Wacken 2021 has been cancelled

This year’s Wacken Open Air festival has been cancelled.

Organisers have been forced to postpone the German festival for the second year running due to ongoing restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Wacken was due to take place in July, with Slipknot, Judas Priest and Amon Amarth headlining. It will now take place in August 2022.

In an official statement, the festival organisers say: “It is with a heavy heart that we have decided that Wacken Open Air cannot take place at the end of July this year. We therefore postpone the festival to 04.08. – 06.08.2022.

“This decision was anything but easy for us, also because we know that you are already in the middle of the preparations and planning. Like we are, too.”

The statement goes on to explain that plans to re-open live events in the Schleswig-Holstein state, where the festival takes place, will “not arrive in time” for the festival to go ahead.

“As always, the safety and health of everyone involved in the festival - fans, crew, artists and all residents of Wacken and the region - has absolute priority.”

However, the organisers added they were looking at the possibility of staging a different, unspecified event later in 2021.

“We can now reveal that we are currently working with the authorities to explore an idea for a new event in September 2021, to help with the restart of live music. Keep your fingers crossed for both of us so that the development will continue to be positive - stay tuned for more information and further news!”

Wacken is just the latest UK and European festival to be postponed or cancelled in 2021. Download, Hellfest and Glastonbury are all, though Bloodstock and the Reading and Leeds festivals are still scheduled to go ahead.