🇩🇪 Wacken, Germany
Does It Rain at Wacken Open Air?
Across roughly 15 years of records at the site, rain falls on about 100% of Wacken days, averaging 3.2mm a day.
The short answer
100%
of days see 1mm+
3.2 mm
average per day
High
mud risk
Wet days are common enough that boots are a sensible default rather than an over-reaction, especially in the camping fields.
Rain day by day
| Day | Rain | High | Weather score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 30 Jul | 2.3 mm | 22°C | 94% |
| Fri 31 Jul | 4.9 mm | 21°C | 85% |
| Sat 1 Aug | 2.3 mm | 22°C | 94% |
The wettest festival day on average is Fri 31 Jul at 4.9mm; the driest is Thu 30 Jul at 2.3mm. Over the main days that adds up to roughly 9.5mm.
What rain actually does to Wacken
The site is flat, low-lying farmland with heavy soil that turns to mud quickly. The 2023 edition became infamous when days of rain forced organisers to halt arrivals — 'Muddy Wacken' is now part of the festival's folklore. Rubber boots are basically uniform, and the open fields offer almost no shelter from wind or sun.
If the forecast turns wet
- Boots over trainers, and a spare pair of shoes sealed in a bag.
- Rain jacket for walking, poncho for standing in a crowd with a backpack.
- Pitch on the high side of the field, never in a dip, and use a groundsheet.
- Dry bags for phone, power bank, tickets and one full change of clothes.
How we know
These numbers come from the Open-Meteo historical reanalysis at the festival's coordinates, averaged day by day over about 15 years. They describe a typical edition, not the one you're going to — for the live picture, the Wacken forecast page updates twice a day once the event is inside the forecast window.