Organization

The Wacken Foundation pursues exclusively and directly charitable purposes and serves the purpose of promoting hard and heavy metal music.

The organs of the Foundation are the Foundation Board and the Foundation Council. The Foundation Board manages the business and is responsible for ensuring that the Foundation's purpose is fulfilled on a permanent and sustainable basis. The Board of Trustees supervises the management of the Board of Management and is responsible in particular for ensuring that the Board of Management ensures the permanent and sustainable fulfillment of the purpose of the Foundation.

The Board of Trustees acts in an advisory capacity to the foundation bodies and has no decision-making power. However, the Executive Board regularly makes use of the advisory activities of the Board of Trustees. Applications are first discussed jointly by the Trustees, all of whom have experience in the music industry, and then a recommendation is made to the Board. The board then makes the final decision.

Within the foundation, the organizers of Wacken Open Air act solely as benefactors, whose will is upheld by the foundation's governing bodies. They are not actively involved in the day-to-day business of the Wacken Foundation and do not participate in any way in the foundation's assets.