Bloodstock Open Air is an independent heavy metal festival held each August at Catton Park in Derbyshire, England. It is one of the UK’s largest dedicated metal festivals, with around 20,000 attendees, full weekend camping and more than 120 bands across several stages.

Bloodstock began in 2001 as an indoor festival at Derby Assembly Rooms. The event was created by Paul Gregory and Vince Brotheridge, who wanted to build a British metal festival in the spirit of the old Monsters of Rock era. Saxon headlined the first edition, alongside Primal Fear, Glenn Hughes, Blaze, Skyclad, Return to the Sabbat and others.

The indoor Bloodstock festival continued during the early 2000s, but demand soon outgrew the original format. In 2005, the organisers launched Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Park, turning the festival into an outdoor weekend event while the indoor edition briefly continued alongside it.

Catton Park has since become the fixed home of Bloodstock Open Air. The site gives the festival a compact outdoor setting, with camping, arena stages, bars, food areas, market stalls and late-night entertainment all within walking distance of each other.

The main stage is the Ronnie James Dio Stage, named in memory of the legendary Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio vocalist. The Sophie Lancaster Stage honours Sophie Lancaster and the work of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, which campaigns against prejudice and hate crime directed at people from alternative subcultures. The New Blood Stage gives newer and unsigned bands a route onto the festival bill, often through Bloodstock’s Metal 2 the Masses network.

Musically, Bloodstock covers a wide range of metal rather than focusing on one subgenre. Classic heavy metal, power metal, thrash, death metal, black metal, doom, folk metal, progressive metal, metalcore, grindcore and hardcore all appear in the programme, alongside occasional dark, industrial or experimental acts that fit the festival’s heavy identity.

Bands that have played Bloodstock include Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Motörhead, W.A.S.P., Twisted Sister, Saxon, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Mayhem, Behemoth, Carcass, Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Morbid Angel, Gojira, Opeth, Meshuggah, Kreator, Sodom, Testament, Paradise Lost, Lamb of God, Machine Head, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Sabaton and Children of Bodom.

Bloodstock has also maintained a strong connection to new and underground bands. The Metal 2 the Masses scheme runs through regional heats, giving unsigned and self-released metal bands the chance to compete for slots at the festival. This has made the New Blood Stage an important part of the event rather than simply a smaller side stage.

The festival site includes more than concerts. Bloodstock has featured a large metal market, signing tent, real-ale bars, fairground rides, art exhibitions, late-night entertainment and other festival activities. The Rock and Metal Gallery, connected to founder and artist Paul Raymond Gregory, has displayed Bloodstock artwork, album art and other heavy metal visual culture.

• Link
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Instagram

ADDRESS:
Catton, Swadlincote DE12 8LN, United Kingdom

Back to Walton-on-Trent.