Bloodstock Festival isn’t messing about for its 25th anniversary extravaganza. Catton Park is going nuclear in August 2026, and the latest announcement just proved it. The mighty Saxon are back, and they’re not just back anywhere – they’re headlining the first-ever Thursday main stage slot in Bloodstock history.

And as if that wasn’t enough to send ale flying in the pit, organisers dropped 26 more bands across the Ronnie James Dio and Sophie Lancaster stages. That’s a tidal wave of metal covering everything from nostalgic NWOBHM to inflatable deathcore madness.

Let’s dive into this monster update and get hyped for the quarter-century celebrations. 🏴🔥

🦅 SAXON: BLOODSTOCK’S FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT

When Saxon headlined the very first Bloodstock back in 2001, the festival was a much smaller beast. Fast forward to 2026, and they’re back to christen the Thursday main stage on the festival’s silver jubilee.

This is symbolic on so many levels:

  • It’s a nod to Bloodstock’s roots.
  • It’s proof that the old guard can still rip it harder than bands half their age.
  • And it shows just how much the festival has grown – Thursday used to be warm-ups in the Sophie tent. Now it’s arena-ready legends blasting “Wheels of Steel” across Derbyshire.

Imagine it: Thursday night, Catton Park, thousands of horns in the air, Saxon’s Biff Byford yelling “Stand up and be counted!” – that’s how you open a 25th birthday bash. Proper job!

🎶 THE NEW BLOOD: 26 BANDS UNLEASHED

Here’s the full roll-call of the newly added acts – split by stage – with a quick bio and a cheeky Riff Report take on each.

🔥 MAIN STAGE ADDITIONS

Evil Scarecrow 🦀
Bloodstock favourites who turn the field into a giant robot-dancing pantomime every time they play. Expect cardboard props, audience participation, and the kind of nonsense that makes metal fun.
👉 Take: If you don’t end up doing “The Crab” in the mud, did you even go to Bloodstock?

Heavysaurus 🦖
A Finnish heavy metal band for kids… who perform dressed as dinosaurs. Sounds daft, but they shred harder than some “serious” bands. Perfect for families or drunk uncles who want to roar along.
👉 Take: Imagine Barney the Dinosaur, but with riffs that could flatten a bouncy castle.

Graphic Nature 💻
UK metalcore squad bringing raw chaos with electronic edges. Their sound is equal parts breakdowns and sonic meltdowns.
👉 Take: Perfect soundtrack for smashing your laptop after one too many Teams calls.

Battlesnake 🐍
Australian heavy metal that’s equal parts old-school shred and over-the-top theatre. They dress like biblical snake cultists and play like it’s the end times.
👉 Take: Think Ghost, but if Papa Emeritus was raised on Crocodile Dundee.

Party Cannon 🎈
Scottish slam death with inflatable party gear. Yes, they actually throw giant balloons into the crowd while chugging death riffs.
👉 Take: The only band where you can circle pit and get hit by a giant inflatable banana.

SKYND 🕷️
Dark industrial act obsessed with true crime and macabre themes. Unsettling, theatrical, and unforgettable.
👉 Take: The band your nan would ban you from watching – which means you absolutely should.

Inhuman Nature ⚡
Thrash metal with crossover hardcore vibes, perfect for beer-soaked pits.
👉 Take: Like Slayer if they grew up in Wetherspoons.

Kittie 🐱
Canadian nu-metal queens making their long-awaited return. Expect “Brackish” to cause a generational pit meltdown.
👉 Take: Proof that nu-metal never died – it just put on eyeliner and waited.

Castle Rat 🏰🐀
New York doom with a medieval fantasy aesthetic. Think pointy hats, swords, and riffs slower than a hungover Monday morning.
👉 Take: Like if Dungeons & Dragons had its own doom metal soundtrack.

Bootyard Bandits 🤠
Cowboy-themed party metal straight out of Worcester. Think Steel Panther but with more hay bales.
👉 Take: Expect banjos, chaps, and possibly a mechanical bull in the pit.

🩸 SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE ADDITIONS

NeckBreakker 💀
Thrash metal precision from Germany, straight to the point.
👉 Take: Does exactly what it says on the tin – wear a neck brace.

