Rain and mud dampen world's top heavy metal festival in Germany
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Visitors of the Wacken Open Air are fighting against the mud on the festival ground on Aug 1, 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
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WACKEN, Schleswig-Holstein – Driving rain, rivers of mud and traffic jams in northern Germany led organisers of Wacken Open Air, billed as the world’s biggest heavy metal festival, to ask fans on Tuesday to stay away.
The annual outdoor event known as W:O:A is set to kick off on Wednesday, with 85,000 headbangers due to descend on a venue of farmland and cow pastures to hear 150 bands on eight stages over four days.
Although often a muddy affair, Wacken is facing severe accessibility problems this year, prompting the promoters and police to tell anyone who has not already arrived at the showgrounds to turn back.
“The persistently difficult weather situation with rain quantities of around 40 litres per square metre in the last 24 hours and the resulting condition of the campgrounds, fairgrounds and access routes means that the area could not be made ready in time,” W:O:A said.
“We apologise profusely to all metalheads for the delay in providing information.”
Organisers of the sold-out festival said weather forecasts indicated the downpours would continue, with electrical storms possible, leading them to take precautionary measures without calling off the event entirely.
“We are making decisions hour by hour and ask for your understanding in this extremely difficult situation,” they said. “You would help us most now by staying home.”
It was not immediately clear how many visitors were already on site, but chaotic parking conditions were leading security staff to use tractors to move vehicles that were obstructing access.
Media reports said most of the camping areas around the fairgrounds were nearly full and the paths among them a muddy mess while roads were blocked by traffic backed up for several kilometres.
Bands including Britain’s Iron Maiden, US thrash metal act Megadeth and folk punk group Dropkick Murphys are among the headliners.
On Wednesday, some of the ashes of Motorhead lead singer Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, who died in 2015, were due to be taken to the W:O:A fairground as part of an “unforgettable act” in his memory. AFP
