This year's Wacken Open Air festival is underway, running until August 6th in Wacken, Germany. German newspaper, The Local, has posted a report from the festival, including a great photo gallery.

On Saturday, August 6th, in front of more than 80,000 fans, Tobias Sammet and his AVANTASIA project will headline the last night of Wacken Open Air. The show will be broadcast live on German TV station ZDFkultur at 8 PM. This way all fans will have the chance to witness the only Avantasia show of the year, despite the event having been sold out for months.

Avantasia, founded by EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet, have revealed the band's lineup for their performance at this year's Wacken Open Air festival, taking place August 4th - 6th in Wacken, Germany.

The band lineup for the performance will include the following musicians:

- Michael Kiske (HELLOWEEN, UNISONIC) - vocals
- Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN) - vocals
- Bob Catley (MAGNUM) - vocals
- Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY, Helloween) - guitar, vocals
- Amanda Somerville (TRILLIUM, EPICA, AFTER FOREVER, KAMELOT) - vocals
- Sascha Paeth (Edguy, RHAPSODY OF FIRE) - guitar
- Oliver Hartmann (Edguy, Rhapsody Of Fire) - guitar
- Miro Rodenberg (Kamelot, Epica, After Forever) - keyboards
- Robert Hunecke (AINA) - bass
- Felix Bohnke (Edguy) - drums

Acts on the sold-out W:O:A 2011 bill include: ACCUSER, ALBERLOUR'S, APOCALYPTICA, AS I LAY DYING, AVANTASIA, BATTLE BEAST, BETONTOD, BLAAS OF GLORY, BLECHBLOSN, BLIND GUARDIAN, BLOWSIGHT, BÜLENT CEYLAN, BULLET, CHILDREN OF BODOM, CRADLE OF FILTH, CRASHDÏET, DANKO JONES, DEADLOCK, DIR EN GREY, ELÄKELÄISET, ENSIFERUM, EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS, FREI.WILD, GHOST, HAIL OF BULLETS, HÄMATOM, THE HAUNTED, HAYSEED DIXIE, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, HELLOWEEN, HELLSAW, HORCH, ICED EARTH, IGNIS FATUU, IN SOLITUDE, JUDAS PRIEST, KATAKLYSM, KHOLD, KNORKATOR, KREATOR, KVELERTAK, KYUSS LIVES!, LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE, MAIDEN UNITED, MAMBO KURT, MAYHEM, MOONSORROW, MORBID ANGEL, MORGOTH, MOTÖRHEAD, THE MURDER OF MY SWEET, NEGATOR, ONKEL TOM, ONSLAUGHT, OZZY OSBOURNE, PRIMAL FEAR, THE PROPHECY²³, PUSSY SISSTER, RABENSCHREY, RELIQUIAE, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, RUSSKAJA, SALTATIO MORTIS, SEPULTURA, SEVERENTH, SHINING, SHRAPHEAD, SIRENIA, SKÁLMÖLD, SKELETONWITCH, SKI KING, SKINDRED, SKYLINE, SLIME, SMACK BALLZ, SODOM, STIER, STORMZONE, SUBWAY TO SALLY, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, SUIDAKRA, TAUTHR, TOKYO BLADE, TORTURE SQUAD, TRIOSPHERE, TRIPTYKON, TRIVIUM, TSJUDER, VAN CANTO, VENOMIN JAMES, VICTIMS OF MADNESS, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, VOLCANO, VREID, WARRANT, W:O:A FIREFIGHTERS.

For more info visit Wacken.com or the Wacken Open Air Myspace page.

The organizers of the recently sold-out festival have launched the official festival widget. Check out a festival trailer and the widget below: