Wacken Moves Mini Fests

The organisers of Wacken Open Air have had to move both their new 15,000-capacity “mini festivals” because local authorities in Aurich are concerned about the number of people their events will attract and want to move to a larger site.

“I hope they’re right because their numbers are much bigger than the ones we expected,” Wacken chief Thomas Jensen told Pollstar. He said he’s happy to move because his organisation has a good relationship with the burghers of Aurich and the new site – just outside the town – is bigger and better.

The downside is the new site isn’t available during May, when Wacken Rocks Seaside was scheduled, because it’s further inland and used for farming.

It also means Wacken Rocks South, the twinned event that was slotted to happen in Kreuth over the same May 21-23 weekend, also had to be shifted to Aug. 27-29 because all the artists were booked to appear at both events.

They include Biohazard, D-A-D, Doro, Girlschool, Heaven Shall Burn, Holy Moses, In Extremo, Stratovarius, and Uli Jon Roth.

The main, 65,000-capacity Wacken Open Air, Europe’s biggest metal fest, is July 30 to Aug. 1. The lineup includes Motorhead, Machine Head, In Flames, In Extremo, Bullet For My Valentine, Dragonforce and Heaven Shall Burn.