BLOODSTOCK launches 2025 ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ grass roots scheme across the UK

BLOODSTOCK wants to find the hottest new metal talent to appear across festival weekend next August! With weekend tickets for BLOODSTOCK 2025 now sold out, festival HQ is getting cracking on this year’s instalment of the phenomenally successful Metal 2 The Masses (M2TM) scheme, to fill out the bands who’ll be appearing on the New Blood Stage, in conjunction with sponsor Timothy Taylor.

No other festival does more to support grass roots metal and local venues in the UK. BLOODSTOCK was honoured to be recognised for this at the Heavy Music Awards earlier this summer, taking home top accolade The H Award, for exceptional positive contribution to the heavy music scene by way of the M2TM initiative.



Bloodstock’s Simon Hall at The Heavy Music Awards – photo by Dev Place
There are 31 regions already confirmed to take part this year, ensuring regional heats the length and breadth of the country (plus Cyprus and Poland for good measure), making this the biggest Metal 2 The Masses scheme yet! 

The list of participating regions this year include: LONDON | CYPRUS | BRISTOL | COVENTRY | BURNLEY | DEV & CORNWALL | MERSEYSIDE | BRIGHTON | OXFORD | NORTHANTS NOTTINGHAM | STOKE | CHELTENHAM KENT | NEWCASTLE | HITCHIN | SOUTH WALES NORTH WALES | NORWAY | SOMERSET | BIRMINGHAM | EAST ANGLIA | ESSEX | MANCHESTER | SOUTHAMPTON | LEICESTER | SHEFFIELD | LEEDS | BELFAST | SCOTLAND | POLAND

If you’re in a self-released or unsigned band and want to try out for a slot on the BLOODSTOCK bill, get in touch with the region nearest you and get yourselves involved!  After a series of heats, one winner from each region will secure themselves a slot on the New Blood stage and some of the very best runners-up may also get lucky, space permitting.

Bands should get their applications into their nearest regional promoter ASAP, as the first heats kick off in the coming weeks.  Any local promoters in regions not yet represented can email Simon Hall ([email protected]) for information if they wish to host the scheme in their local area.

Full details of venues, and who to contact to enter in each region, can be found by clicking the locations above, here, or on Facebook.

BLOODSTOCK’s 2025 Ronnie James Dio stage headliners are TRIVIUM, MACHINE HEAD, and GOJIRA. Headlining the Sophie Lancaster stage will be ME AND THAT MAN, KATAKLYSM, STATIC-X, and OBITUARY.

You’ll also be able to see MASTODON, NAILBOMB, MINISTRY, EMPEROR, FEAR FACTORY, LACUNA COIL, HERIOT, ORANGE GOBLIN, CREEPER, KUBLAI KHAN TX, CAGE FIGHT, RIVERS OF NIHIL, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, FEUERSCHWANZ, LORD OF THE LOST, PALEFACE SWISS, AUGUST BURNS RED, WARBRINGER, UNDEATH, SPIRIT ADRIFT, THROWN, ALL FOR METAL, BREED 77, HIGH PARASITE, and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD.

Joining them are the most recently announced SHRAPNEL, FAMYNE, KONVENT, THE SPIRIT, GHOSTS OF ATLANTIS, ONE MACHINE, MY DILIGENCE, SHADE EMPIRE, EIHWAR, WATERLINES, PHOENIX LAKE, NEONFLY, WALL, DOGMA, and SIGLOS.

Stay tuned for many more bands and on site activities to be announced over the coming months.

Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com.  Watch a trailer here.

BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 7th-10th August 2025.

BLOODSTOCK’s Halloween Treats

It’s showtime! In honour of it being Halloween week, BLOODSTOCK was going to treat you to a spooktacular vampire pun. But it sucks. 

So let’s creep it real with some more bands joining the bill, because we all know that you ghouls just wanna have fun. And in case you missed the fangtastic news about more weekend tickets being released, read on for further details and mark your calendar for 9am, November 5th, for that’s when they go on sale! No tricks!
Hot on the heels of the monstrously good news about MASTODON joining the bill last Friday, here’s another 15 bands to bewitch you… 

BLOODSTOCK is pleased to welcome thrash-lovin’ Norwich metal maestros SHRAPNEL, innovative Canterbury doomsters FAMYNE, and Danish blackened death/doom metal merchants KONVENT to the Ronnie James Dio stage on Friday. Emerging from Germany’s extreme metal void with a fresh take on all things black/death, THE SPIRIT are added to Saturday’s bill. Sunday’s lineup now includes atmospheric, dark symphonic metallers GHOSTS OF ATLANTIS, and ONE MACHINE, the heavy metal brainchild of Steve Smyth (Nevermore, Forbidden, Testament) which also features members of Biomechanical, Savage Messiah, and Savage Grace in its ranks. 

BLOODSTOCK also has these spine-tingling acts to unmask for the Sophie Lancaster stage! If you like your heavy psych, don’t miss Belgium’s prog stoners MY DILIGENCE, performing on Friday. Joining them that day are well established Finnish symphonic black metal squad SHADE EMPIRE and Vikings EIHWAR, who promise “pagan dancefloor” music, composed of Nordic folk sounds, ritual chants, shamanic drums, and electro machines!

Spicing up Saturday, self-proclaimed “dirtbags of the North” WATERLINES bring their blend of nu-metal and EDM-flavoured metalcore, melodic metal outfit PHOENIX LAKE will no doubt delight fans of Within Temptation and Evanescence, and if that’s not enough, the live spectacle of rock beasts NEONFLY (complete with fire-breathing guitarist) ought to get your pulse racing. Sunday’s no slouch, adding instrumental riff machine WALL (formed by the twins from Desert Storm) and status quo challengers DOGMA, who are keen to wield their music as a weapon against ignorance and oppression.

Last but not least for Sunday, don’t miss SIGLOS, from Ministry alumni Sin Quirin, offering up a unique dose of extreme metal (think black, doom, & industrial) combining ancient indigenous chants and brutal gutterals. 



More boos? Why not treat yourself to a devilishly good bottle of “Iron Maiden Darkest Red” wine this Halloween. Full bodied, rich & moody….not for the faint hearted. You don’t have to be prehistoric, but you do need to be over 18.

Our friends, IRON MAIDEN and THE BOTTLE CLUB, want to give Bloodstockers 6.66% off with code BOA666. Why don’t skeletons fight over drinks? They don’t have the guts! 

Snap up your bottle of “Iron Maiden Darkest Red” here.



Additional weekend ticketsFestival HQ saw a lot of social media posts after weekend tickets for next summer’s event sold out, with fans disappointed they missed out on tickets. While a limited number of day tickets will be made available in due course (once more of the line-up has been announced), festival HQ has managed to acquire some extra camping space in a new field. 

It’s important to note that BLOODSTOCK is not increasing its capacity – the festival will have the same maximum number of headbangers. However, the number of day tickets available each day will be reduced to a smaller quantity to accommodate some additional standard weekend tickets. 

Details of the new standard weekend tickets

This new campsite – called Kyrr – will and needs to be quiet camping. Please be respectful of that. The Ragnarok campsite will also remain quiet camping. The name comes from an Old Norse word meaning calm & peaceful!
To avoid overcrowding in BLOODSTOCK’s existing campsites, the new standard weekend ticket will have a different wristband – you will only be able to camp in Kyrr. 

On arrival, you will collect your wristband directly at this campsite.

