Wacken Open Air announces five bands for 2020 and adopts Mayan calendar

The promoters of the Wacken Open Air, which will take place from 30 July to 1 August 2020, have announced five new entries for next year’s billing. All 75,000 tickets for the 31st edition of the Northern German festival were sold out after less than a day. The newly confirmed artists represent a wide variety of hard styles.

ORDEN OGAN are rapidly growing to become a major player in Germany’s traditionally strong power metal league. Norwegian Black Metal will be represented by popular veterans KAMPFAR. Adherents of Metalcore may look forward to fast rising English hopefuls WHILE SHE SLEEPS. German metal legend Udo Dirkschneider will appear twice in a prominent position on the running order. With his band DIRKSCHNEIDER the iconic frontman will perform an exclusive show in celebration of the 35th anniversary of classic ACCEPT album “Metal Heart” and even add some more hits of his former colleagues. ACCEPT fans may even look forward to another surprise. Under the banner of U.D.O., the singer will enter the stage once more with the Bundeswehr Music Corps just for this concert!

Festival co-founder and promoter Thomas Jensen comments:

“Every year we try to create unique shows and make musical dreams come true, which unite fans and musicians to experience special moments lasting for an eternity – and which can technically only be realised in Wacken. Therefore we are very much looking forward to our long-time friend and faithful companion Udo Dirkschneider, who will play two unique shows with us in 2020″.

More information about the Wacken Open Air can be found at wacken.com.

The following bands have already been announced for the coming 31st edition of the Wacken Open Air in 2020: (in alphabetical order): AMON AMARTH, AT THE GATES, BEAST IN BLACK, CEMICAN, DEATH ANGEL, DIRKSCHNEIDER, HYPOCRISY, JUDAS PRIEST, KAMPFAR, MERCYFUL FATE, NERVOSA, ORDEN OGAN, SICK OF IT ALL, SODOM, U.D.O. (with Bundeswehr Music Corps), VENOM, WHILE SHE SLEEPS

In further news the Wacken Open Air announces the adoption of the Maya Calendar for further announcements. 

“The Wacken Open Air 2020 will be all about Mesoamerica and the fascinating pre-Columbian civilisations of this region. In particular, the Mayan and Aztec cultures will be highlighted and honoured during the festival. The adoption and adaptation of the so-called Haab’ calendar of the Maya is an important building block for this”.

explains marketing project manager Jasper Ahrendt

The Haabʼ was part of the famous Mayan calendar system. The 365 days of the year are divided into 18 months with 20 days each. In addition there is an additional month with only 5 days. The classic Maya calendar began with the winter solstice and inscriptions show that the Maya were aware of the real length of the solar year and the need for leap days. 

Our customized W:O:A-Haab calendar began (how could it be otherwise?) on the 5th of August 2019 with the launch of our pre-sale. In the coming months, we will therefore surprise you every 20 days with announcements and information.

By the way, the 19th month, which lasts only five days, is described as a time when portals to dark worlds are opening and hair may not be washed. Any parallels to a certain Northern German metal festivals are of course purely coincidental.