Bloodstock 2026 // The Sophie Lancaster Stage // Friday August 7th
It’s August, which means the gates onto the estate of Catton Hall open once more. The bleached, dry grass provides the perfect setting for some dust to be stirred up and for the hay fever-inclined to be sneezing every five minutes. But, hell, it could be worse. Surrounded by people who share the same interests and bands that put on a show, it’s a weekend of excitement and much love to many of society’s rejects.
Gurt open the Sophie Stage for us on this breezy yet humid morning. The crowd slowly emerges from caves (tents) after a night of starting the party. The early risers wake up to a morning of classic UK sludge, and what the band promises is a camp, energetic awakening. The elements of sludge somehow work with what I could only describe as punk.
Blood Countess are defined as a ‘90s second-wave black metal band. They have that classic sound to them that resonates with a lot of metal fans. The vocals made me audibly say, “Goddamn,” with the harsh fry screams and heavy BPMs hitting the classic black metal fans in the gut and making the hangovers worse for those who thought they’d show up for an up-and-coming band. The band brings a wardrobe and vibe that, quite frankly, slots right into the Bloodstock aesthetic. I can see these guys being a staple in the Bloodstock family.
Photography: Artur Tarczewski
Hammer bring us back to that extreme metal sound. Bringing it all the way down from Scotland, the lads definitely put on a show. The band have a cohesive energy that resonates with the audience and, in sharp contrast to the previous band, bring a modern take on the metal genre. With riffs and blast beats that have an almost horror-movie soundtrack quality, the band as a unit were winning the crowd over.
Photography: Artur Tarczewski
Sellsword has the sound I’d been waiting for from Bloodstock. That folk lyricism mixed with metal riffs and vocals is what I’ve become accustomed to since the lineup last year. I would say… I would have loved to have seen them fully go into the folk aesthetic and “saxon steel” and give us a little cohesive unit wardrobe. Would it have been fun for them in this heat? No. But would it have been fun for me? Most definitely. The band have a great energy to them that had the crowd bobbing along with pure vibes.
Photography: Artur Tarczewski
Hidden Intent come all the way from Australia to grace us with their ‘80s-inspired thrash metal. I can’t lie… thrash really isn’t my thing… BUT I can appreciate experts in their field, and from the reaction of the crowd, I can tell these guys were highly sought after by the thrash lovers out there. Hidden Intent clearly love what they do and work sonically well together, with their energy synchronising between the members and them playing off one another to keep the attention on them for the entire set.
Photography: Artur Tarczewski
Excrementory Grindfuckers… yep… how do I explain this one to my Grandad? You’d think it wasn’t already hard enough saying I was going to a festival and him seeing a band on the lineup called “Slaughter to Prevail”. The five-piece have crossed the channel from Germany to grace us with their satirical metal. Someone told me to look up their “Durchfall im Moshpit” music video, and I’ve been laughing ever since I started this review. The commitment to the bit is a highlight. It’s not just a band having a laugh, but a band who had a funny thought and then said, “Wait, but actually-?” The band brought amusement to a genre that can otherwise get suffocating, and it was great to see a band actually have fun. I would have loved to have seen them in some of the outfits I’ve seen in other performances, but overall the crowd were loving them, and so was I.
Photography: Artur Tarczewski
Seething Akira hit the stage with their electronic take on metal. The crowd lined the barrier with smiles, and I can see some fans repping their merch already. The vocalists give great crowd interaction between them both and get the crowd involved, giving us a circle pit and a few surfers. The band themselves are constantly on the move, your eyes darting all around the stage wondering who to look at. The crowd was defining Seething with their Akiras today (I have no idea what the name means). They have been building up an army of fans over the years with their hard-hitting fusion between electronica and metal and have gone down a storm with the Sophie faithful.
Photos: Insta madeinerror.media
Neckbreaker bring that modern take on metal I love. A highlight for sure. The harsh vocals mixed with the riffs go hard. The heat is definitely taking its toll on the crowd, though, as there isn’t much energy left whilst people recuperate their strength away from the heat. The crowd gathers close to the stage, clearly being drawn in. There’s a beat to the band’s songs that means you can’t help but headbang.
Photos: Insta madeinerror.media
Shining have a classic metal sound that fans of Iron Maiden and the ilk would love. It’s my first introduction to them, and I can see why they’ve been given this slot on the Sophie Stage. Though the crowd isn’t as active as previously, people are raising their arms and hitting their fists. The vocalist has these great high-pitched notes he can do, which has the crowd in awe. BOA always throws a few curveballs each year on the Sophie Stage that capture the imagination, and Shining are today’s pick; they are out-there! And are part head-scratcher and part genius depending on what side of the fence you are on.
Photos: Insta madeinerror.media
Wednesday 13 are the Sophie Stage headliners tonight. The classic horror-punk-inspired sound isn’t much to my taste… BUT AGAIN, I can appreciate the craft. They have 20 years of experience under their belt. It’s a feat not many can say they have. To have retained and kept the interest of fans for such a length of time, and not miss when it comes to wardrobe and crowd interaction, is something I can’t help but applaud. The crowd was packed into the tent, spilling at the sides, and seeing out the second night of a well-loved festival with a well-loved frontman who has managed to carve himself and his band a whole new genre that has inspired many more, whether sonically or visually. They whip the Sophie faithful into a frenzy with a ghastly-horror-filled soundtrack that covers his sizeable back catalogue, keeping the old faithful fans and newbies happy as the first night of BOA comes to a close. The vibe, the visuals, the fists clenched in the air, front to back, Wednesday 13 had Bloodstock eating out of the palm of their hands.
What stands out about this year’s Sophie Stage lineup is just how varied the bands are. From Gurt’s sludge and Blood Countess’ black metal through to Sellsword’s folk-infused approach, Hidden Intent’s thrash, Seething Akira’s electronic influence and the outright chaos of Excrementory Grindfuckers, there’s something here for almost every corner of the metal community. Even when a particular genre isn’t personally your thing, the quality of the performances makes it difficult not to appreciate what these bands bring to the stage. That variety is part of what makes Bloodstock work so well: you can walk into a tent expecting one thing and leave having discovered something completely different.
As the night closes and the temperature drops, there is an atmosphere of accomplishment from the artists, crew and staff. Bloodstock is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, with the 2026 festival running from 6–9 August at Catton Park, and the anniversary lineup has brought together everything from established names to international and emerging acts. There’s plenty happening beyond the festival itself, too. Neckbreaker have been building momentum around their debut album Within The Viscera, which has already taken them onto European festival stages and into their first European headline run. Seething Akira are also continuing to take their electronic-metal sound on the road, with 2026 dates including Bloodstock and further UK shows later in the year. Meanwhile, Wednesday 13 continues a solo career that has now stretched beyond two decades, with his latest album Mid Death Crisis adding another chapter to the horror-punk legacy that was on display tonight. And if Excrementory Grindfuckers weren’t already enough of a surprise, they’re still taking their satirical grindcore across Europe, with further festival and club dates following Bloodstock.
Along with the announcement of next year’s lineup, the festival is going strong, and it’s just a matter of staying hydrated and well-nourished to see us to the end.
Photography: Artur Tarczewski
