As someone who has attended a few festivals over the years, somehow Bloodstock had always managed to escape me. So, heading to Catton Park for the festival’s 25th anniversary, I was finally about to find out what I’d been missing.
Spoiler alert: quite a lot.
From huge headline performances and ridiculous circle pits to discovering bands I’d never heard before, crowdsurfing to Judas Priest and consuming an arguably questionable amount of frozen cocktails and cider in the sunshine, my first Bloodstock certainly gave me plenty to talk about.
And within a few hours of arriving, I was already beginning to understand why so many people return year after year.
Thursday 6th August 2026
Arriving on Thursday afternoon, one of my first surprises was just how easy everything was. From the car to the campsite and then into the arena, everything felt incredibly compact. Even with my complete inability to pack light, getting set up didn’t feel like the usual festival expedition.
Heading into the arena for the first time, it probably took me about a minute to get my bearings. The stages were all surprisingly close together, while the site was packed with bars, food stalls, merchandise and festival shops without ever feeling overwhelmingly busy.
Naturally, one of my first discoveries was the bar inside the EMP tent, complete with spirits, beer, cider, non-alcoholic options and, most importantly in that heat, frozen cocktails.
Yes, I absolutely wired into those over the weekend.
My first actual band of Bloodstock was Evil Scarecrow on the Ronnie James Dio Stage, and what an introduction they were.
I only managed to catch the end of their set, but their combination of theatrical metal, elaborate costumes, props and completely committed stage presence immediately won me over. Their music matched the spectacle perfectly, with playful, catchy riffs accompanying a performance that felt brilliantly silly without ever taking away from the musicianship.
The crowd completely embraced it too. Looking around, everyone seemed to be in it, and it created exactly the kind of fun atmosphere you want at a festival.
From there, it was time for my first trip to the Sophie Lancaster Stage, where Black Spiders immediately sounded right up my street. There was a proper old-school rock ’n’ roll swagger to them, driven by massive hard-rock guitar riffs that occasionally gave me shades of Black Stone Cherry. Loud, uncomplicated and ridiculously fun, they were another band I hadn’t seen before but would happily go and watch again.
Afterwards came another important Bloodstock discovery: the cider.
It wasn’t long before I spotted people wandering around carrying four-pint jugs, so naturally some investigating had to be done. I opted for the mango flavour and, genuinely, I have been craving it ever since. It wasn’t fizzy, didn’t leave me feeling bloated and basically tasted like dangerously drinkable juice.
CC: https://www.facebook.com/theblackspiders
With Bloodstock celebrating its 25th anniversary, Thursday had been expanded to give us an additional headline performance, and British heavy metal legends Saxon were given the honour of kicking off the weekend.
I wouldn’t call myself particularly familiar with Saxon’s back catalogue, but sometimes you don’t need to know every song to appreciate a band with decades of experience behind them. Their classic heavy metal sound, huge guitar work and commanding performance immediately made it clear why they’ve remained such an important name within British metal. The atmosphere probably helped too. It was our first evening, everyone was riding that initial festival high, and there was this wonderful feeling of being surrounded by thousands of strangers who somehow already felt like friends.
Their mammoth encore eventually delivered fan-favourite ‘Princess of the Night‘, but ‘Crusader‘ was the song that really stood out for me. Its quieter opening guitar before those mighty drums and guitars kicked in gave me all the glorious ’80s heavy-metal vibes.
One final trip to the Sophie Lancaster Stage brought Thursday to a significantly heavier conclusion with Cryptopsy.
Now, this level of death metal isn’t necessarily my usual thing. I’m a lyrics gal. If I can’t understand a single word being screamed at me, my brain starts stressing out a little. But even when something isn’t personally for me, I can appreciate talent – and Cryptopsy have it in ridiculous quantities. The tent was absolutely packed, and between the ferocious vocals, relentless instrumentation and sheer technical ability on display, it wasn’t difficult to understand why. Watching the crowd respond to every riff, growl and blast of energy was an experience in itself.
Friday 7th August 2026
Friday morning required an early start for one very important reason: supporting the Scottish contingent.
