Wacken Open Air Festival

Wacken is a small village tucked away in the north of Germany surrounded by green fields and cute cottages. However, pay this sleepy town a visit at the end of August and it’s bye bye quiet farmland and hello mud-covered, chain wearing, metal heads. Wacken Open Air Festival brings in some of the top names in music for a weekend of non-stop screaming, stomping, and rocking that transforms this idyllic town into a heavy metal hub. What started in 1990 as a small event for local bands, has evolved into one of the largest heavy metals festivals in the world with fans battling the sludge and smell with what they call the essential ‘beer jacket.' If you're heading there, we suggest acquiring one.