Kyrr is situated directly behind Vanaheim (campervans) and is approximately a 10 minute walk from the arena entrance. You will walk through the Hel campsite to get there (not through Vanaheim).

As an additional benefit, there will be a car park right next to the Kyrr campsite. The new weekend ticket will be available to buy with or without parking in this car park. This parking is only valid in this specific Kyrr car park.
The new standard weekend ticket is the same cost as the original standard weekend tickets. This is much cheaper than buying 3 individual day tickets as some fans were considering – and you get Thursday included too!

These tickets will go on sale from the ticket store at 9am on November 5th. We expect them to go quickly so be ready!



EARLY ACCESS!!If you already have a weekend ticket, Wednesday early access is available for an add-on cost of £25 for those who want to max out their BLOODSTOCK experience, staying in any of the standard campsites (including Kyrr) or the campervan field. This option is not available at present for the VIP or accessible campsites. Head to the ticket store to see all currently available options including car parking.
If you’re looking for sold out tickets or need to sell your tickets on, BLOODSTOCK’s secondary ticketing partner, Tixel, might be able to help. Simply set an alert for notification if your tickets of choice become available, or pre-authorise your card in advance, so no need for constant checking back. Tixel also allows you to safely re-sell tickets to a new home if plans have changed. You can sell ALL ticket types, including instalment plan purchases, plus any tickets sold via Ticketmaster or other third party ticket outlets. This partnership helps BLOODSTOCK streamline all resale tickets into one place to guarantee the safety of the sale, avoiding social media scam bots and rip-off pricing. It’s a very simple process for the customer and most importantly, it’s a trusted platform. Click through to https://tixel.com/uk/bloodstock-tickets for more information on how it works. 
BLOODSTOCK’s 2025 Ronnie James Dio stage headliners are TRIVIUM, MACHINE HEAD, and GOJIRA. Headlining the Sophie Lancaster stage will be ME AND THAT MAN, KATAKLYSM, STATIC-X, and OBITUARY. You’ll also be able to see MASTODON, NAILBOMB, MINISTRY, EMPEROR, FEAR FACTORY, LACUNA COIL, HERIOT, ORANGE GOBLIN, CREEPER, KUBLAI KHAN TX, CAGE FIGHT, RIVERS OF NIHIL, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, FEUERSCHWANZ, LORD OF THE LOST, PALEFACE SWISS, AUGUST BURNS RED, WARBRINGER, UNDEATH, SPIRIT ADRIFT, THROWN, ALL FOR METAL, BREED 77, HIGH PARASITE, and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD.

Keep your eyes peeled for many more bands and on site activities will be announced over the coming months.
Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com.  Watch a trailer here.

BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 7th-10th August 2025.

BLOODSTOCK reveal 13 more bands & add exclusive live clips to YouTube

Off the back of BLOODSTOCK’s first announcement of 19 bands for 2025, tickets have been flying out the door in record numbers. Adult standard weekend tickets are now sold out! A limited number of day tickets will be available in due course, once more bands have been announced. Missed out on the type of ticket you wanted? Sign up to TixelBLOODSTOCK’s official resale partner and avoid social media ticket scams! 

For those of you who have already snapped up your tickets, here’s 13 more bands to whet your appetite for next summer’s metal extravaganza!

The Ronnie James Dio stage on Friday is pleased to welcome classic thrashers FLOTSAM & JETSAM. Joining them will be hotly-tipped deathcore upstarts PALEFACE SWISS

Industrial metal icons MINISTRY jet in as RJD stage special guests on Saturday night, in their first ever BLOODSTOCK appearance. Also added to the RJD line-up that day are LA legends FEAR FACTORY (playing their seminal 1995 album ‘Demanufacture’ in full!), fast-rising metalcore moshers HERIOT, full-pelt thrash overlords WARBRINGER, and furious hardcore bruisers CAGE FIGHT.

If you were having trouble picking your favourite day already, Sunday’s main stage additions aren’t going to make it any easier, adding boundary pushing, tech-death squad RIVERS OF NIHIL
Still want more? 

On Friday, the Sophie Lancaster stage is proud to confirm the infamous and uber rare NAILBOMB. Let’s make BLOODSTOCK 2025 as iconic a set for NAILBOMB as Dynamo 1995! Self-proclaimed death popsters HIGH PARASITE (feat. Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride) will get you warmed up earlier in the day. 

For your Saturday shenanigans, the Sophie stage now includes New York-based, death metal crew UNDEATH
Texan doom-come-trad-metal headbangers SPIRIT ADRIFT and brutal Swedish aggressors THROWN join the affray on Sophie, on Sunday. We’ll see you down the front.



If you already have a weekend ticket, Wednesday early access is available for an add-on cost of £25 for those who want to max out their BLOODSTOCK experience, staying in any of the standard campsites or the campervan field. This option is not available at present for the VIP or accessible campsites. Head to the ticket store to see all currently available options including car parking.

If you’re looking for sold out tickets like VIP, weekend, or campervan passes, BLOODSTOCK’s secondary ticketing partner, Tixel, might be able to help.  Simply set an alert for notification if your tickets of choice become available, or pre-authorise your card in advance, so no need for constant checking back. Tixel also allows you to safely re-sell tickets to a new home if plans have changed.

You can sell ALL ticket types, including instalment plan purchases, plus any tickets sold via Ticketmaster or other third party ticket outlets. This partnership helps BLOODSTOCK streamline all resale tickets into one place to guarantee the safety of the sale, avoiding social media scam bots and rip-off pricing. It’s a very simple process for the customer and most importantly, it’s a trusted platform. Click through to https://tixel.com/uk/bloodstock-tickets for more information on how it works.  

To relive 2024’s metal glory, head over to BLOODSTOCK’s official YouTube channel for some exclusive live videos, including most recently, the full set from GREEN LUNG plus choice cuts from CLUTCHWHITECHAPEL, and VINTAGE CARAVAN. There’s also three epic tracks from MEGADETH in 2023, and hours more footage for you to delve into.
BLOODSTOCK’s 2025 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are TRIVIUM, MACHINE HEAD, and GOJIRA. Headlining the Sophie Lancaster stage will be ME AND THAT MAN, KATAKLYSM, STATIC-X, and OBITUARY. You’ll also be able to see EMPEROR, LACUNA COIL, ORANGE GOBLIN, CREEPER, KUBLAI KHAN TX, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, FEUERSCHWANZ, LORD OF THE LOST, AUGUST BURNS RED, ALL FOR METAL, BREED 77, and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD. Stay tuned for news of 100+ more bands and on site activities to be announced over the coming months.

Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com.  

BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 7th-10th August 2025.

All headliners for BLOODSTOCK 2025 & more announced….

With 2024’s event underway and already laying claim as one of the biggest and best BLOODSTOCK‘s ever, festival HQ have set the wheels in motion of 2025’s heavy metal juggernaut by announcing not one, not five, but nineteen bands for its hottest summer yet, including all headliners. BLOODSTOCK 2025 will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 7th-10th August.

Full info on how, when, and where to buy tickets – including cheapest options and when high demand VIP packages go on sale – can also be found below.
Are you sitting down?

