Lzzy Hale on Halestorm’s Wacken debut in 2027 Singer Derrick Green captures his Wacken experience ahead of the band’s final show in Germany Every day, every stage – relive the highlights of this anniversary edition of the festival Everything just came together at the 35th edition of Wacken Open Air Credit: Samira Schubert #2 AUGUST 2026Of course, the anniversary issue wasn’t the end of it. This is the eleventh issue of *The Bullhead*! You can find all previous official W:O:A magazines, as well as the latest one, free of charge and in digital format on our website – in German and English. Look forward to previews and insights. Read exclusive interviews with headlin- ers such as Rob Halford from Judas Priest. Find out what Zakk Wylde has to say about Ozzy Osbourne and what plans Sepultura are making for their retirement. Dive into the Wacken Metal Battle and take a look behind the scenes at the world’s biggest metal festival. Just click, flick through and enjoy the read! www.wacken.com IMPRINT The Bullhead is a product of WOA FESTIVAL GMBH Schenefelder Straße 17 25596 Wacken Management: Thomas Jensen, Holger Hübner, André Jürgens Editor-in-Chief: Andrea Leim Design: arne__creates Project Co-ordination: Peter Klapproth Contributors: Nicole Ankelmann, Christof Leim, Timon Menge, Katharina Metag, Susanne Müller, Hanna Wild, Celia Woitas Proofreading: Hanna Wild, Christof Leim Deadline: 2nd of august, 7 am Credit: Jen Rosenstein The guitar hero talks about his father figure Ozzy, last messages and values that remain forever Chris Caffery about feeling at home on the holy ground Filippa Nässli dreams of a special birthday cake at Wacken 2026 What’s new in 2026 about TE.N.T., Moshtel and the other areas #4 DECEMBER 2025 : : #1 JULY 2026 Credits: Ingmar Wein here are moments that stay with you forever. Not because of the biggest pyro- technics, the grandest show, or the loudest encore—but because of a feeling that brings us all to- gether. On Saturday evening, we did something a little different. In- stead of announcing the Promot- ers’ Farewell from the main stage as we usually do, we stood among you. And once again, we were re- minded of something truly spe- cial: we are all equal, we are one big metal family, and above all— together we are Wacken. Wacken Open Air has never been just a place for concerts. It’s a home away from home. A place where people from every corner of the world come togeth- er, where differences fade into the background, and strangers become friends. It’s where we cel- ebrate, rock out, sing together— and, if we’re lucky, even enjoy a little sunshine together. We can’t say often enough how grateful we are to be part of this incredi- ble community. As always, we’ll take count- less impressions and new ideas home with us this year. We want to keep evolving, keep improv- ing, and make sure this unique atmosphere can come to life again and again, year after year. Because a festival like Wacken Open Air isn’t defined only by its bands or its stages—it lives through the people who fill it with heart and soul. Thank you for being part of this family. Thank you for living Wacken together with us. Faster, Harder, Louder! Holger Hübner & Thomas JensenIn 2027, Halestorm will celebrate their Holy Ground debut and take the stage at Wacken Open Air as headliners. For the rock band founded in Pennsylvania in 1997 by twins Elizabeth “Lzzy” and Arejay Hale, this show is something very special. In this interview, frontwoman Lzzy talks about the importance of German fans to her and why women in rock and metal need to remain loud, outspoken and unapologetic. Pure energy, a powerful voice and plenty of Rock ’n’ Roll – Lzzy Hale live on stageBy Nicole Ankelmann Next year’s headline show will be your very first appearance at W:O:A. What does this debut mean to you? Lzzy Hale: We’ve been trying to play Wacken for many years. For some reason, it just never worked out. So we’re all the more excited that it’s finally happening. Our idols have stood on that stage. For every heavy band, Wacken is something like a rite of passage. So it’s a major tick on your personal bucket list? Lzzy Hale: Absolutely! There isn’t much left on that list – and Wacken was definitely on it. It’s going to be an incredible moment, personally as well. We’ve been a band for such a long time, we’re still the same four members, and luckily, we haven’t killed each other yet. (laughs) When we step onto that stage and can say, “Oh my God, we finally made it here,” it’s going to feel pretty surreal. How do you prepare for a show like this? Will you perhaps watch the current Wacken documentary, or would you rather revisit performances by your heroes? Lzzy Hale: As a band, we definitely want to sit down and soak up all the magic that happened