"Franconian Wacken": 25 years of Summer Breeze - 40,000 fans expected

Created: 08/17/2022, 17:08

By: Thomas Eldersch

Metal fans from all over Europe had to wait two years for the return of the Summer Breeze Open Air Festival.

Now you can rock again.

Dinkelsbühl – The festival year 2022 is almost coming to an end.

But for fans of hard guitar riffs and headbanging, there is one more date in the event calendar that you shouldn't miss.

At the airfield near Dinkelsbühl (Ansbach district), the Summer Breeze Open Air Festival is taking place again this year - after a two-year Corona break.

And there is something to celebrate.

Summer Breeze celebrates its 25th anniversary: ​​It all started with ten bands

The metal festival in Middle Franconia has been around for 25 years now.

The event, which started with ten bands and 400 spectators in a beer tent, is now a fixture in Europe.

Founder Achim Ostertag affectionately calls his baby “Franconian Wacken” to BR.

And the festival no longer needs to hide from its big brother from the north.

Well, the event can't quite get close to the almost 80,000 fans in Wacken, but the organizers are still expecting 40,000 visitors.

Finally Summer Breeze again in Dinkelsbühl.

The last time they rocked was in 2019. © Vincent Grundke/SUMMER BREEZE Open Air

Due to the pandemic, like so many others, you had to take a break.

But the community has always stood behind the organizers over the two years, according to Ostertag on the festival website.

"This sense of community was also clearly felt when the festival had to be canceled two years in a row due to the pandemic and the fan community gave their festival their full support."

(By the way: Our Nuremberg newsletter regularly informs you about all the important stories from Middle Franconia and the Franconian metropolis. Register here.)

Summer Breeze struggles with exploding costs

Now the metal highlight is back and is already struggling with further difficulties.

The Ukraine war and its consequences also have an impact on the Middle Franconian festival.

Cost explosions and the aftermath of the pandemic are taking their toll on the organizers.

“Production costs have risen enormously and there is no end in sight in terms of price increases in logistics either.

Fuel costs, lack of staff, all of this influences our planning,” explains festival founder Ostertag.

This year's Summer Breeze Festival lineup.

© SUMMER BREEZE Open Air

For the visitors, the worries of the festival organizers are far away.

They're looking forward to four days of unadulterated metal bashing.

From Wednesday, August 17th to Saturday, August 20th, the gates of the airport will be open.

And there are still tickets.

So if you want to see headliners like Blind Guardian, Arch Enemy or Heaven Shall Burn live, you still have the opportunity to do so.

At least until Friday, the metal god in heaven should have an understanding with his disciples.

Then, however, the visitor could be threatened with a cold shower.