Party Cannon might have one of my favourite contrasts between appearance and sound in metal. Everything about their aesthetic screams PARTY – colourful logo, inflatables, bananas flying around the crowd – and then they unleash absolute death metal carnage. Again, musically it’s heavier than what I would normally reach for, but you cannot deny the atmosphere these guys create. Inflatables, balls, signs, pits and what appeared to be a small army of bananas filled the crowd. If you’re going to drag yourself out of a tent on Friday morning, this is certainly one way to wake up.
Next came my first visit to the New Blood Stage for Temples on Mars, bringing things much closer to my usual alternative-rock territory. ‘Safeword‘ was the standout for me. There’s something wonderfully moody and atmospheric about it, with synths sitting underneath the track and adding another layer to their sound. Their vocals have this softer, almost sweet quality while still carrying plenty of power, and they offered a welcome change of pace before things became significantly heavier again.
Because next up was Fit For An Autopsy.
Now THIS is how you win me over with death metal. They’re crushingly heavy, but there are enough huge riffs, grooves and moments of melody to give me something to grab onto. At times, I could hear elements that reminded me of Bleed From Within – especially in that ability to move between outright heaviness and something much more melodic.
Then, just as you’ve settled into the groove…BREAKDOWN – straight to the face.
They ended up being one of my favourite performances of Friday.
Another of the weekend’s biggest surprises came back at New Blood with Concrete Age, a band I’d discovered while listening through the Bloodstock Spotify playlist before the festival. Admittedly, what first grabbed my attention was their cover of Holly Valance’s Kiss Kiss. And yes, I’m saying it: I prefer their version. Trying to neatly categorise Concrete Age feels almost impossible. Their music incorporates ethnic and traditional influences alongside metal, with a fascinating range of instruments creating something genuinely distinctive. Their energy was outstanding, but what struck me equally was their gratitude towards the people who had come to watch them. There was something really special about their performance. They went straight onto my “must see again” list.
CC: https://www.facebook.com/concreteage
Then the party started all over again. Seething Akira took over the Sophie Lancaster Stage and someone had previously described them to me as “a bop.”
A bop?! – That’s an understatement!
Their electronic-meets-metal sound turned the entire tent into a party. From the moment they started, standing still felt virtually impossible. And somehow, amidst all that chaos, we also got one of the sweetest moments of the entire weekend when one of the vocalists proposed to his now-fiancée on stage. Metal, dancing and a proposal? Bloodstock really does contain multitudes.
After taking some time to recover in the shade, I settled down to watch the anticipation building for Bloodstock’s 2027 announcement. This was actually the first festival I’ve attended where the following year’s line-up is revealed while you’re still there, and I absolutely loved it. There’s something really exciting about standing amongst thousands of people, knowing you’re some of the first fans in the world seeing those names appear and immediately imagining yourself back in exactly the same place next year.
Later, I caught some of Meet Your Maker on the New Blood Stage, who delivered ferocious metalcore packed with enormous riffs and breakdowns seemingly designed specifically to invite a pit. The tent was probably the quietest I’d seen it across the weekend, which was a shame because they deserved a bigger crowd. However, what it lacked in numbers it made up for in atmosphere. There were plenty of kids watching, and seeing people create a safe little pit for them while throwing inflatable balls around was another reminder of how welcoming the Bloodstock crowd can be.
I had to leave early, however, because Sepultura were calling. I’d heard plenty about them but had somehow never properly listened to their music before. Consider that mistake corrected – I know I am sorry to any Sepultura fans), but, you’ll be pleased to know they completely blew me away.
Yes, they were heavy, but underneath it was this incredibly distinctive groove. The percussion in particular gave their performance another dimension, while their relentless energy commanded the crowd from beginning to end.
Then came Friday’s headliners – Lamb of God with quite possibly the biggest circle pit I’ve ever seen in my life. Their headline performance was an absolute powerhouse. Pyro erupted around the stage while Randy Blythe seemed incapable of standing still, swinging his microphone, charging around and commanding absolute chaos from the crowd. There were crowdsurfers everywhere, pits opening constantly and possibly the highest concentration of air guitars and headbanging I’d seen all weekend.
Then came ‘Redneck.’
