Bloodstock Open Air returns to the hallowed grounds at Catton Park in Derbyshire this August and is shaping up to be one of the best editions yet. Along with all of the metal magic that we have come to expect, this year has also promised early bird camping access, officially sanctioned bin jousting (moving out of the clandestine Midgard shadows...if you know you know), fancy dress themes a plenty (expect to see this photo-journalist donning a blonde wig and doing his best Dr. Ellie Sattler impression for the dino-theme on Saturday) plus a whole range of new additions that will pay homage to the late Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister.
Ronnie James Dio Stage
The main draw to any festival is surely the main stage headline acts, Bloodstock this year is no exception with fans in for an absolute treat.
Opeth - Friday Headliner
Swedish progressive metal legends Opeth are bringing a "chosen by the fans" set to their headline slot on Friday night, with almost 30 years worth of discography to call on it is sure to be packed with nothing but the best.
Architects - Saturday Headliner
The headliner that I am most excited to see, but who have possibly caused the most 'stir' amongst some of the older guard of regular attendees at the festival; British Metalcore pioneers Architects. In their 20th year as a band that constantly pushes the envelope and reinvents their sound, they have more than earned the honour of headlining this year.
Amon Amarth - Sunday Headliner
Bringing the Main Stage events of the weekend to a close are Viking aficionados, and Swedish Melodic Death Metal outfit Amon Amarth. They will be hoping to not only close the festival out with a bang but also a record as they attempt to arrange the assembled masses into the largest synchronised group simulating rowing a boat the UK has ever seen; I'm sure that when Johan Hegg orders us all to "Put your back into the oar" the "Viking row pit" will oblige.
Clutch - Friday
Maryland's own Clutch will bring their bluesy stoner hard rock to the main stage on Friday night ahead of Opeth's headline set.
Festival organisers have pre-warned those who will be attending to turn their eyes to the big screens as soon as Clutch comes off stage on Friday, for the official announcement of a host of bands for next year's festival including all three Ronnie James Dio Stage and Sophie Lancaster Stage headliners.
Hatebreed - Friday
Bringing their 30th anniversary set to the main stage will be east-coast metalcore powerhouse Hatebreed.
Green Lung - Friday
Having just announced their biggest-ever headline shows for later in the year, Green Lung on the Main Stage on Friday should not be missed. Bringing a mixture of doomy hard rock with elements of psychedelic prog and the energy of NWOBHM; lyrically drawing on British folklore, Green Lung will be sure to take us on a journey into the occult of Albion.
Unleash The Archers - Saturday
Currently touring their sixth studio album Phantasma, the Canadian Power Metal powerhouses will be storming onto the Main Stage on Saturday. Not without controversy, the first single on the new album was released with a music video that was produced using AI, although the band did clarify that art that they had commissioned from an artist that they work closely with (who was both on board with the project and fairly compensated for it) was used to "train the AI model" to produce the video; there was still some backlash from fans. That being said Brittney Slayes has one of the most phenomenal voices in metal and with Unleash the Archers not gracing these shores since before the pandemic, I will for one be riding the barrier for this set.
Raised By Owls - Sunday
Part-time comedians, full-time death metal/grindcore lads (or possibly the other way around), Derbyshire's own Raised By Owls are sure to drag the wearisome festival-goers out of their tents early for the festival's final day. If you enjoy satirical verses about Ainsley Harriot, Noel Edmonds, or wearing inappropriate band merch to a gender reveal party, then these lads should not be missed.
P.S. If you are not following these guys on social media you're missing out on some metal adjacent comedy gold.
Malevolence - Saturday
Festival regulars at this point, South Yorkshire's finest, Malevolence will be bringing their brand of metalcore to the Main Stage on Saturday night, they are the perfect band to get the crowd warmed up ahead of Architects headline set.
Sophie Lancaster Stage
Bloodstock's second stage is named in honour of Sophie Lancaster, a young woman who at just 20 years old, was murdered for the simple fact of being different. In August 2007 Sophie and her boyfriend were attacked in a park in Lancashire by a gang of five boys. Sophie's mother later set up the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, a charity that "promotes tolerance and acceptance for others - however different we are, and champions alternative people in our community". I would like to encourage all reading this article to please take a couple of extra minutes and check out the work that the Sophie Lancaster Foundation does https://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com/
Korpiklaani - Saturday
I guarantee that you will not have more fun at a show than you will during a set with Finnish Folk Metal stalwarts Korpiklaani. Dualling fiddles and accordions will provide the backdrop for a frantic set filled with drinking songs and tales of Finnish folklore.
