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Bloodstock Festival 2026

Bloodstock Open Air returns to Catton Park in August 2026 for its 25th anniversary. This guide covers the dates, location, lineup by day and stage, festival poster, bands playing, tickets, camping, travel and useful FAQs — with RockHeardle band links so metal fans can discover who to listen to before the weekend.

View Lineup Bands Playing Tickets + Camping
Bloodstock Open Air Festival crowd and metal stage at Catton Park
Dates6–9 August 2026
LocationCatton Park, Derbyshire
Festival25th anniversary year
HeadlinersSaxon · Lamb of God · Slaughter to Prevail · Judas Priest

What is Bloodstock Open Air?

Bloodstock Open Air is one of the UK’s biggest dedicated heavy metal festivals. Unlike broader rock festivals, Bloodstock is built around metal first: classic metal, extreme metal, thrash, death metal, metalcore, progressive metal and underground discoveries.

Bloodstock 2026 takes place from Thursday 6 August to Sunday 9 August at Catton Park in Derbyshire. The 2026 edition is especially notable because it marks the festival’s 25th anniversary year.

The official 2026 lineup page lists bands by stage and day, including the Ronnie James Dio Stage, Sophie Lancaster Stage, New Blood Stage and EMP Stage. This page turns that information into a fan-friendly guide with searchable band names and internal RockHeardle links.

Bloodstock Festival 2026 Poster

Bloodstock Festival 2026 lineup poster

Bloodstock Festival 2026 Lineup by Day and Stage

Click a day below to see the stages and bands currently listed for that day. Linked artists open RockHeardle band pages or best songs guides where available.

Ronnie James Dio Stage

Saxon Evil Scarecrow Heavysaurus

Sophie Lancaster Stage

Cryptopsy Black Spiders The Hell Mantis Defeats Jaguar

Ronnie James Dio Stage

Lamb of God Sepultura Municipal Waste Biohazard Fit for an Autopsy Life of Agony SKYND Party Cannon Battlesnake

Sophie Lancaster Stage

Wednesday 13 Shining Neckbreaker Seething Akira Excrementory Grindfuckers Hidden Intent Sellsword Hammer Blood Countess Gurt

New Blood Stage

Concrete Age Temples on Mars Void Below

EMP Stage

Vanitas Soulride After Smoke Clears Change Persona Untamed Silence

Ronnie James Dio Stage

Slaughter to Prevail Bleed From Within Nevermore Northlane Vended Urne The Scratch Imperial Age Inhuman Nature

Sophie Lancaster Stage

Leprous Of Mice & Men Death Angel Stampin Ground Viking Skull Bound in Fear Imperium Outergods Froglord

New Blood Stage

Imbrium Chained Saint Imperial Demonic Thrasherwolf

EMP Stage

Dosed Troll Mother Tempest Saint Cancel the Transmission Goat Major

Ronnie James Dio Stage

Judas Priest Body Count Black Label Society Testament Orbit Culture Kittie Castle Rat Graphic Nature Bootyard Bandits

Sophie Lancaster Stage

Carpenter Brut 200 Stab Wounds Mushroomhead Dream State Thrown Into Exile Noisepicker Trivax Alunah Flayed Disciple Acid Throne

New Blood Stage

Overpower

EMP Stage

Aethoria The Cartoon Cartel Following the Signs Wrex Stitched

Bands with links open RockHeardle artist pages. Unlinked bands can be linked later as new band guides are added. Lineups, stages and running orders can change, so check the official Bloodstock site before travelling.

Bands Playing Bloodstock Festival 2026

Use Bloodstock 2026 as a heavy music discovery list. Click through to RockHeardle band pages where available, then explore best songs, albums and related bands before the festival weekend.

