IRON MAIDEN are the latest act confirmed for next year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, scheduled for August 5th - 7th, 2010 in Wacken, Germany.

Organizers state: "This announcement is the perfect Christmas gift for metalheads and Wacken fans alike: The mighty Iron Maiden will play next year’s edition of the legendary festival in Northern Germany!

After their triumphant show in 2008, this will mark the second show of the british metal legends at the Wacken:Open:Air. Their gig on Thursday, August 5th, 2010 will also be their only German show next year.

Comments Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris: “We had a fantastic time playing at Wacken last year so when we decided to play a few festivals in Europe next Summer it seemed a great idea to return. What could be better in Germany than to play again to the 75,000 true metalheads who go to Wacken!“

A groundbreaking metal band like Iron Maiden on the biggest metal festival in the world - that’s match made in headbanging heaven. After the first time in 2008, even singer BRUCE DICKINSON said on his BBC radio show: “Wacken is enormous fun! It’s just great, you wander around and see all the sideshows and bits and bobs and everything else. So it’s just a fabulous weekend!"

Let’s look forward to an impressive Iron Maiden show as part of the Night To Remember”at the 21st edition of the Wacken:Open:Air, celebrating the band and their immortal set of classics old and new."

Acts confirmed now include: ARCH ENEMY, CALIBAN, CANNIBAL CORPSE, CORVUS CORAX, DESPISED ICON, THE DEVIL'S BLOOD, DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, EDGUY, ENDSTILLE, GHOST BRIGADE, GRAVE DIGGER, IMMORTAL, IRON MAIDEN, ORDEN OGAN, STRATOVARIUS, 1349, U.D.O., W.A.S.P.

Organizers previously issued the following update: "(From December 1st) the crunch mode for band-confirmations for the W:O:A 2010 will start. Every day one band will be confirmed for the festival. The tricky-part is, that there will be a contest at the advent calendar on each day, and the clue to the puzzle will be the name of the band, that will be confirmed on the next day!"

For more info visit www.wacken.com/.