BLOODSTOCK is thrilled to reveal Friday’s headliner are the UK’s adopted sons, gargantuan riff goliaths TRIVIUM. Matthew K Heafy declares, “We’ve always said that the UK is a second home to Trivium. It’s where our band really took root way back in 2005 and our relationship with it has only grown deeper over time. Our headline set will span our entire 20 year history and we’ll also celebrate ‘Ascendancy’ by bringing both the music and art to life. Bloodstock is the home of heavy metal in the UK and we’re thrilled to once again be called upon to headline it along with two long time friends. We promise you this will be the biggest and best Trivium set you have ever seen!”

Saturday’s headliners are none other than masters of metal and mayhem, MACHINE HEAD. Robb Flynn enthuses, “We honestly couldn’t be more stoked about hitting the stage at one of our favourite festivals to play. Bloodstock will forever hold a special place in our blackened hearts after our, now legendary, not-so-secret-secret-show on the Sophie Lancaster Stage back in 2022. That show, which marked our return to the live arena post-pandemic, was one of the hottest, wildest and most intense shows we’ve ever played on UK shores and we now want to recreate that magic again, and take it even higher in August 2025. Bloodstock, get ready because Machine F**ckin’ Head is coming to town and we want to see all you Head Cases lose it! BEERS UP!”

Sunday’s headliners dazzled the world with a gold-medal performance at the Olympics opening ceremony just two weeks ago…the almighty GOJIRA! Last headlining BLOODSTOCK with an all killer no filler, jaw-dropping spectacle back in 2018, when Metal Hammer called them “one of the best bands on the planet,” we can only dare imagine what the band will have in store for 2025. Keeping it succinct, Joe Duplantier states, “We are psyched to play Bloodstock again next year! Hold on to your socks, it’s gonna be brutal!!!” Of that there is surely no doubt.

Not content with unveiling the Ronnie James Dio stage headliners, BLOODSTOCK can also excitedly divulge all headliners for the Sophie Lancaster stage!! Wrapping up Thursday night will be Nergal’s bewitching side project, ME AND THAT MAN. Friday night concludes with impressive Canadian death metal beasts KATAKLYSM. Sure to set sparks flying as they close Saturday’s shenanigans, it’s STATIC-X! And there’s nothing like some seminal Floridian death metal to finish your neck off late on Sunday, so that can only mean the last band taking the stage at BLOODSTOCK 2025 will be the legendary OBITUARY.

Swooping in as special guests under TRIVIUM on Friday are influential black metal icons EMPEROR. Start your petition for a bonus Heafy x Ihsahn IBARAKI live track now.

Elsewhere on the RJD Friday bill you’ll be able to catch the ever glorious, gothic metal act LACUNA COIL and in their only UK festival slot for 2025, the unmissable ORANGE GOBLIN.

Shaking things up in the pit on Saturday’s RJD stage will be boisterous horror punks CREEPER and modern metal bruisers KUBLAI KHAN TX.

Joining the Ronnie James Dio line-up on Sunday will be melo-death squad THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, medieval metalheads FEUERSCHWANZ, theatrical dark rockers LORD OF THE LOST, and metalcore mainstays AUGUST BURNS RED.

BLOODSTOCK is also delighted to reveal special guests on the Sophie Lancaster stage will be Norse-inspired warriors ALL FOR METAL (Thursday), flamenco metal fusionists BREED 77 (Saturday) and NWOBHM-meets-power-metal kings 3 INCHES OF BLOOD (Sunday). Friday’s guest – and around another 100 bands across 2025’s heavy metal party of the year – are still to be announced! 
TICKETS FOR 2025
Weekend early bird tickets (Thu-Sun) for BLOODSTOCK 2025 are available to purchase at the box office on site for £175. Child weekend early bird’s are £45 (ages 4 -11). Mini moshers under age 4 can come for free.
Wednesday early access is also available for those who want to max out their BLOODSTOCK experience – an early bird adult Wed-Sun ticket costs £200. There is no additional cost for children under 4, or aged 4-11, to arrive with a parent on Wednesday. 

This is the cheapest way to buy a 2025 ticket, with no booking fee. 

From 09:00 on 12th August, early bird tickets will be available online in the 2025 Ticket Store with a booking fee. Once early birds sell out, adult standard weekend tickets will increase to £199 + fees (£224 + fees inc early access). Child weekend tix will rise to £59 + fees once early bird’s sell out. 

All Serpents Lair VIP and Campervan tickets will go on sale at 09:00 on 14th August.
Campervan tickets must be bought in addition to your festival ticket, and will be priced £120 without power / £240 with power. You do not need to buy these together, but must have both by the time of the festival.
VIP ticket pricing varies depending on the package. A limited number of VIP Patch Of Grass tickets will be available at the same time, 09:00 on 14th August, with a 6-month instalment plan to assist those who would prefer to spread out payments.

An instalment plan for standard weekend tickets will launch later in the year as usual.
Please note, early access on Wednesday is still under planning discussion for Serpents Lair VIP, accessible, and campervan campsites – stay tuned to socials for update at a later date.

These are expected to sell out very quickly, so if you want one, be ready!

Bloodstock 2024: FINAL BANDS ANNOUNCED!

So many cool things to share, with just over 3 weeks to go to BLOODSTOCK 2024! Read on and get excited!!
If you’re still planning your outfits for BLOODSTOCK and fancy something new, EMP are here to lend a hand with a 20% off discount code! Just enter the code BOA20 at the checkout, before 4th Aug (minimum order value £30, one use only). They’ve also got a competition running for free tickets which you can enter here or by clicking below. 
Have you been paying attention to Planet Rock Radio of late? BLOODSTOCK is pleased to share that their highly contested battle to open the Sophie Lancaster stage on Sunday morning has been won by triumphant Welsh headbangers BLACK | LAKES. Get up early and go show some support, they might be just what your ARCHITECTS bangover needs.

The riotous, hotly fought Metal 2 The Masses finals covering 28 regions have now concluded for another year and BLOODSTOCK is delighted to reveal the final group of winners earning their spot on the Hopical Storm New Blood stage. Do check out some grassroots metal while you’re at BLOODSTOCK, you might just discover your new favourite band! Friday’s line-up welcomes Stoke champions SMOTHER and ABSOLENCE who clinched first place in the Burnley final. Saturday adds Oxford hard rock victors STONE SOUP, Cheltenham’s nu-metal/hardcore conquerors CONVEY, and Brighton’s top pick CHUB. A bumper crop join Sunday’s fun, including South Wales winners ROOT ZERO, Hitchin deathcore chiefs DEAD FLESH, SPACE PISTOL who took the gold for Northants, plus Devon & Cornwall heroes ATOM SMASHER, Bristol defeaters FROGLORD, and last but not least CRUCIBLE, who claimed Coventry’s crown.



When the bands are done for the night, it doesn’t mean BLOODSTOCK is!  Late night ents kick off on both the Hopical Storm New Blood and Sophie Lancaster stages ‘til the early hours. 

On Thursday and Saturday night from 11pm – 2am, New Blood hosts BLOODSTOCK’s biggest silent disco to date, with 3 live channels from Little M, Rich Harris, and Lloyd playing club/dance bangers, rock & metal, or party cheese respectively. Just grab a headset and choose your vibe, or a bit of all three! Friday’s New Blood late night fun cranks it up with DJs Darren Smith (Deadsoul Promotions/Stahlsarg) and Dawn Debenham (Raise Your Horns) joining forces, for a full volume night of extreme, black, folk, and power metal. 

