Wacken” as part of the “Lemmy Forever” weekend celebrations.
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Wacken Foundation unveils corona rescue fund
The Wacken Foundation, a non-profit organisation run by Wacken Open Air founders Holger Hübner and Thomas Jensen, is providing aid of up to €1,000 to support musicians, bands and organisers struggling with the impact of the Covid-19 shutdown.
The foundation, which forms part of Hübner and Jensen’s International Concert Service (ICS) network, announced its corona rescue fund today (14 May), as the music industry is facing “one of its biggest challenges to date”.
Applicants are eligible for funding if they have incurred financial losses due to cancelled tours or shows; have incurred additional travel costs because of cancellations; have incurred losses due to short-term cancellations as an organiser or crew member of a heavy metal event; or are unable to cover the cost of a rehearsal room, among other reasons.
The Wacken Foundation is providing aid of up to €1,000 to support those struggling with the impact of the Covid-19 shutdown
Applications must be sent to [email protected], with a description of the applicant’s circumstances and a calculation of costs.The Wacken Foundation team state they will “approve every single application personally”.
Regular applicants, who applied for funding before the coronavirus crisis took hold, are asked to have “extra patience” during this time.
More information on the Wacken Foundation fund can be found here.
Wacken Open Air, which sold out its 2020 edition in under 24 hours, is among the many festivals to have to cancel its outing this summer, as large-scale live events remain outlawed in Germany until September.
This article forms part of IQ’s Covid-19 resource centre – a knowledge hub of essential guidance and updating resources for uncertain times.
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Festival Fever: more line-up announcements for 2020
Continuing the series of 2020 line-up announcements, IQ rounds up line-ups from US festivals Coachella and Bonnaroo, and European events Wacken Open Air, Pinkpop, Melt! and Pohoda.
(See the previous edition of Festival Fever here.)
Wacken Open Air
When: 30 July to 1 August
Where: Wacken, Germany
How many: 75,000
Leading metal event Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) sold all 75,000 tickets for its 2020 edition in under 24 hours. Slipknot, Amon Amarth, Judas Priest and Mercyful Fate are among those playing the 2020 event.
Speaking to IQ for a special 30th anniversary feature last year, W:O:A co-founder Thomas Jensen said the event was “kind of a home for a dedicated group of people”. Jensen and fellow Wacken co-founder Holger Hübner are to receive the lifetime acheivement gong at this year’s European Festival Awards.
Jensen and Hübner’s International Concert Service (ICS), which includes a roster of other hard rock festivals, a touring division, a booking agency (Seaside Touring), ticketing platform Metaltix and the nonprofit Wacken Foundation, received investment from James Barton-led Superstruct Entertainment last year.
Fans can sign up to the waiting list for Wacken 2020 tickets here.
W:O:A sold all 75,000 tickets for its 2020 edition in under 24 hours
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
When: 10 to 12, 17 to 19 April
Where: Empire Polo Club, California, USA
How many: 125,000
AEG/Goldenvoice-promoted mega festival Coachella is returning to the Californian desert for two consecutive weekends in April, marking the start to the international festival season.
Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean are headlining the event, alongside performers including Calvin Harris, Thom Yorke, Lana Del Rey and Flume.
Coachella 2019 saw headline performances from Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino and Tame Impala. Last year’s festival also saw the introduction of a new, AR-enabled stage.
Tickets for both Coachella weekends are now sold out. Fans can join the waiting list for tickets here.
Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean are headlining the 2020 event
Pinkpop
When: 19 to 21 June
Where: Megaland, Landgraaf, the Netherlands
How many: 60,000
Pinkpop, promoted by Buro Pinkpop in partnership with Mojo Concerts, last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, with founder Jan Smeets receiving a special commemorative coin to mark his achievements.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone and Guns N’ Roses are headlining Pinkpop for its 51st edition, which also features performances from Twenty One Pilots, Rag’n’Bone Man, Anderson Paak, Nothing But Thieves and Keane.
Artists including Fleetwood Mac, Mumford and Sons and the Cure played the festival’s anniversary event last year.
Tickets for Pinkpop 2020 are available here, priced at €230 (£195) for a three-day pass.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone and Guns N’ Roses are headlining Pinkpop for its 51st edition
Pohoda
When: 9 to 11 July
Where: Trenčín Airport, Slovakia
How many: 30,000
Pohoda, Slovakia’s biggest music festival, will this year welcome acts including Stormzy, the Libertines, Metronomy, Thom Yorke, Wolf Alice and Floating Points.
The festival, which has sold out for the past two years, won the Take a Stand Award at last year’s European Festival Awards for its commitment to peace and tolerance, with festival director Michal Kaščák winning the prize for excellence and passion.
Pohoda, which means ‘peace’ in English, is nominated for the best medium festival award, line-up of the year and the health and safety innovation award at the upcoming European Festival Awards 2019, taking place on 15 January at Eurosonic Noorderslag in Groningen, the Netherlands.
Tickets for Pohoda 2020 are available here, with a three-day festival ticket priced at €109 (£93).
Pohoda, Slovakia’s biggest music festival, will this year welcome acts including Stormzy, the Libertines and Metronomy
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
When: 11 to 14 June
Where: Great Stage Park, Tennessee, USA
How many: 20,000
Tool, Lizzo and Tame Impala are headlining Bonnaroo, in the festival’s first year under full Live Nation ownership.
Other announced acts include Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Vampire Weekend, the 1975, Flume and Bassnectar.
