Nope, Wacken Open Air is not canceled this year.

Apparently, the coronavirus has not ruined everything we hold dear. In fact, it has paved the way for metalheads worldwide to take part in what could be the biggest Wacken festival of all time.

“If fans can’t come to Wacken this year, we have to come to the fans.”

These were the reassuring words of co-founder Thomas Jensen at yesterday’s kick-off presentation for Wacken World Wide 2020, which runs until August 1st.

The breathtaking opening event gave us a glimpse of what we can expect for this year’s virtual Wacken experience.

It’s sensational, to say the least.

Streaming Spectacle

Jensen proudly showed off the mixed reality studio and stages they built for this year’s concerts, from where performances will be streamed to every fan’s screen, whether they’re at home or on the go.

The stage is adorned with screens from ceiling to floor, where light performances, show appearances, and stage effects will combine for a spectacle that’s completely virtual, yet appears more real than life.

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These extraordinary innovations will add a whole new flavor to the much-anticipated sets of metal legends Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Arch Enemy, and of course, world-class thrashers Anthrax, among other heavy metal favorites.

Rolling Stone reported that even Wacken Metal Battle will be a different experience this year, with shows from previous competitors to be streamed exclusively on MagentaMusik 360, on MagentaTV or on the TV program #DABEI.

Groundbreaking Technology

It will be quite the experience not just for fans of the genre, but for fans of technology as well. 

“This festival is the world premiere for our sensational XR concept,’” declared Michael Schuld, the head of TV and entertainment at Telekom, Wacken’s trusty tech partner for this ambitious endeavor. “We will be giving music and technology fans a top-class streaming spectacle.”

“I really look forward to seeing you all in the stream,” he added.

That’s right -- as pointed out by Side Stage Magazine, this time fans won’t be mere spectators. They will be allowed -- encouraged, even -- to participate and interact with their favorites artists during the stream.

What a time to be a fan of live music.

The line-up at Wacken’s online event will be no less jam-packed than its open-air concerts, with the likes of Alice Cooper, In Flames, Nightwish, Anthrax, Bodycount and Ice-T, Trivium, Blind Guardian, Volbeat, Iron Maiden, Sabaton, Motorhead and many more, set to play a part, either in the shape of a live mixed reality concert, live talks and clinics, or footage from the deep Wacken archive.

Oh, and if you haven’t seen the staggering launch of this year’s festival, you can check it out right here:

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You can watch the festival online, for free, at wacken-world-wide.com