Over in the Sophie tent from 12am – 2am, on Thursday, DJ Pressplay mixes it up with an array of tunes from upcoming bands and other metal bangers, while Friday brings The Blood Rave with DJs Little M and Lloyd, offering a fine choice of  EBM, industrial, techno, and heavy beats.  The Sophie tent on Saturday is taken over by DJ Arockalypse and the mighty SEETHING AKIRA, fresh from their main stage demolition last year with an exclusive DJ set! Expect remixes, metal, and more. Sunday sees DJ Rich Harris (Desertfest) with the ultimate in closing parties to get you all fired up to do it all over again at BLOODSTOCK 2025!

If you’d rather have your fun back in the campsites, head over to Midgard for late night inflatable shenanigans and newly Official Bin Jousting from 11pm – 2am, Thu – Sun. If you’ve nabbed an early access ticket to arrive on Wednesday, expect DJs (from 2pm), inflatables, and a couple of movies! 

Speaking of movies, if you managed to get a VIP ticket, there’s also a family movie screening every day Fri – Sun at 9:30am in the Serpents Lair (The Never Ending Story, The Goonies, Hocus Pocus) and a metal comedy movie at 2:30pm on Fri & Sun (Wayne’s World 2, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure). VIPers can also look forward to exclusive bands & DJ sets, Pop Up Puppet Cinema, face painting from Alice Bizarre benefitting the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, Never Mind The Bloodstocks pub quiz, and more, in the Serpents Lair! Not to mention your own bar with more ales & ciders than you can count.


Need something to get your blood pumping again in the morning after your late night? Drag yourself into the arena’s battle area for 10:15am on Fri, Sat, and Sun, for a fun, friendly, free RockFit class! What’s RockFit? A heart-pumpin’,fist-bumpin’ combo of dance, cardio, and toning set to an all rock and metal soundtrack featuring iconic tracks that compel you to move! Designed for every level of ability, just turn up and join in.



For something a bit more intense, don’t miss the special War Master Class with UFC & combat sports titan JOSH BARNETT, taking place at the battle area on Sunday at 4:30pm. Join the legendary MMA champion for an exclusive fighting master class. Unleash your inner warrior and learn from the best in this unforgettable experience! The limited spots to join in have been instantly snaffled, but anyone is welcome to watch! There’s also some special War Materials x Bloodstock merch items, like these exclusive chain wraps which you can click & collect – see the full range here!

And don’t forget, the Vikings will also be back there twice a day Fri – Sun at 11:30am and 2:30pm delivering more full on contact body blows! The battle area is located near the fairground rides (let’s hope they don’t get the two areas confused).

 

When you’re not watching bands or battles, why not squeeze in a spot of axe-throwing with your mates (at the BattleAxe stand) or visit Firehound Forge, the local blacksmith stall, who may even forge your item right in front of you? There’s also the Rock And Metal Gallery (reputed to be the coolest place onsite, metaphorically and literally – look out for more details about exhibitors in this very soon) and the Nordic Spirit Gaming Arena with modern and retro video games to play! Don’t miss the awesome new VR gaming additions in there this year: Beat Saber, Space Pirate, and Richie’s Plank Experience! The Beat Saber game will run as a competition across the duration of the festival, with the Top 3 scores at the end of the weekend winning prizes and the top scoring player will land themselves a pair of tickets to BLOODSTOCK 2025! 

Plus there’s Planet Rock Signing Tent where you can meet your favourite bands (and Josh Barnett).
Situated right next door to the Planet Rock Signing Tent you’ll find this year’s new Kerrang! booth! If exclusive, limited merch drops are your thing, you’ll want to make a beeline for the Kerrang! x Bloodstock capsule collection plus other awesome pieces of K! apparel like tees, hoodies, caps and more.



Besides that, there’s all manner of shopping for heavy metal pirates who want some booty to go with their bands. You’ll be able to pick up patches and badges, CDs/vinyl, or official merch and alt clothing (leggings, tshirts, denim jackets, leather waistcoats, military surplus, belts, hats, wellies, onesies… you name it) to rock n roll home accessories (inc horror-themed drinkware from Planchette Place), wiccan wares, friendship bracelets, vegan beard oils, Wyldwood wood sculpture, all types of jewellery (visit the Guitarwrist for items benefiting charity made with used guitar strings and Black Feather Design to snap up the very last pieces of BLOODSTOCK’s official 925 silver jewellery range) and if you don’t have one already, surely a Viking drinking horn is an essential addition (available in sizes from 50 ml to 7.5 litres!).

Dead keen for a chunky vertebrae steel choker? Nicola Hebson’s Curiosity Shop has you covered (and any ethical taxidermy art desires).  Look out for the Canny Bonny stall for hair-braiding (with/without colour extensions – you can pre-book here), Viking warpaint, and henna! Camel’s Sheesha will be present, as will pro-mental health brand Radical, and don’t miss Charlie & Wilkie from MALEVOLENCE’s debut festival pop-up shop for their merch & music label MLVLTD! 



As part of BLOODSTOCK’s continuing sustainability/green efforts, the cup redemption scheme returns to help keep BLOODSTOCK litter-free!!  Open to those 18+, you can redeem prizes for collecting used cups!  Hand in your stash at Lemmy’s bar to get a stamp on your collector’s card for every 50 cups returned. This year’s prizes are:  50 cups – 1 free pint / spirit worth £6100 cups – 15% off Bloodstock merch or 1 meal voucher worth £12 (one transaction only)250 cups – 1 Bloodstock festival shirt (size subject to availability)

600 cups – Jump the queue to the signing tent for one whole day 750 cups – Access to Serpents Lair VIP hospitality area for 2 people1000 cups –  Watch a band from side of stage or in the pit for first 3 songs (subject to no closed stage or pyro restrictions. Other T&Cs apply.). Help BLOODSTOCK leave Catton Park as tidy as on departure as on arrival – campers, please take a free bin bag on entry. More bin bags can be picked up as needed from the tent info points throughout the weekend and there are recycling bins throughout the arena and campsites. 

In addition, there will now be tent donation points in every campsite on Monday morning! Look for the tent donation flag (shown below) for the drop off point and read details on how to win one of five pairs of weekend tickets for BLOODSTOCK 2025. Winners will be announced on socials a week later.  When you’re going home, if you can’t be bothered to lug your tent (or airbed, chair, mat, sleeping bag) with you, don’t abandon it for landfill!  Put it to good use by donating it for charitable benefit.



If you’ve already snapped up your ticket and want to square away your travel arrangements for BLOODSTOCK 2024, BIG GREEN COACH offer a great solution, taking you directly on to the festival site with all your camping gear, from a town near you. There are 35 pick-up locations this year! Get full details here.

If you’re coming by train maybe you want to book seats on a shuttle to & from the festival site! BIG GREEN COACH have now got their shuttle service available for purchase, running to/from Tamworth station. Click here to buy your tickets while space lasts – a round trip is £14. 
Standard weekend tickets for BLOODSTOCK, priced at £185 (+ booking fee) are available now in the 2024 ticket store. You can also snap up day tickets, child tickets (mini moshers under 4 yrs can come for free!), and if you want all the BLOODSTOCK you can get, add-on early arrival for an extra day of camping on Wednesday too – these are nearly sold out so don’t hang about! Early Bird, VIP, and campervan tickets are already sold out.    