Tailgunner - Thursday
Tailgunner are a rising force in the British metal scene at the moment, and with endorsements from the likes of KK Downing and Dave Mustaine, if they are not currently on your radar then they really, REALLY, should be. Their performances are so infectiously full of energy and so tightly performed; it's hard to believe that their debut album is only just a year old. If you are a fan of the likes of Megadeth, King Diamond, or Saxon then these guys will be right up your alley; but be warned they are not an 'Old School' band but what they do, and do very well, is capture the spirit and energy of the metal from yesteryear. If there is one act that you see during the warm-up night on Thursday, make it Tailgunner.
PHOTOS: SIMON ARINZE
Red Rum - Saturday
For anyone in search of both Booze and Glory, you have to swing by the Sophie Lancaster Stage on Saturday for the Pirate Metal outfit Red Rum. Be prepared for a swashbuckling romp, possibly with a brief stop-off in Middle Earth along the way. Red Rum are guaranteed to be a fun time.
Awake By Design - Sunday
If you are looking for a melodic metal fix, then you can't go wrong with Awake By Design on the Sophie Lancaster Stage on Sunday morning.
South Of Salem - Thursday
Bournemouth-based hard rockers South Of Salem invite you to "join the coven" at the Sophie Lancaster Stage on Thursday.
The Vintage Caravan - Friday
Iceland's "Biggest Rock Trio" The Vintage Caravan will be bringing their modern twist on psychedelic hard rock to The Sophie Lancaster Stage on Friday.
The Hopical Storm New Blood Stage
One thing that Bloodstock Festival does better than possibly any other mainstream festival, is that they really champion unsigned homegrown talent, giving them as much press coverage and exposure as they possibly can. Every year they run a series of 'battle of the band' style events across the length and breadth of the UK alongside Ireland, Norway, and Poland called Metal 2 The Masses. With each regional event showcasing the best-unsigned talent from that area's local metal scene, each ultimate regional winner books themselves a spot to play on The Hopical Storm New Blood Stage alongside some other unsigned or under-the-radar bands hand-picked by the festival organisers.
Convey - Saturday
Representing my own local metal scene, winners of the Cheltenham regional final, Convey, a Worcestershire-based Nu-Metal/Hardcore outfit that bring an ungodly amount of energy to the stage. From their first-ever gig during the heats of the 2023 edition of Metal 2 The Masses Cheltenham to winning it in 2024 and booking their spot at Bloodstock, I am so excited to be able to see the full circle of this particular part of their story. Not only are they a super talented mixture of visceral "angst and existential exasperation", but Convey are four of the nicest dudes you will meet, I so hope that their set at Bloodstock is just a stepping stone to bigger and better things. If you like "angry vocals and big fuzzy riffs" then get yourself down to the New Blood Stage on Saturday.
PHOTOS: SIMON ARINZE
Biomechanimal - Saturday
Biomechanimal are a dark electronic metal four-piece out of the London Industrial scene. Their set promises to be "intense high energy" and to bring something different to the festival that many may not have seen before; "Blastbeats, raw vocals, zaagkicks, wobbles, Djent chugs, and 3 AM club grooves". Definitely a band that are worth checking out on the New Blood Stage on Saturday.
Akkadian - Sunday
Akkadian, a four-piece from Cambridge will be hitting up the New Blood Stage on Sunday. Influenced by the likes of Gojira and Lamb of God, Akkadian are set to bring us "hard-hitting groovy songs with a strong psychedelic undertone".
EMP Stage
MAB - Friday
MAB, a four-piece from Sardinia by way of London, following a 15-year hiatus returned in 2023. They will be gracing the EMP stage on Friday with their grunge-inspired "mixture of metal, gothic and psychedelic atmospheres", that draws influence from their "peaceful homeland and the acid necrosis of a neurotic London".
The Gallowgate Murders - Sunday
The booze-fuelled gang of Celtic misfits, The Gallowgate Murders will be sure to have toes-a-tapping at the EMP Stage on Sunday.
Lurcher - Saturday
West-Wales three-piece, Lurcher, provides a mixture of stoner, doom, sludge, and grunge to the EMP Stage on Saturday.
The Serpents Lair
Seidrblot - Sunday
For those lucky enough to have access to the Serpents Lair VIP Area, I encourage you to check out the shamanic Norse music of Seidrblot on Sunday.
Bloodstock Open Air is a British heavy metal festival held annually at Catton Park in Derbyshire since 2005. This year's festival is expected to house 20,000 metal heads and runs from August 8th to 11th.
