Organizers of the Wacken Open Air have issued the following update:

"Every year the Wacken Open Air is a world standing for itself, in principle like a temporary but sovereign country. The question now is: What does a country, which exists more than 20 years and which moreover celebrates its birthday, need the most? Damn right: An anthem! 'We Are The Metalheads' is the title of the first official Wacken Anthem and it will be presented from the one and only DORO PESCH!

The anthem is about the community feeling of the metalheads, about the power and the energy which is given by this music – and of course it invites you to sing along and to party hard! The song will be first-released on July 30 at the W:O:A, and no one else but the ex-band SKYLINE of Wacken organizer Thomas Jensen (along with Wacken founder Gösy on the drums), which has reunited for that special gig, will perform the song along with Doro on stage.

The anthem will be available for gains at the Wacken Open Air as well as in regular stores and on all popular internet-platforms. Since all gains will be given away to charity organizations like 'Ein Herz Für Kinder' ('A Heart For Children') or to the Wacken Foundation, which supports young musicians and metal bands, we highly recommend buying the song to all metalheads!"

As previously reported, Wacken organizers have announced a tentative running order for the festival - click here to download.

Rockalarm will be presenting the W:O:A 2009 exclusively on the internet. Thanks to the co-operation between the music-portal and Tempodome, the fans who have to stay at home will have the chance to watch the sold-out 20th Wacken Open Air live stream at rockalarm.com. The transmission will start in the morning and will continue until the early next morning. Simultaneous concerts at two stages will be recorded and delivered in addition. So fans won’t miss anything. Check out the ticket-portal eventim.de/wacken for prices.

Confirmed acts on the W:O:A 2009 bill for the festival include: AIRBOURNE, AMON AMARTH, ANTHRAX, ASP, AXEL RUDI PELL, BAI BANG, BLOODWORK, BON SCOTT, BORKNAGAR, THE BOSSHOSS, BRING ME THE HORIZON, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, CALLEJON, CATHEDRAL, COHEED AND CAMBRIA, D-A-D, DER W, DORO, DRAGONFORCE, DRONE, EINHERJER, ENDSTILLE, ENGEL, ENSLAVED, EPICA, ETHS, THE FADING, FEUERSCHWANZ, 5th AVENUE, GAMMA RAY, GRAND MAGUS, GWAR, HAMMERFALL, HEAVEN & HELL, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, IN EXTREMO, IN FLAMES, INSIDIOUS DISEASE, KAMPFAR, KINGDOM OF SORROW, KORPIKLAANI, LACUNA COIL, MACHINE HEAD, MAGO DE OZ, MAMBO KURT, MOTÖRHEAD, NAPALM DEATH, NEVERMORE, NERVECELL, ONKEL TOM, PAIN, PENTAGRAM, RABENSCHREY, RAGE, RETROSPECT, SARKE, SAXON, SCHANDMAUL, SUBWAY TO SALLY, TESTAMENT, THIN LIZZY, TORMENT, TRACEDAWN, TRISTANIA, TROUBLE, TURISAS, UFO, UK SUBs, VICTIMS OF MADNESS, VOLBEAT, VREID, WALLS OF JERICHO, THE WALTONS, WHIPLASH.