BLOODSTOCK’s 2024 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are AMON AMARTH, OPETH, and ARCHITECTS. Across the weekend you can also expect to see CLUTCH, HATEBREED, CARCASS, ENSLAVED, MALEVOLENCE, SATYRICON, ROTTING CHRIST, SYLOSIS, WHITECHAPEL, DEICIDE, GRAND MAGUS, DESERT STORM, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN, SOEN, GREEN LUNG, COMBICHRIST, XENTRIX, EXIST IMMORTAL, ETERNAL CHAMPION, GROVE STREET, MIMI BARKS, CRYPTA, FORBIDDEN, NERVOSA, BEAST IN BLACK, KORPIKLAANI, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, FLOGGING MOLLY, SEPTIC FLESH, IGORRR, GROVE STREET, UNPEOPLE, NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, HELLRIPPER, INFECTED RAIN, CULTURA TRES, SADUS, LUDOVICO TECHNIQUE, BURNER, RED RUM, EVERGREY, RAISED BY OWLS, TAILGUNNER, SOUTH OF SALEM, and ANKOR amongst many others! 

Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com.  BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2024.

BLOODSTOCK confirms official bin jousting (& some more bands)

There are just 44 days to go until BLOODSTOCK!! Actually, make that 43 days, if you’ve snapped up an early arrival add-on ticket for an extra day’s camping!

Did you ever think there’d be an announcement about bins? No, us neither. Knights of heavy metal, prepare your steeds… There’s also celebratory news about the latest group of winners from the Metal 2 The Masses finals, bagging themselves a coveted spot on the Hopical Storm New Blood stage, plus info on how to click & collect your fave merch items so the person in front on site doesn’t get the last one you wanted, travel help, fancy dress themes, and more.  Read on, fellow headbanger.

Perhaps you have heard of the infamous, illicit bin jousting, usually late night in the Midgard campsite? BLOODSTOCK frowned hard, wagged a finger, brought in more security, warned about safety, took bins away, and even tried chaining bins up, but to no avail. Bin jousting continued. The Midgarders were relentless and proud;  it’s become a tradition, a part of BLOODSTOCK lore. And you know what they say… if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!! BLOODSTOCK proudly confirms there will be Official Bin Jousting at this year’s event, running Thursday-Sunday from late evening to 2am, in Midgard. Do you dare to have a go?  There will be a marshal for safety but the true essence and rawness of BLOODSTOCK’s new official sport will continue. Do you have what it takes to be 2024’s champion!?



The Metal 2 The Masses finals continue across the UK (and Norway), with the best new talent smashing it out the park on stage every night, to win spots on the Hopical Storm New Blood stage. Friday’s bill now also welcomes Essex victors REVERENT SON, Nottingham hardcore winners ROGUE LIMBTIM WHYTE AND THE DEADBEATS who took first place for Somerset, and metalcore squad BY VIRTUE FALLS from the East Anglian final. Saturday adds alt-metallers THEM BLOODY KIDS from the London heat, Norway’s brutal top dogs SLAUGHTERHEAD, and North Wales death/thrash champs JUDGEMENT. On Sunday you’ll also be able to catch Kent’s conquerors CROWGOD and vanquishers from the Birmingham event, KENSEI

Unfortunately, Japanese metal maniacs RYUJIN have had to withdraw from this year’s event for health reasons. However, their spot has been swiftly grabbed by blackened doomsters MOON REAPER, who slide into the Sophie Lancaster stage line-up underneath OSIAH on Sunday.



For those who like a little fancy dress fun to liven up your festival weekend, why have one theme when you can have three?! Join in with just one, or all three, on whichever day(s) you like! How do you feel about horror movie charactersBLOODSTOCK cordially invites Freddy, Jason, Carrie, Chucky, Regan, Frankenstein and all their creeptastic pals for some frightfully good fun. Something a bit less OTT? Be part of the Motorhead tribute and wear something to commemorate Lemmy! This year’s final theme harks back to prehistoric times…. dinosaurs! We look forward to seeing a T-rex or two, and their mates, headbangin’ down the front. Please note, mini moshers are not on the dinner menu (though they can get in for free under the age of 4). For plant and meat-eating dinosaurs, there will be a wide range of food stalls available to sate your appetite. 



Want to make some new pals for BLOODSTOCK, or maybe you’re debating which campsite to stay in?! Every campsite has its own vibe, but if you’re looking for the designated quiet campsite, make a beeline for Ragnarok. Niflheim is the accessible campsite for those who have applied successfully in advance to camp there. Coming on your own and/or a bit anxious about that? Consider joining unofficial Bloodstock group Camp Loners & Newbies, who always camp in a corner of Valhalla. With Ironwood, Midgard, Jotunheim, Asgard, and Hel to choose from too (plus Vanaheim for our campervan friends & the Serpent’s Lair campsite for VIPers) you’re sure to find your home away from home!

Want to chat to fellow BLOODSTOCKers before you get there? There are a number of unofficial Facebook groups, including BMF666Bloodstock Festival Girls GroupLGBTQIA+ Bloodstock Fans, and more.



Did you know? You can also utilise BLOODSTOCK‘s ‘click & collect‘ service to pre-order your favourites online from the 2024 merchandise range! Pre-purchase your favourite t-shirt or grab the 2024 beer mug without fear of your size or design being already sold out on site. Pre-order here and simply collect at the arena merch stall on the weekend, knowing your item is guaranteed. All ‘click and collect’ items in the store will be clearly marked with a yellow C&C badge. Maybe you want that BOA hoodie for when the sun goes down, so order, then collect from the merch stall to save a trip back to your tent. In a ‘click & collect’ exclusive, if you order over £100 of items via this method, you get 10% off, and over £200 gets 15% off. 

BLOODSTOCK’s dedicated one-stop-shop with Preo is now up and running, featuring an array of festival essentials. From cold beers (and 4 pinters of mango cider) to merch, through to camping equipment and much more, you can secure all your must-have items in advance from one online shop, eradicating the need for last-minute scrambles, long queues or searching in multiple online stores. And then just collect on your arrival at BLOODSTOCK! For more info and to explore the online shop, visit the Bloodstock Festival Preo storeVISIT BLOODSTOCK’S PREO STORE



If you’ve already snapped up your ticket and want to square away your travel arrangements for BLOODSTOCK 2024, BIG GREEN COACH offer a great solution, taking you directly on to the festival site with all your camping gear, from a town near you. There are 35 pick-up locations this year! Full list includes: Birkenhead, Bournemouth, Bradford, Bridgend, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chester, Coventry, Crewe, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Gloucester, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newport, Nottingham, Norwich, Oxford, Plymouth, Preston, Sheffield, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Swansea, Taunton, Worcester and York. If you’ve not yet booked your festival ticket, you can also opt for a bundle that includes one. Get full details here.

If you’re coming by train maybe you want to book seats on a shuttle to & from the festival site! BIG GREEN COACH have now got their shuttle service available for purchase, running to/from Tamworth station.  Click here to buy your tickets while space lasts – a round trip is £14. If you’re looking for sold out tickets like VIP or campervan passes, BLOODSTOCK has a new exclusive secondary ticketing partner, Tixel, where you can maybe still find what you’re looking for. Simply set an alert for notification if your tickets of choice become available, or pre-authorise your card in advance, so no need for constant checking back. Tixel also allows you to safely re-sell tickets to a new home if plans have changed. You can sell ALL ticket types, including instalment plan purchases, plus any tickets sold via Ticketmaster or other third party ticket outlets.

