Wacken Open Air 2026 has confirmed the addition of SABATON, IN FLAMES, and ELUVEITIE to the festival's rapidly expanding lineup for the August 1–3 event in Wacken, Germany. The three acts join previously confirmed headliners METALLICA, JUDAS PRIEST, and CANDLEMASS (for their special 40th anniversary set), bringing three more of Europe's most popular metal draws into the fold.
SABATON are returning to Wacken for what will be their tenth appearance at the festival — a remarkable milestone that the Swedish power metal band, known for their bombastic military-themed anthems, have celebrated with a statement calling Wacken "our spiritual home and the place where we always feel the most connected to our fans." Their 2026 set is expected to draw heavily from their massive catalog of military history-themed anthems, with particular emphasis on songs from recent albums "The War to End All Wars" (2022) and their upcoming 2026 release.
IN FLAMES make their return to Wacken following the critical and commercial success of their 2023 album "Foregone," which marked a creative renaissance for the Gothenburg melodic death metal originators. IN FLAMES will be supported at their stage by a production design that promises to be among the most elaborate in their touring history. ELUVEITIE, the Swiss folk metal act whose blend of Celtic instruments and extreme metal has developed one of the most distinctive sounds in European metal, will perform from their extensive catalog of albums released between 2008 and 2024. Festival tickets remain available through the official Wacken website.