Load Testing Ticket Sales for the Wacken Open Air – Case Study

12 May 2025

Metal Mania Without System Crash – How Load Tests Master the Ticket Rush

Wacken Open Air (W:O:A). The name alone makes the hearts of heavy metal fans beat faster. But Wacken is more than just a festival – it's an institution, an annual pilgrimage destination for over 80,000 metalheads from all over the world. Besides the impressive line-up and the unique atmosphere, another aspect is legendary: the rush for tickets. Within just a few minutes, the coveted wristbands are sold out, a true "flash sale" of superlatives. The demands on the technical infrastructure are extreme.

A graph of active users (blue line) and total orders (green bars) is overlaid on a blurred image of a rock concert. The graph shows data over 30 minutes, with active users peaking around minute 8 and total orders steadily increasing.

Our case study (German) highlights how white label eCommerce GmbH (wleC), responsible for ticket sales, successfully ensured the performance and stability of the ticket platform in collaboration with the Xceptance GmbH through the use of load tests.

The detailed analysis, realistic scenario and load profile design, as well as iterative test runs, enabled the identification and resolution of potential bottlenecks. The result was a smooth ticket sale for W:O:A 2024. Our case study demonstrates the essential role of load tests for the success of online sales with high traffic and limited supply.

Download the Case Study as PDF (German)

How prepared are your systems, really? Find out – with the load testing services from Xceptance. Let us master all performance challenges together.

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