The new deal helps BLOODSTOCK streamline all resale tickets into one place to guarantee the safety of the sale, avoiding social media scam bots and rip-off pricing. It’s a very simple process for the customer and most importantly, it’s a trusted platform. Click through to https://tixel.com/uk/bloodstock-tickets for more information on how it works.  
Standard weekend tickets for BLOODSTOCK, priced at £185 (+ booking fee) are available now in the 2024 ticket store. You can also snap up limited day tickets, child tickets (mini moshers under 4 yrs can come for free!), and if you want all the BLOODSTOCK you can get, add-on early arrival for an extra day of camping on Wednesday too. Early Bird, VIP, and campervan tickets are sold out.  

BLOODSTOCK’s 2024 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are AMON AMARTH, OPETH, and ARCHITECTS. Across the weekend you can also expect to see CLUTCH, HATEBREED, CARCASS, ENSLAVED, MALEVOLENCE, SATYRICON, ROTTING CHRIST, SYLOSIS, WHITECHAPEL, DEICIDE, GRAND MAGUS, DESERT STORM, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN, SOEN, GREEN LUNG, COMBICHRIST, XENTRIX, EXIST IMMORTAL, ETERNAL CHAMPION, GROVE STREET, MIMI BARKS, CRYPTA, FORBIDDEN, NERVOSA, BEAST IN BLACK, KORPIKLAANI, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, FLOGGING MOLLY, SEPTIC FLESH, IGORRR, GROVE STREET, UNPEOPLE, NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, HELLRIPPER, INFECTED RAIN, CULTURA TRES, SADUS, LUDOVICO TECHNIQUE, BURNER, RED RUM, EVERGREY, RAISED BY OWLS, TAILGUNNER, SOUTH OF SALEM, and ANKOR amongst others with yet more still to be announced. 

Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com.  BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2024.

BLOODSTOCK announces EMP Stage Lineup

In a new partnership, BLOODSTOCK is excited to announce the line-up for its 2024 EMP Stage (formerly the Jagermeister Stage)!  

Friday’s bill will include tech/death squad LOST BRETHREN, thrash/death trio LETHAL EVIL, occult rockers CROWLEY, heavy blues rockers KING KRAKEN, and goth metal outfit MAB

Saturday’s line up features grindcore/hardcore outfit PUBLIC EXECUTION, metalcore beasts PARTING WITH ORIGIN, doom-fused heavyists FLAMEBEARER, high octane fusionists RUPCHA FARMS and alt metal band LURCHER.

Coming up on Sunday will be ‘fantasy space metal riff machine’ WARPSTORMER, celtic punk troupe THE CALLOWGATE MURDERS, fuzz-soaked riffmeisters of the Toad King GOBLIN SMOKER, the 3-man noise machine YERSIN and heavy blues rockers LOYDS TRIP.

Regarding the new collaboration, EMP tell us, “We are absolutely thrilled to announce our partnership with BLOODSTOCK 2024! As proud sponsors of the 4th stage, EMP is ready to rock alongside the best in metal. Stay tuned for exciting giveaways and exclusive content in the lead-up to the festival. As Europe’s #1 for music, films & TV, gaming merchandise & alt fashion, EMP is honoured to be part of the UK’s biggest independent Metal Festival and can’t wait to join forces with BLOODSTOCK to make history on the EMP STAGE!”

To celebrate, our friends at EMP want you to get BLOODSTOCK ready with a special discount at their online store. Grab your festival attire and any festival essentials you need at EMP here and get 20% off (minimum order £30)! Just use the code BOA20 at checkout.  

[T&Cs: MOV £30 . Valid until 07.06.2024. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional codes. Only redeemable once per customer on emp.co.uk. After entering the code, the discount will be automatically deducted from your shopping basket. Books, media, tickets, Rammstein, Die Ärzte, Die Toten Hosen, Feine Sahne Fischfilet, Broilers, New Balance, Böhse Onkelz, Funko Pop!, vouchers & items that include a donation in the price are excluded from the promotion.



If you’re looking for sold out tickets like VIP or campervan passes, BLOODSTOCK has a new exclusive secondary ticketing partner, Tixel, where you can maybe still find what you’re looking for. Simply set an alert for notification if your tickets of choice become available, or pre-authorise your card in advance, so no need for constant checking back. Tixel also allows you to safely re-sell tickets to a new home if plans have changed. 

You can sell ALL ticket types, including instalment plan purchases, plus any tickets sold via Ticketmaster or other third party ticket outlets. The new deal helps BLOODSTOCK streamline all resale tickets into one place to guarantee the safety of the sale, avoiding social media scam bots and rip-off pricing. It’s a very simple process for the customer and most importantly, it’s a trusted platform. Click through to https://tixel.com/uk/bloodstock-tickets for more information on how it works.  

Also, if you’ve not yet checked out BLOODSTOCK’s new podcast, hosted by the inimitable Beez, head over to Spotify or Apple Podcasts and check out the episodes so far, including guests such as ClutchSylosisGreen Lung and more! You can also now find some of these episodes on the official BLOODSTOCK YouTube channel.
Standard weekend tickets for BLOODSTOCK, priced at £185 (+ booking fee) are available now in the 2024 ticket store.  You can also snap up limited day tickets, child tickets (mini moshers under 4 yrs can come for free!), and if you want all the BLOODSTOCK you can get, add-on early arrival for an extra day of camping on Wednesday too. Early Bird, VIP, and campervan tickets are sold out.   

BLOODSTOCK’s 2024 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are AMON AMARTH, OPETH, and ARCHITECTS. Across the weekend you can also expect to see CLUTCH, HATEBREED, CARCASS, ENSLAVED, MALEVOLENCE, SATYRICON, ROTTING CHRIST, SYLOSIS, WHITECHAPEL, DEICIDE, GRAND MAGUS, DESERT STORM, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN, SOEN, GREEN LUNG, COMBICHRIST, XENTRIX, EXIST IMMORTAL, ETERNAL CHAMPION, GROVE STREET, MIMI BARKS, CRYPTA, FORBIDDEN, NERVOSA, BEAST IN BLACK, KORPIKLAANI, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, FLOGGING MOLLY, SEPTIC FLESH, IGORRR, RUIJIN, GROVE STREET, UNPEOPLE, NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, HELLRIPPER, INFECTED RAIN, CULTURA TRES, SADUS, LUDOVICO TECHNIQUE, BURNER, RED RUM, EVERGREY, RAISED BY OWLS, TAILGUNNER, SOUTH OF SALEM, and ANKOR amongst others with even more still to be announced. 

Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com.  BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2024.

BLOODSTOCK’S HALLOWEEN TREATS

Happy Halloween! Trick or treat?! BLOODSTOCK loves the spooky season and has only fiendishly good news to share! Are you ready? Get set to howl the house down when you see which nine bands are being announced today! There’s also news of everyone’s brilliant fund-raising efforts with details of just how much was raised for two worthy charities from BLOODSTOCK 2023, the ticket deposit scheme launch date, & more. Without further ado… 

Swedish metal legends GRAND MAGUS land a Friday slot on the Ronnie James Dio main stage. It’s already been 4 long years since the doom-infused three-piece dropped album ‘Wolf God’ with Nuclear Blast, but the band themselves have already made mention of their tenth album coming in 2024! Get excited! Last seen at BLOODSTOCK in 2019, refresh your memory of that epic set here

Metal Blade mob WHITECHAPEL serve up a hefty slab of deathcore on Saturday’s main stage. After regretfully pulling out of 2023’s event, you’ve had an extra year to anticipate just how ferocious that pit is gonna be. Watch the video for latest single ‘Without You/Without Us’ or deep dive into the entirety of current album ‘Kin’ here

Florida death metal icons DEICIDE also jet in for a main stage Saturday spot in a UK festival exclusive. It’s all go in the Deicide camp of late, signing a new record deal with Reigning Phoenix Music and putting the finishing touches on their upcoming, 13th full-length album, ‘Banished By Sin’, featuring new guitarist Taylor Nordberg. The first new album since 2018, just give us the release date already! While you’re waiting patiently, check out some classic Deicide via the video for ‘Scars Of The Crucifix.’ 

