Wacken Open Air 2027 runs from 28 to 31 July in Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, in the north of Germany. Your ticket includes simple tent camping from Sunday 25 July 2027 at 09:00, and the site has to be cleared by Sunday 1 August at 12:00. That is up to a week on the campsite, so pack like it is a proper camping trip.
Tents: sturdy, and for sleeping in
Wacken's 2027 terms say every tent structure must be stable and weatherproof, big marquee tents are banned, and so are towers and frames large enough to need a building permit. Tents are for housing people only. Bring a tent that copes with wind and rain, and good stakes: tents, our tent guide and camping in the rain.
Grilling yes, campfires no
Barbecues are allowed on the campsite, but open fires and campfires are not, and disposable barbecues placed on the ground are banned on the whole site. Gas is allowed with limits: cartridges up to 450 g, gas bottles up to 5 kg only when fixed in a camper, and all gas kit has to be in good condition and meet the German DIN standard. Kit ideas: Camp Kitchen and our camp kitchen packing list.
Generators up to 2 kW
Small generators up to 2 kW are allowed on the campsite if they don't leak oil or fuel. They can run until midnight, and after that only if nobody nearby is bothered. You can carry at most 5 litres of spare fuel, and the generator must be approved for use in the EU. A quiet power station is the easier neighbour: power stations for camping and festival generator and power rules.
Driving in: the Access Pass
Simple camping means a tent and no vehicle. To park a car, van or motorhome on the campsite you need an Access Pass, one per vehicle however many people are in it, and you pick a fixed arrival day when you book. Motorhomes and caravan combinations park on a separate, assigned area. Vehicles over 7.5 tonnes need the organiser's separate consent, and any built-in LPG system needs a valid gas pressure test. In bad ground conditions the organiser can stop vehicle traffic for a while. For the van kit, see our UK/EU campervan festival packing list and Festival RV Kit.
No glass anywhere
Glass bottles of any kind are banned on the whole site, along with drones, torches, fireworks and sky lanterns, firewood, and old sofas or other bulky junk. Decant into plastic before you leave home, and keep the cooler simple: keeping food cold.
Rain and mud
Northern Germany in late July can be warm or wet, often both in one week. We pack wellies, a rain shell and spare dry socks either way: Rain & Mud and our rain and mud packing list.
Check before you pack
We only list what the festival has published. The camping, gas, generator and Access Pass rules above come from Wacken's official 2027 terms and its FAQ, and they can change, so read them before you go: Wacken terms & conditions 2027 and faq.wacken.com.
Doing another big rock fest? See our Download 2027 and Roskilde 2027 packing lists.
For the hydration, foot care and first-aid basics we pack for every festival, see our Health & Wellness picks and our Staying Healthy at a Festival guide.
Shopping from Europe? Our Amazon links open your local Amazon store, so prices show in pounds or euros and orders ship locally. More fests: our European festival guides for 2027.
Shop the kit
Our picks for this trip, all in our store: