Wacken founders give up blocking minority as Superstruct takes nearly 90%
Holger Huebner and Thomas Jensen have cut their stakes in Wacken promoter ICS to 5% each. Majority owner Superstruct has raised its holding to nearly 90%.
Photo: Markus Felix | PushingPixels / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Video: YouTube · WackenTV · youtube.com
Wacken Open Air founders Holger Huebner and Thomas Jensen have sold more of their shares in the festival's promoter, ICS. According to MusikWoche and Metal Hammer, citing reporting by public broadcaster NDR Schleswig-Holstein and the current shareholder list, each founder's stake fell from 15.5% to 5%. The buyer is majority owner Superstruct Entertainment, which now holds nearly 90% of ICS. Superstruct, which is majority-owned by investment firm KKR, bought into the festival in 2019.
The move costs the two founders their blocking minority, which allowed them to veto changes such as amendments to the company's articles of association; MusikWoche reported that they keep a right of approval over share transfers. Jensen confirmed the transaction to NDR, calling it a fixed part of the contractual agreements. Of the partnership with Superstruct, he said its support during the coronavirus pandemic alone had been vital to their survival.
Wacken Open Air 2026 sold out with 85,000 attendees. The next edition runs July 28-31, 2027, with Electric Callboy, Five Finger Death Punch and Helloween confirmed as headliners so far. The video is the official aftermovie of this year's festival.