Looking across the crowd and seeing the sheer size of that circle pit was ridiculous. There were so many people involved that from where I was standing it almost looked like nobody was moving. How anybody survived the amount of dust being kicked up remains a mystery.
An enormous ending to an enormous Friday.
CC: https://www.facebook.com/lambofgod
Saturday 8th August 2026
Saturday began with Irish rockers The Scratch, and I absolutely love bands that take heavy music and do something slightly different with it. Their combination of traditional Irish folk influences and heavy rock makes them instantly recognisable, and even under scorching sunshine, the crowd were more than willing to get moving. It was infectious, chaotic fun.
I spent much of Saturday around the Ronnie James Dio Stage, which meant Vended were next on my list.
Of course, there’s an obvious curiosity surrounding a band featuring the sons of members of Slipknot, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. They were insane.
Yes, there are moments where the Slipknot influence feels noticeable – aesthetically and musically – but I mean that in the best possible way. Their vocals were powerful, the riffs were enormous and there was a raw aggression to the whole performance that made it incredibly easy to get into.
Then came one of my highlights of Saturday: Northlane. Hearing ‘Evian‘ so early in the set used approximately 90% of my remaining energy. (Worth it). The atmosphere around me was pure happiness. Everywhere I looked, people seemed to be completely losing themselves in the performance, and I was absolutely one of them.
Northlane’s ability to move between enormous screams, filthy riffs and breakdowns before suddenly introducing soaring melody is what makes them so exciting live. They’re heavy without being one-dimensional, and their performance was one of those festival sets where everything just seemed to click.
Then obviously, I wasn’t going to miss the Scottish legends Bleed From Within. They were outstanding, and they also provided the soundtrack to my first crowdsurf of Bloodstock – It would have been rude and very un Scottish like not to. Unfortunately, an unexpected camping incident meant my Saturday was cut shorter than planned and I missed the remainder of the day’s bands.But if anything, that’s just another excuse to come back next year. (Not that I need one) And I won’t hear ‘Levitate’ again in the same way without remembering my first Bloodstock crowd surf moment.
Sunday 9th August 2026
By Sunday morning, the tiredness had definitely started creeping in, but there was still far too much music to see.
First up on the Ronnie James Dio Stage were Kittie, who had been recommended to me by several people over the weekend. There was something wonderfully nostalgic about their sound, giving me those darker, grungier ’90s and early-2000s vibes, and they immediately woke me back up for the final day.
Then came Orbit Culture. I’ve seen them before, but this was easily the best I’ve seen them. Maybe it was the festival atmosphere. Maybe it was the happiness of being at Bloodstock. Maybe they were simply having a particularly good day. Whatever it was, they sounded massive. There’s a physicality to their music where those riffs don’t just sound heavy – they almost thud directly into your chest.
Over in the EMP tent, I caught Brighton’s WREX, whose dual vocals from Mae and George complemented each other brilliantly. The entire band’s energy was ridiculous. At one point we even had guitar being played from somebody’s shoulders in the crowd, because apparently simply remaining on the stage would have been far too sensible.
I managed to catch a little of Following The Signs afterwards, and although I couldn’t stay for their entire set, what I heard was enough to send me searching for them again on the journey home. There were shades of Architects and Bury Tomorrow in their metalcore sound, and ‘Evolve‘ particularly showcases what they do well – melodic vocals, screams, thumping riffs and huge beats all working together.
Then came Dream State. The pit was surprisingly quiet, although by Sunday in that heat I think everyone’s remaining energy reserves were flashing red. That didn’t stop a few absolute heroes from giving some of the younger festival-goers possibly the greatest circle-pit experience of their lives, dragging them around on giant inflatable unicorns and flamingos. Beyond the fun, Jessie Powell’s vocals really stood out. Her screams are powerful, but it’s actually her singing voice that impresses me most, particularly some of the tones and pitches she’s capable of reaching. What I’ve always loved about Dream State, though, is the emotion. Their connection with the crowd feels genuine because you can see that they’re experiencing those songs alongside the people singing them back.
