Bloodstock Open Air 2026 is unleashing another wave of heavy hitters just in time for Halloween, proving the UK’s premier metal fest is pulling no punches for its silver anniversary. Fresh off the explosive Body Count reveal, the festival has dropped 10 more bands, including Ronnie James Dio main stage crushers Black Label Society (Sunday, August 9) and deathcore demolishers Fit For An Autopsy (Friday, August 7). The Sophie Lancaster stage gets a brutal boost too, with returning UK upstarts Mantis Defeats Jaguar (Thursday), black metal bloodletters Blood Countess and sludge party-starters Gurt (Friday), blackened death/grind wizards Outergods (Saturday), and Sunday’s unrelenting quartet: abrasive doom/punk/blues ragers Noisepicker, stoner doom sirens Alunah, death/thrash marauders Flayed Disciple, and Norwich’s hulking doom trio Acid Throne.
This latest announcement cements Bloodstock 2026 as the must-crush event of the year, blending legacy grooves, modern extremity, and underground ferocity across four days at Catton Park, Derbyshire (August 6-9). With weekend tickets now officially sold out—grab those day passes when they drop later—the hype is stratospheric. More bands and onsite surprises loom, but for now, let’s break down the new blood, why they fit, and how to storm the gates before it’s too late.
Tickets flying—secure yours at bloodstock.uk.com/tickets for the full 25th anniversary assault. Wednesday early access camping still available for max immersion. Horns up!
Black Label Society and Fit For An Autopsy: Main Stage Muscle for Bloodstock 2026
Black Label Society storms the Ronnie James Dio main stage on Sunday, August 9, right in the heart of the fest’s closing-day frenzy. Led by guitar god and storyteller extraordinaire Zakk Wylde, the BLS juggernaut delivers southern-tinged heavy grooves, blistering solos, and anthems like “In This River” and “Stillborn” that demand neck snaps and beer raises. Fresh from their 2025 Doom Crew Inc. album drop, Wylde’s Berzerker army is primed to turn Catton Park into a southern-fried mosh apocalypse—perfect prelude to Judas Priest‘s headlining thunder.
Not to be outdone, Fit For An Autopsy unleashes deathcore devastation on Friday, August 7. The New Jersey titans—known for bone-crushing breakdowns, atmospheric cleans, and tracks like “Pandora” from their 2022 Oh What the Future Holds—are the ideal gut-punch after Lamb of God‘s openers. With their 2025 single “Apex of Self” still echoing, FFAA’s technical fury and emotional depth will have pits boiling under Derbyshire skies. As Kerrang! raves, these additions make the main stage a “double-whammy of unrelenting power.”
Sophie Lancaster Stage Slaughter: UK Underground and Extreme Icons Invade
The Sophie Lancaster stage—Bloodstock’s haven for heavy innovation—gets a fiendish facelift with these newcomers, ensuring every day drips with diversity:
- Thursday, August 6: Mantis Defeats Jaguar return as Birmingham’s Metal 2 The Masses champs, bringing boisterous, riff-driven metal that’s equal parts aggressive and anthemic. Their 2024 EP Mantis Defeats Jaguar is a gateway drug to UK metal’s next wave.
- Friday, August 7: Blood Countess spill sanguine black metal sorcery, blending symphonic darkness with raw venom—think Cradle of Filth meets midnight rituals. Paired with Gurt‘s party sludge/noise assault (fuzzy riffs and chaotic energy straight from Bristol’s underbelly), it’s a blood-soaked double bill for the lore-keepers.
- Saturday, August 8: Outergods alchemize blackened death and grind into bleak, cosmic horror—short, sharp blasts of extremity that echo early Napalm Death with Lovecraftian twists. Their 2025 split with peers has fans salivating for this slot.
- Sunday, August 9: No rest for the wicked. Noisepicker grind abrasive doom/punk/blues into a gritty cocktail, channeling Eyehategod’s swagger with UK bite. Alunah summon stoner doom’s hypnotic haze (vocalist Soya’s ethereal wails over desert riffs), while Flayed Disciple unleash death/thrash savagery from their Pneumothorax album. Rounding it out, Acid Throne‘s Norwich doom trio delivers sludgy, Sabbathian weight that’ll close the stage with earth-shaking finality.
These acts embody Bloodstock’s ethos: Elevating UK talent (Mantis, Gurt, Flayed) alongside global grind (Outergods, Blood Countess), all while keeping the extremity dialed to 11.
