Wacken Open Air goes Reeperbahn Festival 2026!

Wacken – Hamburg – Reeperbahn! From 16 to 19 September 2026, the international music industry will gather at Reeperbahn Festival – and Wacken Open Air will be right in the middle of it. As the world’s biggest metal festival, Wacken is bringing its energy, its network and, above all, the next generation of international metal acts to Hamburg.

Wacken and the Reeperbahn share more than Hamburg’s geographical proximity to Schleswig-Holstein. Both stand for a music scene that thinks without borders, discovers new artists and builds networks. While W:O:A brings fans and bands from all over the world to a small village in the north every year, Reeperbahn Festival turns Hamburg into an international meeting point for music for four days.

On Thursday, 17 September, Wacken Open Air will take over Bahnhof Pauli with its own showcase, presenting four promising acts from Germany and Hungary. In doing so, W:O:A brings together its role as an international talent incubator and hub for a young, dynamic and globally connected music community. Right in the heart of Hamburg, this idea continues on the Reeperbahn: Faster, Harder, Louder!

The night before, on 16 September, Wacken Open Air will be part of the Morecore Music Awards at Uebel & Gefährlich, presenting the “Best German Band” category. The award will be presented by W:O:A founder Thomas Jensen and Seven Blood singer Azaria Nasiri, who will also perform at the W:O:A reception.

“Wacken Open Air has long been more than a festival week in summer. We are an international platform for metal, for artists and for the next generation who want to write their own story. For years, Wacken Metal Battle has shown just how much potential there is in young bands from all over the world. We are now bringing this network and this energy to the Reeperbahn!”

Thomas Jensen, Founder of Wacken Open Air

“Reeperbahn Festival is a place where the music industry comes together from all over the world, new connections are made and everyone finds their place. Metal is naturally an integral part of this international music landscape, with its focus on talent development, international networking and the unique power of live music. See you in Hamburg!”

Holger Hübner, Founder of Wacken Open Air

WACKEN OPEN AIR RECEPTION & SHOWCASE

Thursday, 17 September 2026 – Bahnhof Pauli, Hamburg

The evening begins at 5:00 pm with an exclusive networking reception for invited guests. The focus is not only on the music, but also on direct exchange – true to the motto Meet the Wacken Crew. The team from Booking, Management, Production, Marketing and International will be present throughout the evening.

The evening will once again bring together bands, management, agencies, promoters and international music industry representatives to connect and look towards the next generation of metal.

From 7:00 pm, the stage will belong to four acts representing the diversity and international spirit of today’s metal scene:

7:00–8:00pm SEERS OF LIGHT

Melodic Progressive Metal - Budapest, Hungary

The sextet from Budapest combines atmospheric melodies, heavy riffs and powerful vocals. As the winners of the Hungarian Wacken Metal Battle, Seers Of Light placed fifth in the international final in 2026.

8:30–9:30pm GRELL

Rapcore / Crossover - Neumünster, Germany

Founded just 30 kilometers from Wacken, Grell combine German-language rap with heavy guitars and crossover. After more than 100 shows and numerous competition successes, their debut EP WIR MACHEN WAS WIR WOLLEN was released in 2025.

10:00–11:00pm SEVEN BLOOD

Modern Metal / Metalcore · Berlin, Germany

Seven Blood stand for modern, riff-driven metalcore with influences ranging from Architects to Paramore. The Berlin-based band has already toured with Future Palace and Ankor and played festivals including Summer Breeze and Full Metal Cruise. Their debut album was released in 2025.

11:30pm–00:30am WISBORG

Gothic Rock / Alternative - Germany

Wisborg combine gothic and alternative rock with influences from the 1990s. Since 2017, the band has established itself as a fixture of the German gothic scene and has already performed at M’era Luna, Amphi Festival, Wave-Gotik-Treffen and Plage Noire.

EVENT-OVERVIEW

Reeperbahn Festival 2026

September 16.–19. 2026 · Hamburg

Morecore Music Awards

Wednesday, September 16 · Uebel & Gefährlich

Wacken Open Air presents: Best German Band

Wacken Open Air Reception & Showcase

Thursday, September 17 · 5:00pm–0:30am

Bahnhof Pauli, Spielbudenplatz 21–22, 20359 Hamburg

Networking Reception

Thursday, September 17 · 5:00–7:00pm - invitation only