Oxford-based riff beasts DESERT STORM roll in to wake you up on Friday morning, opening the main stage. Their latest masterpiece ‘Death Battle’ dropped via APF this March, an intoxicating mix of stoner doom and prog metal. If you’re a fan of Clutch and Orange Goblin, you won’t want to miss them. Wrap your ears round their latest track ‘Salt Of The Earth’ here.

Over on the Sophie Lancaster stage, five more treats have been locked in. 
Icelandic psych rock squad THE VINTAGE CARAVAN secure a position on Friday’s bill. The Led Zep fans are currently cranking out their classic rock/prog-infused sounds across mainland Europe, promoting latest release ‘The Monuments Tour (Live)’, unveiled 2 weeks ago via Napalm Records. Watch the live video for ‘Can’t Get You Off My Mind’ here

Londoners EXIST IMMORTAL also bring their metal maelstrom to the Friday line-up. Their self-titled current album, released by Seek & Strike, is available now. Appraise yourself of their sound via their latest single, ‘Emerge’.

Joining them on Friday, are the epic metal ETERNAL CHAMPION from Texas, who marked their tenth anniversary this year. Released by No Remorse Records in 2020, you can listen to their latest LP ‘Ravening Iron’ in full here.

One of alt.music’s hottest rising stars, MIMI BARKS is added to Saturday’s Sophie bill. If you’re looking for something just a little bit different to add flavour to your BLOODSTOCK weekend, perhaps a little doom-trap will be just the ticket. Current release, ‘DEADGIRL’, claimed the full 5Ks from Kerrang. Watch ‘Saw’ from that release now.

GROVE STREET rampage onto Sunday’s roster.  The band have been causing a massive stir in hardcore circles and last month released new album, ‘The Path To Righteousness’. Check out the title track here and see what all the fuss is about.  
BLOODSTOCK is also excited to announce that Timothy Taylor and their Hopical Storm ale have partnered with the 2024 METAL 2 THE MASSES programme.  The 2024 M2TM season is now underway, with bands around the country competing to win a slot on the newly named Hopical Storm New Blood Stage.  If you’re in an unsigned or developing band and would like to throw your hat in the ring, click over to the M2TM page on the BLOODSTOCK site to see information about participating venues/cities. 
In other festival news, BLOODSTOCK would like to thank everyone who contributed to this year’s event’s charity fundraising efforts. A grand total of £13,903 was raised in donations from BLOODSTOCKers for the festival’s two official charities for 2023: The Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA) (£5492) and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation (£8411). This comprised: Guest & media donations amassing £10,984, which was split equally between The Sophie Lancaster Foundation and DRLAABar staff generously donating all tips to The Sophie Lancaster Foundation. Alan, the bar’s head honcho, also doubled this donation, making a total of £838.The Rock Society raised £200 via a raffle for The Sophie Lancaster Foundation.The T-Shirt / CD Amnesty raised £1881 for The Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation’s Chief Executive, Alison Vincent said: “We are so grateful to BLOODSTOCK and their amazing staff and supporters for their incredible donation of £8,411. This is a huge amount of money for us and will be used to fund more work to support the alternative community and also deliver more sessions in schools about tolerance and respect for others. Thanks to BLOODSTOCK for making us so welcome and for doing all they could to make BLOODSTOCK 2023 the best ever!” 

Commenting on behalf of the Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Rutland Air Ambulance charity, Tracey Jones, Community Fundraising Executive for Derbyshire said, “We would like to say a big thank you to everyone at BLOODSTOCK Open Air who donated funds to support our lifesaving missions. A special thank you goes to Rachael and Adam for choosing us as one of two charities to support at their festival this year. We rely on generous fundraising and funding to remain operational, and without the support of the local community just like this, the lifesaving missions in Derbyshire and further afield wouldn’t be possible.”

For more information on the important work these charities do, or to donate, please visit:https://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com/ and https://www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk
Want to do a bit more for The Sophie Lancaster Foundation?
Did you catch the amazing set by SKYND headlining the Sophie stage on Thursday at BLOODSTOCK this summer? Perhaps you spotted Skynd’s special pink jacket on stage during her performance or her wearing it earlier in the day?

Skynd has donated this one-off jacket and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation are auctioning it on eBay! Skynd has also signed the protective bag it will come in. The auction is already underway, so go sling in a bid and perhaps you’ll be the lucky winner. The auction ends on November 5th!

Bid here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314914024832

Skynd says, “A foundation like the Sophie Lancaster Foundation is important today as well as tomorrow, because it does not let us forget what and especially WHY happened to Sophie, but also that prejudice and intolerance have no place. I am grateful and emotionally touched about a foundation like this, where the people involved are committed and have their hearts in it and contribute a part to the fact that prejudice, hate and intolerance have no place anywhere. To be different, to live as you want should not be a reason for hate or violence. I support this foundation and will continue to do so. Say her name: SOPHIE!”

BLOODSTOCK REVEALS SEVEN MORE BANDS INCLUDING FINAL HEADLINER!

If you’ve been hanging on for a few more bands to be revealed for BLOODSTOCK 2024 before snapping up your early bird ticket, this is the announcement you’ve been waiting for, with seven more stellar acts joining the bill.  Don’t wait much longer for an early bird, because the allocation is over 90% sold, and after that, prices will increase. 

Swedish progressive legends, OPETH will headline Friday’s Ronnie James Dio main stage for a very special fan-chosen set.  What’s more, the performance will be their only UK show in 2024.  Frontman Mikael Akerfeldt extols, “So…back to BLOODSTOCK 2024 for us, it appears!  I don’t remember how many times we’ve played the festival, but we do have fond memories from there. ”Filling in” for Heaven and Hell when RJD had passed is one.  Fuck!  Can’t remember a more emotional event on stage for us, to be honest.  Anyhoooo, we’ll be there ‘rocking’ and ‘rolling’ in our own way, playing songs that you’ve chosen (apparently).  Please be gentle. Right now I feel pretty far from being a ROCKER, as I’m writing this sat in my (favourite) greasy sweatpants, and my hair is greasier than ever.  I’m working, you see.  But I promise I’ll have a look in the mirror before we hit the stage. The band will be tight (that’s also a promise). I’ll sing OK (semi-promise). You’ll recognise the songs (I really have no idea, but you picked them!) and, we’ll be IN. THE. ZONE!  All in all, providing the weather’s nice and the beer is cold, the possibilities for a magical night are rather decent.  Wouldn’t you say?  Hope to see (and hear) you there.”  You’d not want to disappoint the man now, would you? 

