Let’s start with the Wacken veterans HAMMERFALL. Already in 1997, barely a month after the release of their debut album, Hammerfall rocked our stage for the very first time. (By the way, their application for W:O:A came as an audio cassette.) Meanwhile, Hammerfall have released 10 studio albums, which contain countless big hits. We look forward to the triumphant return of the Power Metal band, which is not without reason considered as the “savior of the traditional metal” since the late 90s. Let the fuck*** hammer fall!

OPETH is (nowadays) dedicated to progressive metal and the band is currently working on a new album! Their latest album “Sorceress” was heavier than it’s predecessors and we can’t wait to find out what they are going to release next. It’s always hard to predict which direction the band is heading for – but the quality is always outstanding.

We continue with QUEENSRYCHE The US American Progressive Metallers have written music history with albums such as “Operation Mindcrime” and “Empire” and they are still running at full speed. The band’s 15th studio album was originally scheduled for 2018, but they recently postponed it to 2019.  EISBRECHER are currently celebrating their 15th anniversary and we are joining the long line of well-wishers! When Alexx and Noel Pix left Megaherz in 2003 to found Eisbrecher, it wasn’t easy to predict how their careers would develop. But in the meantime, it should be clear to everyone that Eisbrecher are here to stay. The current album “Sturmfahrt” reached the top of the German charts not without a reason!

We are also very happy to finally present LIFE OF AGONY in Wacken! The band split several times between their founding in 1989 and today, but from every break, the musicians go out just stronger. The sixth album of the Alternative Metal Band is announced for 2019 and we are looking forward to their Wacken premiere!

Don’t worry if the previous announcements were not hard enough for you, we got you covered: PRIMORDIAL are coming to town! Look forward to fantastic Black / Pagan Metal from Ireland and a band that has been following its own path for more than 25 years now. The new album “Exile Among The Ruins”, released earlier this year, shows again that you can remain yourself and still develop at the same time. 

HAMFERO prevailed in 2012 at the W:O:A Metal Battle against the competition from all over the world and signed a record deal afterwards – and now they are back in Wacken! We are very happy to announce the return of the mighty Death & Doom band which released their new album “Támsins likam” earlier this year. 

Attention, here comes the cult! SWEET are going to visit W:O:A for the first time and they will bring their immortal hits like “Fox on the Run”, “Teenage Rampage” and of course “Ballroom Blitz”. The band appeared for the first time in 1968 and we look forward to their premiere in Wacken. The small foretaste during the Doro concert this year was great, so don’t be shy with your expectations.

AOR is experiencing something like a second spring with THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, especially within the metal community. This is no wonder, since the band draws their staff from such reputable bands as Arch Enemy and Soilwork. If you love bands like Foreigner or Journey, you get some fresh sounds here! 

Australia is already well represented at W:O:A 2019, but let’s add some more: THY ART IS MURDER is also on its way to Wacken! The Deathcore wrecking ball will hit us for the very first time and we look forward to their debut.

THE ADICTS have been active since 1975 – and all founding members are still involved!  The British punk band will play for the first time at Wacken, but they have already rocked pretty much every other stage in Germany during their long career. For the Hanoverian death metal band CRITICAL MESS things are running great currently – they tour with bands like Six Feet Under, they get brilliant reviews for the debut album and a steadily increasing attention of the media and fans. And now they will shred Wacken. Welcome!