CC: Camphaus Media
There was no way I was going to Bloodstock and not seeing Black Label Society. I mean… Zakk Wylde. It had to be done. This was my first time seeing them, and their bluesy, southern-tinged heavy metal sounded fantastic in the sunshine. But the performance ended up affecting me more emotionally than I’d expected. Knowing the relationship between Zakk and Ozzy Osbourne gave their tribute and performance of ‘No More Tears‘ an entirely different weight.
I’ve always found covers and tributes to Ozzy moving, but hearing it from Zakk made this one particularly special. Ironically, No More Tears may have caused a wee tear.
And then finally, the moment I’d been waiting for…Judas Priest!!
A band that had been sitting firmly on my bucket list for what felt like forever. All weekend I’d been telling people there was one song I desperately wanted to hear: ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’. So when the Judas Priest curtain dropped and THAT was the first song – I let out what can only be described as a banshee scream.
Even their entrance was perfect, with Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs‘ playing beforehand and thousands of metal-heads immediately singing together.
Then Priest arrived and absolutely smashed it. ‘Breaking the Law‘ appeared far earlier than I’d expected, while Rob Halford somehow continued hitting notes that made me question whether normal human vocal limitations apply to him…apparently not.
The production was beautiful too. As the sun disappeared, huge lighting and strobes stretched across the night sky towards the back of the field. Add in the costume changes, that iconic motorbike and decades’ worth of heavy metal history and it genuinely felt like I was watching something special.
CC: Andy ‘Elvis’ McGovern
I’d even dressed for the occasion in black leather and metal studs, channeling my inner Judas Priest, but what I hadn’t planned on doing was crowdsurfing. Then the crowd started hyping people up…and once became twice, and somehow I ended up crowdsurfing to Judas Priest in a dress (yikes or yay? I’m still unsure).
Closing with ‘Living After Midnight‘ was the perfect ending, leaving thousands of people wandering around Bloodstock still singing it long after the band had disappeared.
But my night wasn’t quite finished. My final band of Bloodstock 2026 was Carpenter Brut on the Sophie Lancaster Stage.
WHAT. A. WAY. TO. FINISH.
I’m genuinely kicking myself for never seeing them before. I’m not exactly a rave or dance-music gal, but there’s something ridiculously infectious about Carpenter Brut’s combination of synthwave, electronic music and rock. The entire performance felt like one massive dopamine hit. Then they played their rendition of ‘Maniac.’ A massive tent packed with metalheads screaming along to a song from Flashdance wasn’t exactly on my 2026 bingo card, but I would very much like to experience it again.
I arrived at Bloodstock expecting four days of heavy music. What I hadn’t expected was just how much variety I’d find within that description.
Across one weekend I went from the theatrical madness of Evil Scarecrow to Saxon’s classic heavy metal, the crushing heaviness of Fit For An Autopsy, Concrete Age’s unique influences, Seething Akira’s electronic party, Sepultura’s unmistakable groove, The Scratch’s Irish-infused rock, Northlane’s atmospheric metalcore and finally the synth-fuelled madness of Carpenter Brut.
Then you’ve got bands like Lamb of God and Judas Priest reminding you exactly why festivals need massive headline performances.
But some of my favourite discoveries came from much smaller stages.
That’s one of the things I loved most about Bloodstock. You could watch a legendary band who have influenced generations of musicians, walk for a few minutes and find yourself discovering your next favourite band inside a tent.
And despite how much music was packed into the weekend, it never felt like the festival itself disappeared behind the line-up.
Bloodstock is incredibly easy to navigate, the stages are close together and the sheer number of bars, food stalls, shops and activities means there is always something happening between bands. Most importantly, though, the atmosphere felt incredibly welcoming. As a first-timer, I very quickly understood why people talk about Bloodstock with so much affection.
Going into the weekend, I wondered whether Bloodstock might be too heavy for me. My own music taste sits across alternative rock, metalcore and plenty of the more melodic corners of heavy music, so a festival with such a strong reputation for extreme metal felt slightly outside my usual comfort zone. But instead, that became one of my favourite things about it.
I watched bands I already loved, finally ticked Judas Priest off my bucket list and came home listening to artists I’d either never heard before or would probably never have discovered otherwise.
After years of attending festivals, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find one that gives me a completely new experience – and Bloodstock did.
From the bottom of my heart – thank you Bloodstock – I’ll see you in 2027!