{"id":11191,"date":"2026-10-15T09:13:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T09:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tadano.com\/latam\/news\/atf-100g-4-at-wacken-open-air\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T09:14:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T09:14:23","slug":"atf-100g-4-at-wacken-open-air","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.tadano.com\/latam\/en\/news\/atf-100g-4-at-wacken-open-air\/","title":{"rendered":"ATF 100G-4 at Wacken Open Air"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wacken is more than just a festival. Once a year, the small village in the north of Germany becomes a gathering place for heavy metal fans from around the globe\u2014and the “Holy Ground” transforms into a massive stage for some of the scene’s biggest bands. To ensure everything is ready on time, setup and assembly operations go into full swing well before the first fans arrive. Stages are erected, platforms assembled, technical equipment installed, and countless components hoisted into place. Right in the thick of it is the Wilhelm crane rental company from St. Michaelisdonn with its fleet\u2014including a Tadano ATF 100 G-4.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bullhead \u2013 Landmark and Heavyweight<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most spectacular tasks each year is hoisting the Bullhead. Weighing around 2.5 tonnes and standing approximately ten meters tall, this steel skull is the world-famous landmark of Wacken Open Air, towering over the main stages during the festival. The sight of it has become just as much a part of Wacken as the music itself. In 2026, the crane rental company Wilhelm took on the prestigious task of returning the Bullhead to its position. For this operation, the team relied on a Tadano ATF 100 G-4 and a Tadano HK 50 for additional assembly work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Precision Work on “Holy Ground”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Wilhelm, however, the job doesn’t start only when the Bullhead is on the hook. The Tadano ATF 100 G-4 was already in use during the assembly of the structure to which the skull would later be attached. On the festival grounds, materials and components must be positioned with great precision in tight spaces\u2014all while numerous other trades are working simultaneously. “Wacken is truly something special\u2014and we handle the entire setup here, right down to the very last light fixture,” he reports with pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The major challenge when building a stage is the logistics, because it is very difficult to be in the right place at the right time with the right materials,” explains Markus Olma, the event organizer’s head of stage construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things get particularly demanding with the Bullhead itself. Crane operator Marco Levin must maneuver the 2.5-tonne skull in a controlled and precise manner toward the assembly crew, who are working at a height of around 28 meters on catwalks just 60 centimeters wide. “You have to operate with great precision and bring the load to the crew extremely carefully,” Levin reports. Olma adds: “The guys are up there at 28 meters on catwalks only 60 centimeters wide, and then this 2.5-tonne piece comes floating in. It\u2019s a real challenge.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We\u2019re going through with it now”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An additional challenge arose on the day of the “Bullhead” lift: strong winds, gusting at around eleven meters per second, were sweeping across the festival grounds. When a window of opportunity opened with the wind subsiding, the team seized the moment. “We\u2019re going through with it now,” was the motto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Levin precisely positioned his ATF 100 G-4, with its main boom extended to 36.9 meters and carrying its full 26.5-ton counterweight. First, he lifted the skull, then the two horns, safely hoisting them up so the stage builders could mount them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Marko handled the skull lift masterfully today. I have to say: hats off to him,” says Olma. “He is truly a superb crane operator.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proven technology when it counts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the ATF 100 G-4, however, the job in Wacken was not an unusual outing. The crane has been part of Wilhelm\u2019s fleet for years and is regularly used for a wide variety of lifting tasks. Especially during a stage assembly process spanning several weeks and involving numerous individual steps, what matters most is reliable technology that works exactly when it is needed. “The crane operates without a hitch, summer or winter\u2014we\u2019ve never had any trouble with our ATF 100,” says Levin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Florian Lodes, Tadano Service Coordinator, is also intimately familiar with the machine. He has been looking after Wilhelm\u2019s ATF 100 G-4 since 2018, serving as the company\u2019s point of contact for many years. He highlights the four-axle crane\u2019s operational flexibility: “With its 26.5-tonne counterweight, the four-axle unit is completely self-sufficient. That means it carried the entire counterweight needed for this job on its trailer.” At the same time, he emphasizes how proud he is that Tadano cranes are being used to set up the Wacken Open Air festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Well-Oiled Partnership<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Wilhelm, the collaboration with Tadano has long since become more than just a one-off job. “We run almost exclusively Tadano cranes in our fleet\u2014not only because of the high quality and immense performance capabilities of these machines, but also because of the excellent Tadano service we have happily relied on for many years,” says Jasmin Wilhelm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the combination of reliable technology, experienced crane operators, and dependable service that makes the difference, even when tackling unusual tasks. Setting up for Wacken requires many elements to work together perfectly\u2014and sometimes, a narrow window of time determines whether a lift can go ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the stage builders, the “Bullhead” lift is just a small part of a massive setup operation. For Wacken, it is a moment that is an integral part of the festival itself. And for Marco Levin and his Tadano ATF 100 G-4, the task was once again to ensure that the famous bull got its horns back on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further information and tickets for Wacken Open Air are available at www.wacken.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","news_topics":[55],"class_list":["post-11191","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","news_topics-job-story"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nATF 100G-4 at Wacken Open Air<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tadano.com\/latam\/en\/news\/atf-100g-4-at-wacken-open-air\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ATF 100G-4 at Wacken Open Air\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wacken is more than just a festival. 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