Def Leppard to Headline Wacken Open Air 2026: Lineup Revealed!
Def Leppard is set to make their debut appearance at the heavy metal festival in Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein in 2026. The announcement was made during the closing night of the Wacken Open Air festival. Alongside Def Leppard, other bands like Powerwolf, In Flames, Savatage, Sepultura, and Running Wild were also revealed to be part of the lineup for the 35th edition of the festival, scheduled to take place from July 29 to August 1, 2026. The announcement was made through a show featuring videos and a drone installation.
The Wacken Open Air festival, which began on Wednesday, saw a full house with 85,000 fans in attendance. Despite the rainy weather at the start of the festival, causing parts of the site to become muddy and sludgy, the event was officially sold out. This year's headliner was the American band Guns N' Roses, with other acts like Papa Roach, Machine Head, Saltatio Mortis, Apocalyptica, BAP, and guitarist Michael Schenker also taking the stage. Metal icon Doro Pesch made a special guest appearance during the festival.
Ticket prices for the Wacken Open Air festival are set to increase from the current 333 euros to 349 euros for the next year's edition. Fans can expect an exciting lineup of bands and performances at the 35th festival in 2026, with Def Leppard headlining for the first time, promising an unforgettable experience for metal music enthusiasts.