Lamb of God, Slaughter to Prevail, and Judas Priest Set to Lead the Charge as Festival Drops First 25 Bands
If you thought metal couldn’t get any bigger in 2026, BLOODSTOCK just dropped a lineup announcement that’s about to make you rethink everything. The UK metal festival is pulling out all the stops for its 25th anniversary at Catton Park next August, and holy hell, they’re not messing around.
While this weekend’s 2025 edition sees TRIVIUM, MACHINE HEAD, and GOJIRA currently melting faces alongside 120+ bands, the festival organisers have decided that waiting is for the weak. They’ve just unleashed the first wave of 2026 announcements, and it might just be their best line-up yet!
THE HEADLINERS
Let’s start with Friday’s main stage headliner: LAMB OF GOD are returning to claim their throne atop the Ronnie James Dio stage.
“We are thrilled to return to headline Bloodstock in 2026!” frontman D. Randall Blythe declares with characteristic intensity. “The UK is one of our favourite countries in the world to play and Bloodstock is one of our favourite festivals.” Then, with the self-deprecating humour that’s endeared him to millions, he adds: “And to Bloodstock security… I will make sure I have my pass on me at all times. See you next August!”
Saturday’s headliner spot goes to SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL, the Russian demolition crew who’ve been systematically destroying venues worldwide. The band just dropped their new album Grizzly, giving you exactly one year to prepare your neck muscles for what’s coming.
Sunday belongs to JUDAS PRIEST. After more than fifty years of defining what heavy metal means, the Birmingham legends will close out the weekend in a set that promises to span their entire catalogue. Start your setlist debates now—you’re going to need the full year to narrow down which classics they’ll unleash.
THE SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE
Thursday kicks off with Canadian tech-death masters CRYPTOPSY delivering a 30th-anniversary performance of None So Vile. Friday sees the Duke of Spook himself, WEDNESDAY 13, bringing his signature blend of horror and heavy. Saturday gets progressive with Norwegian wizards LEPROUS, while Sunday’s closing slot goes to dark synth maestro CARPENTER BRUT, because apparently BLOODSTOCK believes in ending things with style and seizure-inducing light shows.
MORE BANDS…
This is where the lineup gets genuinely insane. SEPULTURA will appear as part of their final farewell tour; this is literally your last chance to witness Brazilian metal royalty. MUNICIPAL WASTE are locked and loaded to destroy the crowd-surfing record (again). Seminal thrashers DEATH ANGEL are bringing the Bay Area thunder across the Atlantic.
The modern metal contingent is equally stacked: Australian metalcore giants NORTHLANE, Scottish bruisers BLEED FROM WITHIN, and Des Moines’ nu-metal destroyers VENDED (yes, those Des Moines kids) are all confirmed. Sweden’s ORBIT CULTURE brings the melodic death metal, while Ireland’s THE SCRATCH promises to answer the question nobody asked: what happens when you mix traditional Irish music with crushing metal? (Spoiler: it’s incredible.)
IMPERIAL AGE are coming to restore sythonic power metal balance. LIFE OF AGONY finally get their redemption after a medical emergency forced their 2022 cancellation. California’s OF MICE & MEN and hardcore legends BIOHAZARD guarantee the pits will be absolutely lethal.
Over in the Sophie tent, things get properly weird (in the best way). HEAVYSAURUS brings Jurassic-level entertainment (yes, dinosaur metal is a thing). Cleveland’s 200 STAB WOUNDS and THE HELL promise maximum violence, while Sheffield’s BLACK SPIDERS inject pure rock ‘n’ roll adrenaline into the mix. Norway’s SHINING will bend minds with their blackjazz experimentation. And in what might be the weekend’s most anticipated return: NEVERMORE is back from the dead.
Tickets are available now at the on-site box office at early bird prices (no booking fees if you’re at this year’s fest). Bloodstock takes place August 2026 at Catton Park, Derbyshire. More bands to be announced.