there before us. But our setlist will be the most important thing. We need to include everything that makes Halestorm who we are, so that we can really give the audience everything we stand for. The goal is to present ourselves in the best possible way. But the number-one rule is: have fun at all costs! The excitement is going to be intense, so we have to be fully prepared and know exactly what we’re doing. Only then can we go onstage and let the moments happen: be present, make faces at people and build a real connection with them. What do you associate with the German metal scene in particular? Lzzy Hale: You have the best metal fans in the world. For people here, this isn’t just casual entertainment, not a concert you simply go to on a whim. German fans live, eat and breathe rock ’n’ roll. It’s a real lifestyle. Do you feel that as a musician onstage? Lzzy Hale: Oh, absolutely! The fans look forward to it all year and plan their lives around it. When we play for them, we’re not just giving everything while they stand there watching. They are in the moment with us and experience it in the same way we do. That exchange is beautiful. At Wacken, something will happen that can only happen there. Audiences like that make us feel that we are part of something bigger. At last year’s Black Sabbath farewell concert, you were the only woman in the line-up. An honour, but also a little sad. It reflects a long-standing problem in the scene, doesn’t it? Lzzy Hale: Absolutely. As women, we have won many battles, but we haven’t won the war yet. It’s encouraging to see progress, even if it only comes in small steps. The two of us – you as a journalist and me as a musician – are staying in this business and fighting to remain here. Just by doing that, we are living examples for those who come after us. Do you feel that the attitude of younger women is changing? Lzzy Hale: Definitely. I see this collective feeling among female musicians and women in crews as well: We’re fed up with being squeezed into roles other people want to put us in. So many young women today think: “I don’t give a fuck what you think about me. I’m going to do what I want – and I’m going to make a hell of a lot of noise.” That’s great. So what did it feel like to be the only woman at the Sabbath show? Lzzy Hale: It was bittersweet. I thought to myself: “Damn, there are hundreds of other women who would have deserved that slot.” But onstage, it was wonderful to address the girls in the audience directly. Suddenly, they all climbed onto the guys’ shoulders and made it clear: “We’re here, see us!” It was especially great for me to see that because, as a kid, I barely had any girlfriends who liked my music. That’s also why Halestorm has only one woman in it. Seeing how many women now see this sound as a foundation in their lives was an incredible experience. Halestorm, the band led by frontwoman Lzzy Hale, will take the stage at Wacken for the first time in 2027You are often called a role model. Does that sometimes feel like too much responsibility? Lzzy Hale: At first, it made me nervous. I thought: “I’m just a dork from Pennsylvania who started a band. I was never the cool one.” But by now, I understand that I don’t have to put myself on a pedestal. I don’t have to be perfect. The greater gift is simply to exist authentically and to speak honestly about my struggles. That creates a deeper connection. The girls no longer think: “That’s unattainable.” They see: “Lzzy is like me. She has good days and bad days.” As long as I’m here, I want to hold the gate wide open for everyone else. You have worked with many musicians. Does it make a difference to you whether the person you are working with is a man or a woman? Lzzy Hale: I enjoy working with anyone I admire. And I can definitely hang with the boys – I’ve always done that. But with another woman, there is this unspoken camaraderie. You don’t need to say much about it; you can just feel it. The first time I toured with Amy Lee, for example, there was immediately this moment: “Oh, that happens “Thanks, guys – but what on earth have I taught you?” (laughs) There is still a year to go until the Wacken show. Will there be a seventh album by then? Lzzy Hale: We still have a few shows coming up, including dates with Babymetal. And of course, we are constantly writing. On tour, we collect ideas – a chorus here, a riff there. At home, we put the puzzle together. I’m in that phase right now where I really want to play new material. Maybe even a special Wacken album? Lzzy Hale: Don’t give me any ideas! At least we’ve put the thought out into the universe now. Let’s see what happens. What would you like to tell the fans? Hale: A huge thank you. Thank you to everyone in Germany who kept asking whether we