WEINMANN at Wacken Open Air 2026
In 2026, Wacken Open Air once again transformed the small village in Schleswig-Holstein into a vibrant festival city for several days. More than 85,000 metal fans, a vast event site, and changing weather conditions present unique challenges each year for the medical teams of the Schleswig-Holstein Emergency Medical Services Cooperation (RKiSH) and the German Red Cross (DRK).
Between Heavy Metal and a heat wave: delivering medical care at the highest level
While rain and mud had characterized the festival grounds in previous years, temperatures soared to over 30 degrees this year, making heat and dust the defining features of the event. Even under these demanding conditions, emergency responders ensured reliable medical care for festivalgoers around the clock. Typical incidents at Wacken included traumatic injuries such as ankle fractures, heat-related conditions including heat exhaustion and sunstroke, alcohol intoxication, and cases requiring CPR. Altogether, around 550 medical responders were deployed across the site, staffing five medical aid stations (UHS) and a large treatment center (BHP) equipped with surgical and intensive care capabilities. During the festival, nearly 4,000 medical interventions were provided and approximately 300 patients were transported to nearby hospitals for further treatment.
WEINMANN once more provides support with devices and training
For the fourth consecutive year, WEINMANN was present on site with a team of application specialists and product managers, supporting EMS professionals and first aid personnel with hands-on training for MEDUCORE Standard², MEDUVENT Standard, MEDUMAT Standard², and MEDUVISION. This enabled more than 200 users to become familiar with the devices and gain hands-on experience with key procedures before operating them during the festival.
The WEINMANN team also offered training in non-invasive ventilation (NIV), combining theoretical fundamentals with practical exercises. “Our goal is to give participants greater confidence in using our devices and applying NIV under the unique conditions of a large-scale event,” says Steffen Kruse, Head of Application Specialists at WEINMANN.
Working together for safe medical care
Heat, dust, long distances, and tens of thousands of festival visitors make medical support at Wacken Open Air a demanding operation for involved organizations and emgergency personnel. All the more impressive is how smoothly the medical and organizational processes ran once again this year.
Our sincere thanks go to all EMS professionals and first aid personnel whose commitment helped ensure the safety of festival attendees throughout the event. “We’re pleased to have once again contributed to medical care at the Wacken Open Air with our equipment and training programs,” says Steffen Kruse.
