When you hear the name of the festival, there’s a certain thrill that travels through the spine and into the mind. It’s indescribable for any fan-goer, volunteer or working artist. For a music photographer from the other side of the globe, what did it feel like? The way it can described to you as… it was like a push. An appetite for taking risks. A force testing your creativity. More importantly, it was a drive to prove your worth with camera in hand. It was 2019 when I first tested the waters on holy ground. While we were met with the pandemic in 2020, I was motivated to come back. We’re here in 2022 and when the director exclaimed “OPEN THE GATES!” I murmured - home. This was one of the most inspiring experiences that I got to be a part of. It was worth the wait! This has given me enough determination to put my name forward to other European festivals. I am already making those plans.

Wacken Open Air, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for everything. Thank you to Total Rock for giving this 36 year old music photographer from Manchester, UK the opportunity to capture the action. You can see the reviews and photo galleries of each day. And thanks to you, the reader, for taking the time to view my mega post of this mighty festival!

Next year’s Wacken is already sold out so… same time again next year?

Equipment: Nikon Z6II (x2), Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S lens, Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S lens & Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens.