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Bloodstock Open Air: 2026 Guide
Plan your complete Bloodstock Open Air experience. Find out the lineup, pricing, dates, and top-tier tips for this year's festival.
Are you planning to attend one of the biggest heavy metal festivals in the UK? Bloodstock Open Air is a yearly festival, and everything is prepared for the 2026 edition. Over 20 bands will perform throughout the three days of the festival.
We prepared a guide to help you with everything you’ll need to attend Bloodstock 2026, from basic information to pro tips on surviving a heavy metal experience!
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What is the Bloodstock Open Air?
Bloodstock Open Air festival started in 2001 at the Derby Assembly Rooms as a one-day festival with two stages. It rapidly expanded to Catton Hall in 2005 and became one of the most popular festivals in Europe.
This festival pays homage to great metal legends who have passed away by dedicating stages to their memories. The main stage is named after James Dio, and the secondary stage carries the name of Sophie Lancaster.
The festival has featured many iconic bands, like In Flames, Trivium, Sleep Token, Knocked Loose, Lorna Shore, and many other metal giants.
When is Bloodstock Open Air 2026 taking place?
Like previous years, Bloodstock Open Air will occur during the 2nd week of August, from August 6th to August 9th, 2026. This places it a few weeks before the Reading Festival.
What is the Bloodstock Festival 2026 lineup?
The Bloodstock 2026 lineup offers an incredible mix of heavy music across its different stages, ranging from legendary heavy metal titans on the main stage to cutting-edge extreme metal and underground talent.
Here is a look at the key bands performing across the festival’s three primary stages:
Ronnie James Dio Stage (Main Stage)
The main stage features an eclectic mix of groove metal, classic heavy metal, deathcore, and thrash, headlined by three massive heavy hitters:
- Headliners: Lamb of God (Friday), Slaughter to Prevail (Saturday), and Judas Priest (Sunday).
- Also featuring: Saxon, Testament, Sepultura (on their farewell tour), Black Label Society, Bleed From Within, Body Count, Municipal Waste, Nevermore, Northlane, Orbit Culture, Vended, Biohazard, The Scratch, Imperial Age, and Life of Agony.
Sophie Lancaster Stage
The second stage offers a phenomenal lineup spanning progressive metal, gothic rock, synthwave, and extreme subgenres:
- Headliners: Cryptopsy (None So Vile 30th-anniversary set on Thursday), Wednesday 13 (Friday), Leprous (Saturday), and Carpenter Brut (Sunday).
- Also featuring: Sanguisugabogg (stepping in for Of Mice & Men), Death Angel, 200 Stab Wounds, Heavysaurus, Black Spiders, Skynd, Mushroomhead, Dream State, Thrown Into Exile, The Hell, and Shining.
Stowford Press New Blood Stage
Showcasing the very best in emerging underground talent and the winners of the global Metal 2 The Masses finals, this stage includes rising stars such as:
- Regicide, Microtonal, Atarka, Bailed Out, Descendancy, Dead Bait, Chekhov’s Gun, Technologist, Sunk, Joakem, Ka’aper, Void Below, Temples on Mars, Negative Frame, Concrete Age, and Thrasherwolf.
Where is the Bloodstock Open Air 2026 taking place?
Bloodstock Open Air 2026 is taking place at Catton Hall. The estate is located in Walton-on-Trent in Derbyshire, a historic country venue where the festival’s various stages are set up every year.
How much does the Bloodstock Festival 2026 cost?
Weekend Tickets: Full weekend passes (including standard weekend camping) are completely sold out.
Day Tickets: A limited number of individual day tickets (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) are still available.
- General admission day tickets for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday cost £99 plus a £1.95 transaction fee (totaling £100.95).
- Thursday-only admission is available for £59 plus fees.
Upgrades and Extras: VIP options (like the Serpent’s Lair VIP bar and “Patch of Grass” camping) originally ranged higher but are also completely sold out. Official resales are being handled via their partner, Tixel.
Where to stay during Bloodstock 2026 Festival?
Like other festivals in Europe, such as Sziget or Reading, there will be free camping spaces for attendees.
The available camping sites are Asgard, Hel, Hidgard, Valhalla, Ironwood, Ragnarok, Kyrr, and Jotunheim.
The Kyrr campsite is only for people with a Kyrr Camping Ticket, as this is a private space closer to the Catton House.
For those looking for relaxation after a day of heavy metal, Ragnarok offers a quiet campsite, as any noise after midnight means a person can be ejected from the campsite.
There are also VIP camping sites ranging from £398 to over £2,500 for the most luxurious options available.
How to travel to Bloodstock Festival?
There are several main ways to travel to Catton Park (adjoining Catton Hall) for the festival:
- By taxi: Local taxis run from nearby stations (Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, and Burton-on-Trent). One-way fares cost between £20 and £45. Pre-booking your return is recommended.
- By bus: Official shuttle buses run from Tamworth Railway Station to the festival site on Wednesday, August 5th and Thursday, August 6th, with returns on Monday, August 10th. Advance return tickets cost £16 via Big Green Coach.
- Big Green Coach: The official coach partner offers direct, carbon-neutral weekend return services from over 25 UK cities straight into Catton Park. Fares range from £35 to £90, depending on your departure point, with both Wednesday and Thursday arrival options available.
Tips to attend the Bloodstock Open Air
Before you arrive at Catton Hall during the Bloodstock 2026 dates, there are some tips to consider to prepare for the adventure.
- Plan which bands you want to see: Each stage features different bands, and some schedules might collide, so plan accordingly so you don’t miss the ones you really want to see.
- Pack enough clothes: The festival goes on for three days and there will be a lot of moshing and pogoing, so pack properly so you don’t end up wearing the same metal shirt through the weekend.
- Figure out how to stay connected: Stay connected with an eSIM for the UK or Holafly Plans for multi-country travel. Each plan also includes Always On, giving you 1 GB of complimentary backup data after your unlimited data allowance ends, as long as you don’t uninstall your eSIM.
- Stay hydrated and eat: Whether you’re drinking some beers, jumping all day long at the festival, or walking a lot from one stage to another, make sure to take some time to eat and drink something. Plus, you can consider purchasing UK travel insurance as an additional security measure.
- Prepare your budget: If you have paid for the festival tickets, the next thing is to consider how much you’ll use moving around, eating, and buying merch during the festival, so take your time to prepare a proper travel budget!
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I first started my content creation journey as a freelancer in 2019, before connecting with Holafly in 2021. At Holafly, my travel and tech interests come together in one place as I craft high-quality articles about the eSIM and related markets. My content aims to help travelers stay connected, wherever they are.
