Q & A about Wacken Open Air

[michaeld1974]

I wouldn't recommend the MetalTrain route unless you are fluent in German and live in Europe. Trying to get tickets paid for and delivered to Canada was a nightmare. All communication is in German and they have no PayPal (though after me I think they figured it out so you might be OK but you will still have to talk to the guy "Ralph" and see if he can do it).

If I was European and spoke German I would totally do it again in a heart beat. It would have been SO amazing if I could understand more of what was going on!

FINALLY, managed to get the Metal Train tickets sorted. It was a nightmare as I don't speak German and live 12 timezones away. On top of the translation madness, they don't deliver to Australia (funny that they deliver to Cuba and Mexico but not Australia). Every email (all 4000) had to be translated using google and unfortunately google gets it wrong every now and then.

Catching the train from Munich. We will be in Munich the weekend before WOA. Can anyone suggest places to see / things to do in Munich. Anyone want to meet up for a beer or 600?

 

[Alix]

Can anyone suggest places to see / things to do in Munich. Anyone want to meet up for a beer or 600?

How long are you staying in Munich? I've been on a few tours in and from Munich before and they were all good. If you take a beer and/or bike tour it may give you better ideas of what to explore further if you have the time. A bike tour I went on included an extensive ride (and stop over for a light lunch) through Englischer Garten which I really liked a lot.

Careo has taken me to this other beer garden a couple of times before but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called. Anyway it's only a couple of km from the main train station.

 

[michaeld1974]

How long are you staying in Munich? I've been on a few tours in and from Munich before and they were all good. If you take a beer and/or bike tour it may give you better ideas of what to explore further if you have the time. A bike tour I went on included an extensive ride (and stop over for a light lunch) through Englischer Garten which I really liked a lot.

Careo has taken me to this other beer garden a couple of times before but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called. Anyway it's only a couple of km from the main train station.

Great suggestion - we already had bike tours / beer gardens in mind. I was just looking for something not necessarily mainstream tourist focused - something that locals do that you don't see in brochures.

We get there Saturday before WOA and stay there the Metal Train departs. We got a nice convertible Mercedes for 2 days. Should be sensational.

 

[Alix]

Great suggestion - we already had bike tours / beer gardens in mind. I was just looking for something not necessarily mainstream tourist focused - something that locals do that you don't see in brochures.

We get there Saturday before WOA and stay there the Metal Train departs. We got a nice convertible Mercedes for 2 days. Should be sensational.

Ah damn, I might not be much more help then (no way I'm driving in another state let alone another country on the other side of the road). Still, I always got the vibe in Munich that the tourists are carted around to look at and participate in activities that interest the locals (at least the ones I went on that were within Munich itself), unlike places such as Amsterdam or Rome. Have you tried metaltravelguide? I didn't look up Munich while I was there (I probably should have), but I found the website very helpful when I went to Brussels for the first time

 

[michaeld1974]

Ah damn, I might not be much more help then (no way I'm driving in another state let alone another country on the other side of the road). Still, I always got the vibe in Munich that the tourists are carted around to look at and participate in activities that interest the locals (at least the ones I went on that were within Munich itself), unlike places such as Amsterdam or Rome. Have you tried metaltravelguide? I didn't look up Munich while I was there (I probably should have), but I found the website very helpful when I went to Brussels for the first time

Great call on metaltravelguide!

 

[michaeld1974]

Questions peeps!

What the story with the running order? Is there more than 1 stage running at the same time or is it technically possible to see every single band if you were keen enough (not that I am)?

Here we have a one day festival with 5 separate stages running at the same time so if there are clashes, you miss out.

Can you see and hear the stage & music from the beer garden?

Also at our festival we have super tight security with 50-100 police & 20 dogs at the entrance so you run a big risk bringing in pot. What is security like at WOA? Do they check? Do they care?

 

[Quark]

Great suggestion - we already had bike tours / beer gardens in mind. I was just looking for something not necessarily mainstream tourist focused - something that locals do that you don't see in brochures.

We get there Saturday before WOA and stay there the Metal Train departs. We got a nice convertible Mercedes for 2 days. Should be sensational.

The only thing I can recommend in Munich is the concentration camp in Dachau. A small trip from Munich and definitely worth it!
I have no other ideas for Munich that haven't been mentioned already.

 

[Quark]

Questions peeps!

What the story with the running order? Is there more than 1 stage running at the same time or is it technically possible to see every single band if you were keen enough (not that I am)?

Here we have a one day festival with 5 separate stages running at the same time so if there are clashes, you miss out.

Can you see and hear the stage & music from the beer garden?

Also at our festival we have super tight security with 50-100 police & 20 dogs at the entrance so you run a big risk bringing in pot. What is security like at WOA? Do they check? Do they care?

There are at least 3 stages, so you can't see all bands. There is an overlap with some bands.

 

[agresionpower]

There are at least 3 stages, so you can't see all bands. There is an overlap with some bands.

3 stages as in 3 stages that have a playing band at the same time!
there are about 7 stages(?) nowadays

 

[Alix]

Can you see and hear the stage & music from the beer garden?

Also at our festival we have super tight security with 50-100 police & 20 dogs at the entrance so you run a big risk bringing in pot. What is security like at WOA? Do they check? Do they care?

1. It is possible to hear stuff from the Black Stage and the True Metal Stage, but there is also a stage at one end of the beer garden, and a few small bands that play all over the place (which may include places near the beer garden).

2. Are you talking Soundwave and/or Big Day Out? I don't even compare them to WOA. It seems to make all the difference when beers are cheap and easily accessible, plus everyone is there for the love of metal, whereas here you have people show up already fall-down drunk and take/sneak in drugs that no doubt work out cheaper than lining up for $10 cups of beer all day.

There is a police presence at Wacken, but you kind of need it when the population density spikes to something stupidly high like 20,000 people per square kilometre On an average day, they tend to drive around to make sure everyone is being excellent to each other, rather than making sure no-one is breaking the law.

Staff hired as security are more likely to check stuff, but mostly contrabands (weapons, drinks and glass mostly) in the entertainment precincts

 

[gnoff]

yay this is still used

I'm a bit drunk, those who know me still on this forum will be shocked, for sure...

crap, haven't been to WOA in 8 years...

 

[agresionpower]

yay this is still used

I'm a bit drunk, those who know me still on this forum will be shocked, for sure...

crap, haven't been to WOA in 8 years...

only a bit?

 

[gnoff]

only a bit?

well

 

[Quark]

yay this is still used

I'm a bit drunk, those who know me still on this forum will be shocked, for sure...

crap, haven't been to WOA in 8 years...

Happy belated birthday.

 

[gnoff]

Happy belated birthday.

Thanks!
Celebrated with vast amounts of beer