were coming to Wacken. Without that pressure from the fans, we might not have been invited. Being welcomed by this community is a huge honour. Thank you for believing in us and making it possible for us to live our dream. See you on the Holy Ground! to you too? You feel that way too?” When you only hang out with men, you tend to push certain issues aside. It’s only when you work with another woman that you realise you have overcome the same hurdles. It reminds me that I’m not alone. You have been hanging out with your bandmates for 20 years. Have the guys become feminists because of you? Lzzy Hale: Absolutely, it has completely changed their lives. It’s often really funny: When we’re at a meet-and- greet and some guy makes a misogynistic comment, my three boys immediately jump up and go: “What did you just say, man?” When they defend me like that, I often think: “ .” Credits: Jimmy Fontaine, Alan Barrington Evans XXX Completely in her element on the big stage: Lzzy Hale plays guitar and sings“ .” A quiet moment in the spotlight: Lzzy Hale shows that she impresses with her stage presence even in quiet, almost mystical moments 2010 Shinedown – “Breaking Inside” on the reissue of the album “The Sound Of Madness” 2011 Black Stone Cherry – “Such A Shame” and “Won’t Let Go” on the album “Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea” 2012 Adrenaline Mob – “Come Undone” on the album “Omertà” 2013 Device – “Close My Eyes Forever” on the album “Device” 2014 Lindsey Stirling – “Shatter Me” on the homonymous album 2014 Eric Church – “That’s Damn Rock & Roll” on the album “The Outsiders” 2015 Trans-Siberian Orchestra – “Forget About The Blame (Moon Version)” on the album “Letters From The Labyrinth” 2015 Stone Sour – “Gimme Shelter” on the EP “Straight Outta Burbank” 2016 Dream Theater – “Our New World” (promotional single) 2015 Machine Gun Kelly – “Spotlight” on the album “General Admission” 2017 Tom Keifer – “Nobody’s Fool” on the reissue of the album “The Way Life Goes” 2020 Mark Morton – “She Talks To Angels” on the EP “Ether” 2020 The Hu – “Song Of Women” on the album “The Gereg” 2020 In This Moment – “We Will Rock You” on the album “Mother” 2020 Cory Marks – “Out In The Rain” on the album “Who I Am” 2020 Evanescence – “Break In” on the album “The Bitter Truth” 2020 Apocalyptica – “Talk To Me” 2020 Dee Snider – “The Magic Of Christmas Day” 2021 The Picturebooks – “Rebel” on the album “The Major Minor Collective” 2021 Slothrust – “The Next Curse” on the album “Parallel Timeline” 2022 Gwar – “The Cutter” on the album “The New Dark Ages” 2023 Nita Strauss – “Through The Noise” on the album “The Call Of The Void” 2023 Daughtry – “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” (original by Journey) 2023 Avatar – “Violence No Matter What” on the album “Dance Devil Dance” 2023 Sophie Lloyd – “Imposter Syndrome” on the album “Imposter Syndrome” 2024 The Native Howl – “Mercy” ’eer, battle vests, hats and lots of black – these are just some of the associ- ations outsiders have with W:O:A. But the image of the Holy Ground has changed long since: More and more young peo- ple are making their way through the Infield, and more and more women are showing their pas- sion for heavy metal. Outfits are becoming more colourful, cos- tumes more creative. Modernity and tradition, gothic and glam rock coexist peacefully. W:O:A and its metalheads are moving with the times. At the same time, the Holy Ground remains a fixed date in the calendar for the old- er generation, who make their pilgrimage there year after year. Once again, The Bullhead met some of the metalheads on the holy fields this year … Battle vests never go out of style Black meets pink – and a rooster among the hens Make-up and funny faces never go out of fashion Martial style combined with fresh colours Fresh summer outfits brighten up the festival. Hair accessories are also a big deal at W:O:A Früh übt sich :: Inclusion has always been an issue on the Holy GroundCredits: W:O:A, Ingmar Wein, Susanne Müller, Milan Koch, Steve Brown, Vollvincent David (26) and CJ (21) symbolise Wacken’s gothic scene. Kiss on a family visit to the village Tattoos make the man A coveted collector’s item: the hand- grenade Labubu Headwear in every shape … … and colour W:O:A brings together people of every skin colour The Vikings cannot be left out either. Everyone is welcome in the circle pit. Anni (36), Kathi (48) and Marita (43) are part of the Barber Angels team Working out is easier in spandex The Marilyn Manson style Even in the heat, he keeps a cool metalhead Manuela (60) and her mother Inge (82) have turned W:O:A into an annual mother- daughter trip for the past four years Krücky (29, and a terrible liar) plays bass in the Bon Jovi tribute band H.A.N.D.Next >