The Evolving Bloodstock 2026 Lineup: A 25th Anniversary Metal Odyssey
This drop joins an already monstrous roster for Bloodstock‘s silver jubilee, spanning thrash legends, deathcore crushers, and everything in between. Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners: Lamb of God (Thursday), Slaughter to Prevail (Friday), Judas Priest (Sunday), Saxon (Saturday). Sophie Lancaster bosses: Cryptopsy‘s None So Vile 30th anniversary set (Saturday), Wednesday 13 (Friday), Leprous (Thursday), Carpenter Brut (Sunday).
Full confirmed lineup highlights (now 60+ strong, with more incoming):
- Main Stage Powerhouses: Black Label Society, Fit For An Autopsy, Body Count (special guests Sunday), Sepultura, Municipal Waste, Death Angel, Northlane, Bleed From Within, Vended, Orbit Culture.
- Sophie Stage Savages: Mantis Defeats Jaguar, Blood Countess, Gurt, Outergods, Noisepicker, Alunah, Flayed Disciple, Acid Throne, 200 Stab Wounds, The Hell, Black Spiders, Shining, Nevermore, Kittie, Mushroomhead.
- Underground Onslaught: Evil Scarecrow, Heavysaurus, SKYND, Party Cannon, Battlesnake, Inhuman Nature, Castle Rat, Graphic Nature, Bootyard Bandits, Excrementory Grindfuckers, Hidden Intent, Sellsword, Neckbreakker, Seething Akira, Hammer, Stampin Ground, Urne, Celestial Sanctuary, Viking Skull, Bound In Fear, Imperium, Froglord, Dream State, Trivax, plus The Scratch, Imperial Age, Life Of Agony, Of Mice & Men, Biohazard.
From Priest’s timeless metal to BLS’s groove assault, this is a genre-devouring feast. As festival director Vicky Hungerford teases, it’s “truly unforgettable”—with onsite entertainment expansions on the horizon.
Why These Additions Make Bloodstock 2026 Unmissable
Bloodstock’s 25th isn’t coasting on nostalgia; it’s a bold evolution. Black Label Society adds Wylde’s storytelling swagger to the main stage’s legacy lane, bridging Saxon‘s NWOBHM roots with modern might. Fit For An Autopsy injects deathcore’s visceral punch, contrasting Slaughter to Prevail‘s cinematic brutality for Friday’s pit apocalypse. The Sophie picks spotlight UK resilience—Alunah‘s doom revival, Gurt‘s noise revelry—while Outergods and Blood Countess feed the fest’s extreme hunger.
Fans are feral on X: “BLS at Bloodstock? Wylde about to own Catton!” and “FFAA + Slaughter? Friday’s gonna be a bloodbath.” With weekend tickets gone (a first for pre-headliner sales), this lineup screams sell-out destiny. It’s metal’s communal reset: Four days of fire, fields, and fellowship.
Tickets and Logistics: Act Fast for Bloodstock 2026 Glory
- When: August 6-9, 2026, Catton Park, Derbyshire.
- Tickets: Weekend sold out—day tickets later; Wednesday early access camping open. Hit bloodstock.uk.com/tickets now.
- Why Hurry?: Demand’s goblin-stamp level; prices start low, but history’s on the line.
- Updates: Follow @BloodstockUK on socials or bloodstock.uk.com for reveals.
Bloodstock 2026: Where the riffs rewrite legacies. Who’s your must-see from this wave? Spill in the comments—let’s thrash.
FAQs: Bloodstock 2026 Latest Additions
When is Bloodstock 2026? August 6-9, 2026, Catton Park, Derbyshire.
New bands announced? Black Label Society (main stage Sunday), Fit For An Autopsy (main Friday), plus Mantis Defeats Jaguar, Blood Countess, Gurt, Outergods, Noisepicker, Alunah, Flayed Disciple, Acid Throne.
Who’s headlining? RJD: Lamb Of God, Slaughter To Prevail, Judas Priest, Saxon. Sophie: Cryptopsy (anniversary), Wednesday 13, Leprous, Carpenter Brut.
Tickets status? Weekend sold out; day tickets soon, early camping available.
More to come? Yes—bands and entertainment reveals ongoing.
Why the 25th anniversary hype? Iconic milestone with stacked bills, special guests like Body Count, and UK metal’s biggest bash.
READ MORE….
Bloodstock 2026 Lineup Update: Black Label Society, Fit For An Autopsy, and More Added @RockNews
