This year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival is scheduled for August 5th - 7th in Wacken, Germany.

Organizers report:

"In celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Wacken Open Air a fine new tradition was founded by DORO in the year 2009. The first lady of German heavy metal sang in union with SKYLINE, the smashing birthday serenade 'We Are The Metalheads' for this festival.

This year another legend steps up to hand over a new gift to the W:O:A and all its fans. U.D.O are proudly presenting the 'Wacken Hymne 2010' to all of us!

Udo Dirkschneider, who first with ACCEPT and since 1987 with U.D.O. has filled many chapters of Metal history, has added his distinctive vocals. Just in time for the beginning of the festival on the 5th of August you will be able to find the 'Wacken Hymne 2010' all over the festival.

As an encore, U.D.O. add the crushing song 'Bogeyman', which is taken from their current album, Dominator (2009). On top of this you will find SUBWAY TO SALLY’s present from last year’s Wacken Open Air, the D.A.D. cover song 'It’s After Dark, which was recorded right there included as well.

And as a final bonus the VICTIMS OF MADNESS give away their popular tune 'The Burning Anniversay'.

This amazing U.D.O. anthem 'Wacken Hymne 2010' is dedicated to all guests and friends of this festival. Raise your hands in the air and sing along!

Quotes on the 'Wacken Hymne 2010':

"Udo Dirkschneider has been a companion of the Wacken Open Air for years. Therefore U.D.O. were the obvious choice to follow in the tradition that Doro has begun last year. Well, we accept only U.D.O!“ - Holger Hübner (Wacken Open Air)

"The Wacken Open Air stands for THE family gathering of the metal scene. It holds it's very own fascination. Therefore we have immediately agreed to the proposal of Holger and Thomas to perform the new Wacken anthem!” - Udo Dirkschneider & Stefan Kaufmann

"This festival hymn represents a special boon to the Wacken Foundation . We are glad to see the Wacken forum band Victims Of Madness having the chance to get on a single with three well established and renowned acts. This is forging a link between established musicians and young hopefuls. Additionally there will be 2 € given to the Wacken Foundation for each sold copy.” - Enno Heymann (Chairman of the Wacken Foundation)

Acts confirmed for W:O:A 2010 include: ABROGATION, ALTAR, AMORPHIS, ANVIL, ARCH ENEMY, ASTRAL DOORS, ATROCITY, BATTLE BEAST, BLAZE OF GLORY, THE BOSSHOSS, BROILERS, BRUTUS, CALIBAN, CANDLEMASS, CANNIBAL CORPSE, ALICE COOPER, CORVUS CORAX, CRUCIFIED BARBARA, DEAD MEANS NOTHING, DEBAUCHERY, DEGRADEAD, DELAIN, DEMOLISHED, DESPISED ICON, THE DEVIL'S BLOOD, DEW-SCENTED, DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, DIE KASSIERER, DYMYTRY, EDGUY, END OF GREEN, ENDSTILLE, EQUILIBRIUM, ETERNAL LEGACY, EVILE, FEAR FACTORY, FREI.WILD, FRONTAL, GHOST BRIGADE, GOJIRA, GRAVE DIGGER, HACKNEYED, HANGGAI, HATHORS, HELLS BELLES, HOLY GRAIL, IHSAHN, ILL NINO, IMMORTAL, IMPERIUM DEKADENZ, IRON MAIDEN, JOB FOR A COWBOY, KAMELOT, KAMPFAR, KATANA, THE KELTICS, KILLING MACHINE, LAKE OF TEARS, LETZTE INSTANZ, LIZZY BORDEN, LOCK UP, MAD MAX, MAMBO KURT, MAROON, METSATÖLL, MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE NEW BLACK, NIGHTMARE, ORDEN OGAN, ORPHANED LAND, THE OTHER, OVERKILL, PENTHAGON, RAGING MOB, RAVEN, ROTTING CHRIST, SCHELMISH, SECRET OF THE MOON, SKANNERS, SLAYER, SMOKE BLOW, SÓLSTAFIR, SOULFLY, SPIT LIKE THIS, STRATOVARIUS, SUICIDAL ANGELS, SVARTSOT, 1349, TIAMAT, TOTAL RIOT, TARJA TURUNEN, TÝR, U.D.O., UNLEASHED, VARG, VICE, VICTIMS OF MADNESS, VITA IMANA, VOID CREATION, VOIVOD, W.A.S.P., WISTARIA.

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

The W:O:A Running Order with times and special Running Order Tool are online now!