Live Nation, which had a controlling interest in the festival since 2015, acquired the remaining stake from the event’s co-founder Superfly last year. Fellow co-founder AC Entertainment continues to promote the event alongside Live Nation and C3 Presents.
Tickets for Bonnaroo 2020 are available here, with prices ranging from US$329 (£251) for general admission to $3,275 (£2,502) for a platinum pass.
Tool, Lizzo and Tame Impala are headlining Bonnaroo, in the festival’s first year under full Live Nation ownership
Melt!
When: 17 to 19 July
Where: Ferropolis, Gräfenhainichen, Germany
How many: 20,000
Melt! Festival, one of the biggest open-air electronic music events in Germany, this year features sets from Bicep, Floating Points, DJ Stingray, Marcel Dettman, Nina Kraviz and Helena Hauff, as well as performances from Burna Boy, Little Simz and Woodkid.
Taking place at Ferropolis –‘the city of iron’ –, a former open-cast mine complete with enormous, decommissioned industrial machines, Melt! Last year featured acts including Bon Iver, Skepta, Jorja Smith, Asap Rocky, Four Tet and Solomun.
Melt! Festival creative director Florian Czok, who also works as an agent at Berlin’s Melt! Booking, was named as one of IQ’s 2019 New Bosses.
Tickets for Melt! 2020 are available here, priced at €124.95 (£106).
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Superstruct buys into Wacken promoter ICS
Superstruct Entertainment has invested in Germany’s International Concert Service (ICS), adding leading metal event Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) to its stable of European festivals.
The Superstruct-ICS deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is structured as an “investment and partnership agreement”, in which each company invests in the other, according to Superstruct. The company has similar arrangements with Norway’s Øya Festival, acquired last August, and, more recently, Next Events, the company behind German hip-hop festival Parookaville.
In addition to W:O:A, its flagship festival, ICS produces and promotes ancillary events including Hamburg Metal Dayz, Wacken Winter Nights and motorsports and music festival Werner Race.
ICS founders Holger Hübner and Thomas Jensen, and the current leadership team, will remain in place after the transaction (the terms of which were not disclosed) closes.
In a joint statement, the pair say: “Joining the Superstruct network is terrific news for our team and our fans. We will continue providing world-class experiences through our portfolio of live events, and now we are able to additionally benefit from a partner with a global network and experience. This will help us grow further and make what we do even better.
“We are very excited to join forces with ICS, the global leaders in metal”
“We very much look forward to working with the Superstruct team to continue pushing the envelope. Our goal is always to inspire and enthuse heavy metal fans around the world and to make people happy with our live activities.”
All 75,000 tickets for Wacken Open Air 2020 sold out in just 21 hours, following a successful 30th-anniversary event with Slayer, Sabaton and Prophets of Rage this summer.
James Barton, CEO of Superstruct, says: “We are very excited to join forces with ICS, the global leaders in metal. Led by Holger and Thomas, and supported by an experienced team overseeing a portfolio of quality events, we are confident that together we can continue to expand ICS and take the company and its events to the next level.”
Superstruct Entertainment, backed by private-equity firm Providence Equity Partners, additionally owns and operates Sziget (Hungary), Flow Festival (Finland), Sónar (Spain) and Spanish party promoter Elrow. In addition to next events, its most recent acquisitions are Down the Drain (Northside, Tinderbox) in Denmark and several UK events formerly owned by Global.
Read IQ’s special report on 30 years of Wacken Open Air here.
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Cobra Agency joins forces with ICS, 5B
Newly launched Austrian hard-rock agency Cobra has formed an alliance with US management company 5B and German promoter ICS Festival Service.
“We’re extremely thrilled to announce the partnerships with 5B Artist Management and ICS Festival Service,” says Guenther Beer, who established Cobra Agency in January with fellow former RTN agent Dominik Meyer. “Both of them are absolute leaders in their fields, with 5B managing Slipknot, Stone Sour, Amon Amarth, Megadeth, King Diamond, Behemoth, Kreator, Lamb of God and Trivium, and ICS Festival Service promoting the world’s largest and most famous heavy metal festival, Wacken Open Air, as well as Europe’s biggest metal cruise, Full Metal Cruise.”
While concrete details of the new partnership are still being finalised, Meyer says the joint venture is “going to offer extraordinary opportunities to our clients”.
Cobra’s full roster includes Amaranthe, Amon Amarth, Amorphis, Arch Enemy, Backyard Babies, Battle Beast, Behemoth, Beyond The Black, Blues Pills, Danzig, Eluveitie, Equilibrium, Kreator, Mantar, Me And That Man, Sepultura, Powerwolf, Sabaton, Tesseract, Testament and Watain, all of which it represents throughout Europe.
“We are very much alike: authentic, honest and loud”
“We have known these two successful Austrian guys for quite some time and are happy to be part of this enduring joint venture with our American colleagues,” says Holger Huebner, CEO of ICS Festival Service. “We are very much alike, as we are authentic, honest and loud.”
Justin Arcangel, director of management at 5B, adds: “5B Artist Management is thrilled to announce this new partnership. This alliance is a natural outgrowth of 5B’s core mission: to serve our client roster.
“The Cobra Agency is more than a booking agency. They provide myself and their clients with a wealth of insight with the greatest attention to detail and insight into the European market, and their advice goes into ancillary opportunities that go far beyond the conventional roles of a booking agent.”
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