Wacken Open Air 2027 Lineup: FFDP, Helloween & More

As Wacken Open Air 2026 drew to a close, organizers pulled back the curtain on the first wave of bands confirmed for the 2027 installment of Germany’s premier metal gathering. The massive festival is scheduled to return from July 28 to 31.

The First Wave of 2027 Headliners and Heavyweights

Leading the initial lineup announcement are US groove metal arena-fillers Five Finger Death Punch, German power metal veterans Helloween—who will bring their ongoing 40th-anniversary set—and German electronicore party-starters Electric Callboy.

Dragonforce is also locked in for a 2027 European exclusive appearance, joined by their recently added co-vocalist, ex-Arch Enemy member Alissa White-Gluz. White-Gluz’s new band Blue Medusa is slated to appear as well. Other notable bookings include Edguy on their farewell tour, a specialized Kanonenfest set from Kanonenfieber, an Anthrax-material set led by ex-singer John Bush, and Children Of Bodom following their recent reunion with new frontman Samy Elbanna.

The Full 2027 Initial Lineup

The first roster drop includes dozens of heavy acts spanning multiple subgenres:

John 5
Avatar
Beast In Black
Belphegor
Between Two Worlds
Blue Medusa
The Browning
John Bush (Anthrax set)
Carnifex
Cavalera Conspiracy
Children Of Bodom
Creeper
Crypta
Dark Tranquillity
Dethklok
Dragonforce
Edguy
Electric Callboy
Feuerschwanz
Five Finger Death Punch
Gaerea
Hammerfall
Heaven Shall Burn
Heavens Gate
Helloween (40th-anniversary set)
Hiraes
Imminence
Jinjer
Kanonenfieber (Kanonenfest set)
Knocked Loose
Make Them Suffer
Malevolence
Metal Church
Mittel Alta
The Narrator
The New Roses
Norther
Overkill
Primordial
Seven Blood
Shadow Of Intent
Sylosis
Tailgunner
Towards The Sinister
Tyketto
U.D.O.
Victorious
Witch Club Satan

Modest Mouse announced on Friday that guitarist Simon O’Connor will not join the band for their upcoming tour. The decision follows recent accusations on Reddit that O’Connor sent inappropriate messages to a minor on social media.

Modest Mouse live concert — Modest Mouse, Photo: Matthewvetter, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“Simon O’Conner will not be joining us on the upcoming tour,” the band said in a statement shared on Instagram. “The good news is that Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav will be jumping in to play guitar.”

Les Savy Fav live band — Les Savy Fav, Photo: Rama, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, via Wikimedia Commons

O’Connor’s tenure with Modest Mouse began in 2021, and he plays on the group’s recently released album An Eraser and a Maze. He is also a touring guitarist with MGMT. The allegations against him surfaced when a 17-year-old Reddit user posted screenshots of a conversation, claiming O’Connor sent an erotic image and commented on bikini pictures while she was 16 years old.

Simon O’Connor Responds to Allegations

O’Connor responded directly within the Reddit thread to address the situation. He wrote that he unequivocally opposes any sexual behavior toward minors and stated that it disgusts him as a human and a parent.

The guitarist explained that he mistook the user for someone who had previously targeted him online. “Throughout my adult life, there has been a person who has popped up from time to time with the intention of, for lack of a better term, messing with me,” O’Connor wrote, adding that the individual repeatedly creates and deletes social media accounts while posting similar photos.

According to O’Connor, after a long night, he noticed a profile interacting with his Instagram posts and stories. Believing it was the same individual, he admitted to reaching out with a tasteless meme, a sticker reading “Simon calls your bluff,” and an attempt to call out the barrage of likes. He stated that he realized his mistake after a few minutes, unsent the messages, and ceased communication.

“I’m genuinely sorry to the person who received those messages,” O’Connor added. “They didn’t deserve to be put in that position, and I’m sorry for the stress and attention this has brought them.”

Tour Schedule and Status

Despite the explanation and apology, Modest Mouse opted to leave O’Connor off the upcoming tour lineup. A representative for the band declined further comment beyond the group’s Instagram statement.

Modest Mouse’s tour is scheduled to kick off on August 4 at the Libbey Bowl in Ojai, California, and conclude on October 23 in Sacramento. The band concluded their statement by writing, “We look forward to being out there with you all.”