The mighty HATEBREED are bringing their 30th Anniversary set to Friday’s main stage bill.  Having been forced to cancel their whole UK/European run in 2022, BLOODSTOCK is thrilled to have them return to Catton Park with a stacked set of pit-churning classics.  Will they take the title for most number of crowd-surfers during their BLOODSTOCK set from current record holders Cannibal Corpse?! Killswitch Engage came close in 2023, but were about 40 short… Watch them light up Wacken back in 2018 in this footage for ‘Destroy Everything.’

Avant garde prog extremists ENSLAVED play the Ronnie James Dio main stage on Sunday. Formed back in 1991, these long-time masters of their craft have a veritable horde of tracks across 16 albums to narrow down a set list from. Certain to be a welcome return, ENSLAVED were last seen at BLOODSTOCK in 2015. Check out the epic song ‘Congelia’, taken from current album ‘Heimdal’, out now via Nuclear Blast.
Brazilian thrash outfit NERVOSA land themselves a main stage slot on Friday.  The band have recently rejigged their line up, with founding guitarist Prika Amaral also stepping up to now also front the band.  Witness their ferocity on recent single ‘Endless Ambition’, taken from their imminent ‘Jailbreak’ album, arriving 29th September. 

There’s even more LatAm talent with Brazilian death squad CRYPTA bringing their brutal noise to the main stage on Saturday.  Bassist Fernanda Lira and drummer Luana Dametto formed the band after departing Nervosa back in 2019.  Watch them shred their way through ‘Trial Of Traitors,’ taken from their brand new album, ‘Shades Of Sorrow,’ which was released last month via Napalm Records. 

Calling all power metal fans! BLOODSTOCK is pleased to share that Finnish PM gang, BEAST IN BLACK will be strutting their stuff on the main stage on Sunday. Currently on the road across North America, you can keep up with their tour antics on their official TikTok! Have you checked out their widely-praised third album ‘Dark Connection’ yet?  Watch the video for the most recent single, ‘To The Last Drop Of Blood.’
Bay Area thrash veterans, FORBIDDEN grab a slot on Saturday’s main stage.  Having recently re-booted with a brand new frontman (Norman Skinner) and drummer (Chris Kontos), the band wasted no time laying waste to Belgium’s Alcatraz festival this year.  Check out ‘Twisted Into Form’ from that incendiary set, and warm up your necks in anticipation for BLOODSTOCK 2024!

In related news, BLOODSTOCK’s founder Paul Gregory has had both his career and life story told in a new documentary, ‘Heavy Metal Painter’.  The movie, put together by Toronto-based film-making collective, The Art of Heavy Metal, is set to premiere on the BLOODSTOCK YouTube channel on 10th October.  In the meantime, check out the trailer to whet your appetite and get some popcorn ordered in! 
There are less than 10% remaining of the standard Early Bird weekend tickets, priced at £165 (+ bkg fee).  Once the discounted Early Bird allocation has gone, standard weekend tickets will increase in price to £185 (+ bkg fee), so grab yours and save yourself £20.  Head over to the 2024 ticket store now! 

BLOODSTOCK’s other 2023 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are AMON AMARTH and ARCHITECTS.  Across the weekend you can also expect to see CLUTCH, MALEVOLENCE, ROTTING CHRIST, KORPIKLAANI, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, FLOGGING MOLLY, SEPTIC FLESH, IGORRR, NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, HELLRIPPER, GREEN LUNG and INFECTED RAIN, with many more yet to be announced.  Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com.

BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2024.

BLOODSTOCK ANNOUNCES FULL JAGERMEISTER STAGE LINE-UP

With just 8 weeks to go before the metal brethren thunder through the gates of Catton Park, BLOODSTOCK is excited to reveal some of the hotly tipped talent who’ll be ripping up the Jagermeister stage this year.  So on festival weekend, why not grab a cold one and investigate some fresh talent that could become your new favourite band. 

Friday brings fuzzed-up Brummie rock duo, THIS SUMMIT FEVER, whose heavy riffage is showcased on ‘Messiah’, taken from their ‘Distraction Rituals’ EP.  Belfast’s high energy rock squad WILD HEAT, will also be bringing their ‘Hustle’ to Catton Park, plus expect to see Birmingham’s sludgy death metal trio, DEATHFIEND, whose brand new video for ‘Beyond Life’ is giving us life! 

Also joining Friday’s line up are Newcastle trio DUNES. Check out their desert-soaked sound via the video for ‘Heart of the Sun’.  Wrapping up proceedings with a headline slot on Friday’s Jager stage are Aussie thrash brutes, HIDDEN INTENT.  The three-piece have established a solid following around the globe, with influences taken from the classic Bay Area and Teutonic thrash movements.  Check out their riff-tastic video for ‘Breaking Point’

Opening up the Jager Stage on Saturday are DAYBREAKER, who hail from the North West of England. Check out their chunky, driving riffage via the track, ‘M.O.A.B’.  Also appearing on Saturday are Cumbrian old school death metal squad, REPULSIVE VISION.  The four piece have become mainstays of the extreme metal circuit across the US and EU, so check out what the fuss is all about via the video for ‘Other Than Divine’, taken from their second album, ‘Necrovictology’. 

Expect to also see Kent heavy rockers PRYMA, bring their sticky tunes like ‘Freaky Fright Night’, driven by singer Gabrielle’s powerful vocals to the Jager stage.  Grunge/alt trio, MUDDIBROOKE may be a familiar name, having picked up radio airplay on Kerrang!, Planet Rock and BBC and support slots with Nick Oliveri and Reef. Check out their statement take on ‘You Don’t Own Me’.  And headlining the Jager stage on Saturday evening are Yorkshire metalcore squad, WATERLINES, who’ll undoubtedly be starting a massive pit with their single, ‘KÖNIG’

Sunday’s proceedings kick off with Nottingham’s THOSE ONCE LOYAL, who’ve been described as the bastard child of Killswitch Engage and Hatebreed!  Decide for yourself by checking out their single, ‘Relentless Cycle’.  South London power trio DEAD AIR also join the fray, bringing their multi-influenced sound to Catton Park.  Watch their video for ‘Teeth Grinder’, a track taken from their 2022 debut EP, ‘City Sins’. BLOODSTOCK’s power metal fans will be pleased to see SKIES TURN BLACK play on Sunday, showcasing their impressive musicianship on tracks like ‘This Too Shall Pass’, taken from their ‘No Place Like Home’ debut album. 

Also appearing are PAST THE FALL, whose modern metal demonstrates elements of prog flair and refined classicism.  Check out their official video for ‘Beholden’.  Closing out the stage on Sunday will be Scottish riff beasts, IRON ALTAR.  The band have just completed work on their second album, ‘Promethean’, which is set for release soon.  In the interim, get up to speed via their video for 2020’s single, ‘Cruor’.
BLOODSTOCK is also excited to announce a very special collaboration with Black Feather Design on an exclusive capsule collection of solid 925 sterling silver jewellery.  You can take your pick between both small and large statement versions of BLOODSTOCK’s iconic S’tan mascot, hewn in silver and tailored to your finger of choice, or alternatively plump for the more understated, yet equally epic, BOA shield signet design.  There’s also two choices of earring; S’tan studs or S’tan Drops (11mm sleeper hoops).  The three rings and two earring designs will be available to pre-order for two weeks from today (Thursday 15th June until 30th June 2023), or as soon as the 200 pieces of each design have sold out (whichever comes first).  Your pre-orders will ship to you in time for this year’s festival. 

For more information and to pre-order your own piece of unique heavy metal, click here.