Picture it now: the November rain is battering down, the nights are darker than Ozzyโs eyeliner, but instead of sulking in front of the telly youโre rocking up to Trecco Bay Holiday Park, Porthcawl with a crate of Trooper Beer and a devil-horn grin. Why? Because Planet Rockstock 2025 is back, mun!
From Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th November, Wales once again becomes the beating heart of classic rock, blues, and heavy riffs. If Steelhouse is summerโs crown jewel, then Rockstock is winterโs rowdy little brother โ loud, sweaty, and fuelled by curry and chaos.
๐ค The Headliners โ Big Guns of Rockstock
This yearโs lineup is stacked tighter than your tent at Download:
- Thursday โ The Quireboys (yes butt, still swaggering and still loud)
- Friday โ Massive Wagons (Lancasterโs finest, armed with riffs big enough to knock over caravans)
- Saturday โ Ugly Kid Joe (expect singalongs so wild theyโll wake up Barry Island)
- Sunday โ Dave Hillโs Slade (because nothing says festive closer like โMerry Xmas Everybodyโ at full volume ๐๐ค)
๐ถ Main Stage Mayhem
Each dayโs stacked with filthy good support โ like a rockโnโroll advent calendar where every door hides a guitar solo.
- Thursday: Bywater Call, Dan Patlansky LSS, Steve Young & The Real Time Players
- Friday: Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse, Virginmarys, The Hot Damn!, Gypsy Pistoleros
- Saturday: Wayward Sons, Dan Byrne, LN, Black Orchid Empire
- Sunday: Danko Jones (yes!!), Danny Bryant, The Karma Effect
๐ธ The Graham Harding Stage โ Second Stage, Maximum Carnage
This ainโt a โside stageโ, mun โ this is where you discover your new favourite band at 1am with a pint of Trooper in one hand and a strangerโs inflatable guitar in the other.
- Thursday: Departed, Doomsday Outlaw, Stone Angels, Thieves of Liberty
- Friday: Autumn Killers, Haxan, Honeybadger, Voltstorm
- Saturday: Attic Theory, Black Dog Moon, Bobbie Dazzle, DeVere, Sweet Electric, The Heavy Souls
- Sunday: Athenaโs Revenge, Burnt Out Wreck, Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast, Global Burn Theory, Pips, Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts
๐ Curry Night with K.K. Downing โ Proper Job!
Before the weekend even officially kicks off, Rockstock throws down a Curry Night on Wednesday 26th November, headlined by none other than Judas Priest legend K.K. Downing. Imagine: tearing into a chicken madras while Downing tells tales of metal glory. Only 25 tickets exist for this one โ blink and youโll miss it.
๐บ Beer, Banter & Battered Chips
No Rockstock without Trooper Beer, the official fuel of the festival. Expect singalongs in the chalets, messy dance-offs in the arcade, and possibly the odd conga line through the chip shop.
And letโs be honest: itโs Porthcawl. Youโll probably end up in the sea at 3am, trousers gone, kebab still in hand. Proper Welsh festival behaviour.
๐๏ธ Tickets & Accommodation
- Weekend passes? Gone faster than a limited-edition Sabbath vinyl.
- Accommodation packages (Gold, Silver, Bronze chalets)? Sold out tighter than Reading Festival toilets.
- Day tickets? Still floating around โ starting at ยฃ40 for Thursday, ยฃ65โยฃ90 for the big guns across the weekend.
If you didnโt snag a chalet, no worries. Rockstock veterans know the drill: book a nearby B&B, crash in a caravan, or just kip in your mateโs boot with a sleeping bag.
๐ด Why Rockstock Hits Different
- Itโs in Wales โ and nothing beats Welsh rock crowds. Loud, passionate, and friendly until you nick their chips.
- Itโs intimate โ a holiday park gig where youโll probably see Danko Jones in the chip queue.
- Itโs legendary โ from past headline sets (Uriah Heep, Saxon, Michael Schenker) to those drunken singalongs in the Mash & Barrel bar, Rockstock memories stick harder than spilled beer on a laminate floor.
โก Final Shout
So, whatโs occurring? Simple: Planet Rockstock 2025 is the ultimate winter blowout. Grab your day tickets, load up on Trooper, and bring your loudest voice. Because when that Slade encore rings out across Trecco Bay, youโll be yelling โYESS MUN!โ at the top of your lungs.
See you in Porthcawl. ๐ค๐ฅ๐ป
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 specialโfrom 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 heโs 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, heโs 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 heโs not writing or interviewing artists, youโll 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 musicโtheyโre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatโs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. ๐ค
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