Bloodstock Line Up 2026 – 27 More Bands Added

16 September 2025 rocknews

Saxon Headlines Thursday, Lamb of God Leads RJD Stage as Lineup Grows with 125+ Acts Expected

Bloodstock, the UK’s premier metal festival, has unveiled 27 more bands for its 25th anniversary in 2026, set for August 6-9 at Catton Park, Derbyshire. With Saxon headlining the Ronnie James Dio (RJD) stage on Thursday, the lineup now boasts Lamb of God, Slaughter to Prevail, and Judas Priest as RJD headliners, alongside Sophie Lancaster stage stars like Cryptopsy (None So Vile 30th anniversary), Wednesday 13, Leprous, and Carpenter Brut. Over 125 bands total are slated, with more announcements coming. Early bird, campervan, and VIP tickets are sold out, and weekend tickets are 90% gone—grab yours at bloodstock.uk.com before it’s too late!

Thursday’s Ronnie James Dio Stage: Saxon Leads the Charge

Kicking off with a bang, British heavy metal legends Saxon headline the Ronnie James Dio stage on Thursday, delivering over four decades of anthems like “Wheels of Steel” in a blistering set. Joining them are Bloodstock favorites Evil Scarecrow with their theatrical mayhem and Heavysaurus, the dinosaur-costumed family-friendly metal act, moving from Sophie Lancaster to RJD for maximum roar.

Friday’s Ronnie James Dio and Sophie Lancaster Stages

Friday on the RJD stage brings the unnerving industrial of Skynd, the brutal slamming death metal of Party Cannon, and the serpentine heavy rock of Battlesnake. Over on the Sophie Lancaster stage, German grindcore absurdists Excrementory Grindfuckers, Australian thrash Hidden Intent, UK medieval power metallers Sellsword, Danish death metal Neckbreaker, electro nu-core Seething Akira, and rising Scottish extreme metal Hammer unleash chaos.

Saturday’s Ronnie James Dio and Sophie Lancaster Stages

Saturday’s RJD stage features thrash-fueled crossover from Inhuman Nature, flying the flag for new feral talent. The Sophie Lancaster stage hosts UK hardcore Stampin’ Ground, genre-bending Urne, death metal purists Celestial Sanctuary, swaggering stoner Viking Skull, down-tempo brutality from Bound in Fear, technical groove Imperium, and amphibian doom Froglord.

Sunday’s Ronnie James Dio and Sophie Lancaster Stages

Closing strong, the RJD stage welcomes Canadian alt-metal pioneers Kittie for their Bloodstock debut, occult doom Castle Rat (hail the Rat Queen), boundary-smashing hardcore Graphic Nature, and Wild West rabble-rousers Bootyard Bandits (from Worcester). The Sophie Lancaster stage ends with masked industrial Mushroomhead, soaring alt-rockers Dream State, and blackened extremists Trivax.

Already Announced Headliners and Full Lineup So Far

The 25th anniversary boasts a stacked bill, with RJD headliners Lamb of God, Slaughter to Prevail, and Judas Priest, plus Sophie Lancaster headliners Cryptopsy (None So Vile 30th anniversary), Wednesday 13, Leprous, and Carpenter Brut. Other confirmed acts include Sepultura, Municipal Waste, Death Angel, Northlane, Bleed From Within, Vended, Orbit Culture, The Scratch, Imperial Age, Life of Agony, Of Mice & Men, Biohazard, 200 Stab Wounds, The Hell, Black Spiders, and Shining, plus Nevermore. Expect Thursday early access and day tickets later.

Charity Impact from Bloodstock 2025

Bloodstock raised an incredible £13,818 in 2025 for Metal For Good and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, split equally (£6,909 each). Guest/media donations hit £11,698, T-shirt Amnesty added £2,120, and bar tips from Shepherd Events (including Christopher Roberts and Taylan Rodgers donating earnings) rounded up to £2,000 for Sophie Lancaster. Katy Baker of Metal For Good said, “Blown away by the support—this funds life-changing music projects.”

Tickets and Feedback for Bloodstock 2026

Early bird, campervan, and VIP tickets are sold out, weekend tickets 90% gone—secure yours at bloodstock.uk.com. Accessible access applications open October 11, 2025, 9 AM BST. Share feedback via the exit survey for a chance to win 2026 weekend tickets. With Wednesday early access in select campsites, this silver anniversary is set to be epic!