Among the companies supporting these operations is Wilhelm, a crane rental specialist based in St. Michaelisdonn, Germany. Its fleet includes the Tadano ATF 100 G-4 all-terrain crane, which was deployed for a key lifting operation at the 2026 festival.
One of the most prominent tasks involved installing the Bullhead, Wacken Open Air's iconic steel skull landmark. Weighing around 2.5 tonnes and standing approximately 10 metres tall, the structure overlooks the festival's main stages and has become a defining feature of the event.
In 2026, Wilhelm was entrusted with lifting the Bullhead back into position. The team used a Tadano ATF 100 G-4 for the operation, supported by a Tadano HK 50 for additional assembly work.
Precision Work on "Holy Ground"
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—all while numerous other trades are working simultaneously. "Wacken is truly something special—and we handle the entire setup here, right down to the very last light fixture," he reports with pride."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.
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’s a real challenge."
"We’re going through with it now"
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’re going through with it now," was the motto.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.
"Marko handled the skull lift masterfully today. I have to say: hats off to him," says Olma. "He is truly a superb crane operator."
Proven technology when it counts
For the ATF 100 G-4, however, the job in Wacken was not an unusual outing. The crane has been part of Wilhelm’s 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—we’ve never had any trouble with our ATF 100," says Levin.Florian Lodes, Tadano Service Coordinator, is also intimately familiar with the machine. He has been looking after Wilhelm’s ATF 100 G-4 since 2018, serving as the company’s point of contact for many years. He highlights the four-axle crane’s 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.
A Well-Oiled Partnership
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—not 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.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—and sometimes, a narrow window of time determines whether a lift can go ahead.
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.