URNE 🔥
London heavyweights blending sludge, prog, and groove. One of the UK’s rising underground gems.
👉 Take: Imagine Mastodon with less beard oil and more riffs.

Celestial Sanctuary 🌌
Old-school death metal revivalists from Cambridge. Brutal, groovy, and uncompromising.
👉 Take: Cambridge: home of punting, posh accents, and now disgusting death metal.

Stampin’ Ground 👊
UK hardcore legends making a return. Expect furious pits and pure aggression.
👉 Take: Bring a gumshield – this will hurt.

Dream State 🌊
Welsh post-hardcore with soaring choruses and emotional punch. A refreshing change of pace amidst the brutality.
👉 Take: Proof that not everything from Wales is rugby or bins.

Viking Skull ⚔️
Metal ‘n’ roll chaos from Corby, known for beer-soaked anthems and filthy riffs.
👉 Take: Like Motörhead but with more kebabs.

Mushroomhead 🎭
Masked US nu-metal pioneers bringing theatrical weirdness. Expect water drums, costumes, and chaos.
👉 Take: Slipknot’s eccentric cousins who always show up late to the family barbecue.

Trivax 🕯️
Persian-born black metal now based in the UK, mixing extreme riffs with political bite.
👉 Take: Black metal with brains as well as blastbeats.

Froglord 🐸
Stoner doom with frog-themed lore. Yes, frogs. Expect croaks, sludge, and psychedelic madness.
👉 Take: Ribbit riffs that’ll leave you hopping.

Hidden Intent 🇦🇺
Australian thrash maniacs with speed, fury, and tongue-in-cheek humour.
👉 Take: Like Slayer got sunburnt at Bondi Beach.

Sellsword 🗡️
Medieval-themed heavy metal from the UK, with tales of knights and quests.
👉 Take: You will 100% see a bloke in full chainmail headbanging.

Seething Akira 🎧
Electronic metalcore crossover with wild energy. Think Pendulum meets Parkway Drive.
👉 Take: The rave tent crashed Bloodstock, and we’re not mad about it.

Hammer 🔨
Straightforward heavy metal – pounding riffs, big choruses.
👉 Take: Does what it says: smashes you in the skull.

Bound in Fear 😱
UK deathcore monsters delivering pure brutality.
👉 Take: Guaranteed to scare off at least three casual dads in the crowd.

Imperium 🦅
UK heavy metal with soaring vocals and trad influences.
👉 Take: Iron Maiden’s younger cousins who want their turn.

Excrementory Grindfuckers 💩
German grindcore parody band with ridiculous songs, silly covers, and chaos.
👉 Take: With a name like that, you know exactly what you’re getting – unfiltered filth and fun.

🏕️ FESTIVAL DETAILS

  • 📍 Where? Catton Park, Derbyshire
  • 📅 When? 6–9 August 2026
  • 🎂 Why so special? It’s Bloodstock’s 25th anniversary – and they’re pulling out all the stops.

Tickets are selling like Greggs sausage rolls at 2am. Early-bird, VIP, and camper van passes are already gone, and weekend tickets are over 90% sold. Translation: stop dithering, mun.

🕶️ ANNIVERSARY VIBES

Bloodstock has always balanced serious metal with ridiculous fun, and this announcement nails it. You’ve got:

  • Legends (Saxon, Kittie, Mushroomhead).
  • Underground filth (Celestial Sanctuary, Trivax).
  • Total madness (Party Cannon, Froglord, Excrementory Grindfuckers).

It’s a perfect snapshot of what makes Bloodstock unique: a metal festival that never takes itself too seriously, but still delivers the goods.

🔮 WHAT’S NEXT?

This is only wave two. We already know Judas Priest, Lamb of God, and Slaughter to Prevail are booked – but for now, let’s celebrate the new blood.

Expect more announcements to drip through winter, but Bloodstock has already proved one thing: the 25th anniversary is going to be chaos.

🎤 FINAL RIFF

Saxon back on the Bloodstock stage, 26 new bands covering everything from kids’ dinosaur metal to grindcore parody filth, and the first ever Thursday main stage headline? That’s how you celebrate 25 years of UK metal’s finest festival.

See you in the pit, mun. Bring beer, bring chainmail, and bring a sense of humour – because Bloodstock 2026 is going to be tidy. 🤘🔥