Judas Priest Band guide Lamb of God Band guide Sepultura Band guide Saxon Band guide Slaughter to Prevail Lineup artist Body Count Lineup artist Black Label Society Lineup artist Testament Lineup artist Municipal Waste Lineup artist Biohazard Lineup artist Northlane Lineup artist Bleed From Within Lineup artist Cryptopsy Lineup artist Leprous Lineup artist Carpenter Brut Lineup artist Mushroomhead Lineup artist

Best Bands to See at Bloodstock 2026

Bloodstock is packed with heavy music, but these acts are useful starting points if you are planning your weekend.

Judas PriestEssential for classic heavy metal fans and one of the most iconic bands on the 2026 bill.
Lamb of GodBest for groove metal, modern metal riffs and a huge Friday headline moment.
SaxonA major name in British heavy metal and a strong Thursday anniversary-weekend draw.
SepulturaBest for thrash, groove and extreme metal fans looking for one of the most important heavy bands on the lineup.
Slaughter to PrevailBest for modern extreme metalcore and one of the heaviest headline-style sets of the weekend.
Carpenter BrutA strong pick if you want something darker, cinematic and electronic within the Bloodstock weekend.

Bloodstock 2026 Tickets

Bloodstock tickets can include weekend tickets, day tickets, VIP camping and other options depending on availability. Ticket types and rules can change, so always use the official Bloodstock ticket pages for final details.

Weekend ticketsBest for the full Bloodstock camping experience from Thursday to Sunday.
Day ticketsUseful if your favourite bands are concentrated on one specific day.
VIP campingBloodstock lists VIP camping information separately, so check availability before booking.
Ticket rulesRead the official weekend, day and VIP ticket terms before buying.

Camping at Bloodstock Festival

Bloodstock is a camping festival, and the campsite is a major part of the weekend. Because the festival is metal-focused, many fans treat it as a full community weekend rather than just a set of individual shows.

  • Pack for weather: August can still bring rain, mud, heat and cold nights.
  • Bring proper sleeping gear: a tent, sleeping bag and roll mat make a big difference.
  • Know your campsite: take photos of nearby signs or landmarks when you arrive.
  • Check campsite rules: food, drink, stoves, glass and campsite items can be restricted.
  • Respect the community: Bloodstock has a strong metal community feel, so look after your space and other fans.

Travel to Bloodstock Festival

Bloodstock takes place at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, Derbyshire. Visitors commonly travel by car, coach, train connections or organised travel options. Plan early because rural festival travel can be more complicated than city venues.

By carPlan parking, arrival time and exit route before travelling to Catton Park.
By trainCheck nearest station options and onward travel before booking rail tickets.
By coachCoach options can simplify travel if you do not want to drive.
By taxi or liftPre-plan pick-up points and expect busy roads around arrival and departure times.

First Time at Bloodstock?

If Bloodstock is your first metal festival, start by choosing your must-see bands, checking the lineup by stage and deciding whether you want the full camping weekend or a single day. Because Bloodstock has several stages, you will probably have clashes, so give yourself time to move around.

New to festivals? Read the first time festival guide and the festival packing list before you go.

Bloodstock Festival 2026 FAQs

When is Bloodstock Festival 2026?Bloodstock Open Air 2026 takes place from Thursday 6 August to Sunday 9 August 2026.
Where is Bloodstock Festival?Bloodstock is held at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, Derbyshire, England.
Who is headlining Bloodstock 2026?The Ronnie James Dio Stage includes Saxon on Thursday, Lamb of God on Friday, Slaughter to Prevail on Saturday and Judas Priest on Sunday.
Is Bloodstock good for metal fans?Yes. Bloodstock is one of the UK’s strongest festivals for dedicated metal fans, with classic, extreme, underground and modern heavy bands.
Can you camp at Bloodstock?Yes. Bloodstock is a camping festival with weekend ticket and camping options depending on availability.
Can I discover Bloodstock bands before the festival?Yes. Use this page’s lineup links, RockHeardle band guides and best songs pages to explore the bands before the weekend.