Wacken Metal Battle USA and Canada Open Band Submissions for 2025
The prestigious Wacken Metal Battle is back for 2025, offering unsigned bands in both the USA and Canada the chance to compete for a slot at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. This iconic festival, drawing over 80,000 attendees annually, will take place from July 30th to August 2nd, 2025.
Wacken Metal Battle USA (WMBU)
Submission Period: October 11th – December 15th, 2024
How to Apply: Unsigned U.S. bands can submit their application here by selecting the USA and choosing the city where they desire to perform.
U.S. Battle Locations:
New York, NY
Clifton, NJ
Baltimore, MD
Tampa, FL
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Bay Area, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Orange County, CA
Sacramento, CA
San Diego, CA
Austin, TX
Dallas, TX
Corpus Christi, TX
Houston, TX
San Antonio, TX
The U.S. National Final will be held on June 21st, 2025, at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ. The 2025 WMBU champion will receive:
A performance slot at Wacken Open Air 2025
Full professional backline
$1,000 USD towards flights to Germany
VIP camping at the festival
Wacken Metal Battle Canada (WMBC)
Submission Period: October 8th – November 20th, 2024
How to Apply: Similar to the U.S., Unsigned Canadian bands can apply via this location by selecting Canada and their desired City.
Canadian Battle Locations:
Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Island, BC
BC Interior
Edmonton, AB
Calgary, AB
Toronto, ON
Hamilton, ON
Ottawa, ON
Montreal, QC
Quebec City, QC
The Canadian National Final will take place in Vancouver, BC, in May 2025 (exact date and venue to be confirmed). The WMBC champion will receive:
A performance slot at Wacken Open Air 2025
Full professional backline
$1,000 CAD towards flights to Germany
VIP camping at the festival
