Dates: 6th – 9th August 2026
Location: Catton Park, Derbyshire
Occasion: 25 YEARS OF BLOODSTOCK! 🎉💀
Well, mun… it’s official – Bloodstock Festival is hitting the big 2-5, and they’ve decided to celebrate the only way they know how: with a lineup so heavy it could crack the Earth’s crust. Catton Park is about to be turned into the heaviest postcode in Britain, and we’re all invited… if we were quick enough to grab early bird tickets (which are already SOLD OUT – tidy job, headbangers! 🏴).
This year’s edition is a proper birthday bash, with legends, rising stars, and pit-ready chaos lined up across the Ronnie James Dio Stage and the Sophie Lancaster Stage.
The Ronnie James Dio Stage – Where Metal Royalty Reigns 👑
We’ve got Judas Priest riding in like the heavy metal gods they are, ready to deliver another sermon of steel. Expect leather, studs, and Rob Halford’s voice soaring higher than your blood pressure when you see that stage set.
Lamb of God are returning to Bloodstock for a full-on groove metal onslaught. You will be in the pit. You will leave bruised. And you’ll be smiling like a maniac the whole time.
Slaughter to Prevail are bringing their skull-crushing deathcore with a side of bear masks and breakdowns so filthy you’ll need a shower after.
Sepultura – the Brazilian legends are still tearing it up decades on, and this time they’re bringing the chaos of South American thrash straight to Derbyshire.
From the molten heart of Scottish metal, Bleed From Within will get the crowd’s blood pumping, while Biohazard will hit you with that hardcore crossover swagger.
The thrashers? Oh, we’ve got Municipal Waste for beer-chugging, stage-diving madness, and Death Angel for razor-sharp Bay Area riffage.
The new generation is repping too – Vended (yep, the Slipknot spawn) will unleash some fresh fury, while Orbit Culture, Northlane, and Of Mice & Men keep things sonically diverse but equally crushing.
And let’s not forget Life of Agony, Imperial Age, and Irish mad lads The Scratch – each bringing their own flavour to the chaos.
The Sophie Lancaster Stage – Diversity, Darkness, and a Bit of Weird 🤯
The Sophie stage is always where the surprises live, and this year is no different.
Extreme metal titans Autopsy will be dragging their death-doom filth across the stage, Wednesday 13 will be getting spooky with horror-punk theatrics, and Leprous will proggy-prog your brain into bliss.
Carpenter Brut will prove that synthwave can still make you bang your head, while Shining will mess with your mind in all the best ways.
Heavy Load, Black Spiders, and The Hell will keep the rock ‘n’ roll spirit alive between the blast beats and breakdowns, and Necrophobic will deliver Swedish blackened death carnage.
Oh, and did we mention My Dying Bride? Expect epic misery in its purest, most beautiful form. Bring tissues… and a pint.
25 Years of Blood, Sweat, and Riffs 🏴☠️
From its humble beginnings in 2001 as a one-day indoor show to becoming the UK’s premier metal festival, Bloodstock has never lost its spirit. It’s still run by fans, for fans – no corporate fluff, no watered-down lineups. Just pure, unfiltered heavy music across every subgenre you can imagine.
Over the years, Bloodstock has given us historic sets from the likes of Sabaton, Behemoth, Slayer, Gojira, Megadeth, King Diamond, and more. It’s been the launchpad for underground bands, a reunion spot for metal families, and the perfect excuse to drink warm cider in a field while shouting along to songs about Satan and dragons.
This 25th anniversary isn’t just a festival – it’s a celebration of everything we love about heavy music.
Early Birds – Gone in a Flash! 🐦🚫
As of now, Early Bird Tickets are SOLD OUT – no surprise there. If you were quick enough to grab one, congrats… you’re in for one hell of a weekend. Standard tickets will go on sale soon, and if history is anything to go by, they’ll be snapped up faster than a free pint at the Sophie bar.
Bloodstock 2026 – The Breakdown So Far:
Ronnie James Dio Stage Highlights:
Judas Priest Lamb of God Slaughter to Prevail Sepultura Bleed From Within Biohazard Municipal Waste Death Angel Vended Of Mice & Men Northlane Life of Agony Orbit Culture Imperial Age The Scratch
Sophie Lancaster Stage Highlights:
Autopsy Wednesday 13 Leprous Carpenter Brut My Dying Bride Necrophobic Shining Heavy Load The Hell Black Spiders
C’mon butt! This is shaping up to be the ultimate celebration of Bloodstock’s legacy. Whether you’re there for the old-school legends or the new blood ready to rip the place apart, you’re going to be part of history.
Bloodstock 25th Anniversary – Let’s make it louder, heavier, and more unhinged than ever. See you in the pit! 🤘🔥
📍 More info & tickets: www.bloodstock.uk.com
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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