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THE RULES OF THE WACKEN METAL BATTLE

Country-Specific Applications

  • Bands must apply from their respective countries. Applications from outside your country of residence will not be considered.

 Record Label Restrictions

  • Your band must not have an existing record deal.
  • If your band is in discussions with a label but has not yet signed a contract, you must not sign a deal before or during the competition.

Performance Requirements

  • Your band must be able to perform a 30-minute set consisting entirely of original songs (no covers).
  • The use of audio samples during live performances is permitted.

Eligibility Based on Past Participation

  • Bands that have previously won a Metal Battle competition (national or international finals) are not eligible to participate again.
  • Bands that participated in past editions but did not win any regional or national heats may reapply.

Travel & Visa Requirements

  • All band members must have a valid passport to travel to Germany.
  • The passport must be valid for at least six months before the intended departure date for Germany.
  • The German visa must be obtained from the German Consulate in the country where your band is performing.

Travel Costs

  • Bands must cover their own travel expenses for both national Metal Battle heats and international travel to Wacken Open Air. No travel costs will be covered by the event organizers.

Front of House (FOH) & Lighting Director (LD) Restrictions

  • Wacken Open Air provides its own FOH (Front of House) engineer and LD (Lighting Director) for all bands.
  • Bringing your own FOH or LD is not allowed.

Crew & Tour Logistics

  • If your band is on tour or has additional shows outside of Metal Battle, you are allowed to bring your own crew.
  • All crew details must be provided in advance to the Artist Production team.
  • The Artist Production team will coordinate directly with the band to organize travel logistics.

Guest List Policy

  • Each performing band member is allowed to bring one guest.
  • Crew members are also eligible for guest passes (one guest per crew member).
  • Example: If a band has 5 performing members and 3 crew members, the band is entitled to a guest list of 8 people in total.