Bloodstock has unveiled another 27 bands for its landmark 25th anniversary celebration in 2026, with British heavy metal legends Saxon set to headline the festival’s new Thursday opening night on the Ronnie James Dio main stage. The latest announcement brings the total lineup to approximately 125 bands, with weekend tickets now over 90% sold out and early bird, campervan and VIP options already completely sold out.
The most significant addition sees Saxon returning to Bloodstock to kick off the expanded four-day festival, marking the first time the main Ronnie James Dio stage will open on Thursday. Canadian alt-metal pioneers Kittie will make their Bloodstock debut on Sunday, joining an eclectic mix of acts spanning from theatrical favourites Evil Scarecrow and dinosaur-costumed family metal heroes Heavysaurus to industrial spectacle Mushroomhead and grindcore absurdists Excrementory Grindfuckers.
Thursday’s expanded Ronnie James Dio stage lineup features Saxon as headliners, supported by Bloodstock favourites Evil Scarecrow bringing their eccentric theatrical metal mayhem, and Heavysaurus, who have been moved from the Sophie Lancaster stage to the main stage for maximum impact. The Thursday addition represents a significant expansion for the festival’s silver anniversary celebration.
Friday’s main stage additions include the unnerving, true crime-inspired industrial sounds of Skynd, the outrageous brutal death metal of Party Cannon, and the serpentine heavy rock theatrics of Battlesnake. Saturday will see London’s thrash-fuelled crossover crew Inhuman Nature representing the new generation of feral thrash on the main stage.
Sunday’s Ronnie James Dio stage concludes with Kittie’s highly anticipated Bloodstock debut, joined by occult doom bringers Castle Rat, boundary-smashing modern hardcore crew Graphic Nature, and Wild West metal rabble rousers Bootyard Bandits from Worcester. The Canadian alt-metal veterans’ appearance marks one of the weekend’s most significant bookings.
The Sophie Lancaster stage receives its own substantial additions across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday highlights include German grindcore outfit Excrementory Grindfuckers, Australian thrash squad Hidden Intent, UK medieval power metallers Sellsword, Danish death metal beasts Neckbreakker, electro nu-core party-starters Seething Akira, and rising Scottish extreme metal outfit Hammer.
Saturday’s Sophie Lancaster stage features UK hardcore institution Stampin Ground, genre-bending heavy hitters Urne, death metal purists Celestial Sanctuary, swaggering stoner rock bruisers Viking Skull, down-tempo brutality merchants Bound In Fear, technical groove maestros Imperium, and amphibian doom oddballs Froglord. Sunday rounds off with the masked industrial spectacle of Mushroomhead, soaring alt-rockers Dream State, and blackened extremists Trivax.
The festival has also announced impressive charity fundraising results from 2025, raising £13,818 for charity partners Metal For Good and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation. Guest and media donations contributed £11,698, while the popular T-shirt Amnesty added £2,120, with funds split equally between both charities. Additionally, Shepherd Events donated bar tips and competition proceeds, with staff Christopher Roberts and Taylan Rodgers donating their entire weekend earnings, contributing a further £2,000 to The Sophie Lancaster Foundation.
Katy Baker, Co-Founder of Metal For Good, praised the generous support from Bloodstock attendees, stating the funds would support community projects using music to change lives. The charity partnerships demonstrate Bloodstock’s commitment to supporting causes beyond music, with The Sophie Lancaster Foundation focusing on combating prejudice and hate crime.
Already confirmed for Bloodstock 2026 are Ronnie James Dio stage headliners Lamb of God, Slaughter to Prevail, and Judas Priest, with Sophie Lancaster stage headliners Cryptopsy performing a None So Vile 30th anniversary set, Wednesday 13, Leprous, and Carpenter Brut. Previously announced acts include Sepultura, Municipal Waste, Death Angel, Northlane, Bleed From Within, Vended, and many more across both stages.
Applications for accessible access will open at 9am BST on October 11th, while day tickets will go on sale at a later date. Wednesday early access is available in some campsites for those wanting to maximise their Bloodstock experience. The 25th anniversary celebration takes place at Catton Park, Derbyshire from August 6-9, 2026.
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