Who Are The Bloodstock 2026 Headliners?
For weeks now Vicky Hungerford, Bloodstock Festival booking legend, has been stating on social media that the 2026 Bloodstock Festival line up is coming together, and we can expect an announcement on the main stage on the Friday of this years event.
But who could those headliners be?
We put our thinking caps and speculate who may be taking the coveted three spots atop the 2026 Bloodstock Festival bill. These are our runners and riders...
*to note: This piece is pure speculation. We have no inside knowledge and we take no responsibility if you lose your life savings betting on it being a band we speculate on đÂ
To start off with, we are only looking at headliners of the Ronnie James Dio stage. Whilst some of the Sophie Stage headliners are also said to be locked in, we could be here for days listing off headliners for both stages, so we focus on the main stage today.
And we can rule out this years headliners, it's highly unlikely Trivium, Gojira or Machine Head will return to the top of the bill two years in a row. So lets discount them now.
Helloween â They had to pull out of their booking at Bloodstock in 2023 and everyone assumed they'd return to the bill for 2024. When they didn't in 2024 or 2025, did that mean the door for 2026 was left open? They owe the Bloodstock faithful the performance we've been waiting years for, and they have a new album out this August! We'd speculate the chances they are on the 2026 bill are very high.
Odds: 2/1
Pantera â Many people speculated they'd be on the 2025 bill, but with their own arena tour book for February that was never on the cards. They've played at Download already, along with Back to the Beginning last week. Could Vicky bite the bullet and book Phil, Rex and friends? We think she just might!
Odds: 4/1
Slayer â They "reformed" last year to do a handful of US festival dates, and just last week returned to the UK for two big open air shows, along with an appearance at Back To The Beginning They've headlined Bloodstock twice before, so could they be returning in 2026? We think the chances are reasonably high.
Odds: 5/1
Behemoth - They've played the festival three times previously, including two main stage headline performances and Nergal will make an appearance this year with Me And That Man. So is there a chance Behemoth will return? Always a band that helps vary the line up, we think theres a possibility.
Odds: 10/1
Nightwish â Another band who last played Catton Hall in 2018, they are due a return. A festival staple for many years and favourites in some quarters of the fan base. There is always a place on the bill for Nightwish, but will they take it up in 2026?
Odds: 10/1
Korn â We've been waiting for the nu-metal revival to hit for many years. It's always there or there abouts, threatening to break out. They headlined Download this year, but in real terms they havent outgrown Bloodstock yet. Will 2026 be the year they make their BOA debut?
Odds: 12/1
Within Temptation â They've headlined the festival twice before, but not since 2015. Their career has grown in parallel with the festivals, and they seem a logical choice. Which day do you think suits them best?
Odds: 15/1
Slaughter to Prevail â Could it be? Vicky is known to be a fan, they have the following to make them a ticket seller for the festival but are they big enough to headline our beloved festival? Maybe they will, or maybe they join as special guests... we will find out soon enough.
Odds: 15/1
Sabaton â A semi-regular Bloodstock band, they can always pull a crowd at the festival and of course they have headlined before. But is there really an appetite at present amongst the festival faithful for another Sabaton set? We shall see if Vicky has Sabaton hidden up her sleeve.
Odds: 20/1
Parkway Drive â They've been here, done it. But could they return? Yes there is always a possibility, but have they got too big now? They have an arena tour booked for October, which would suggest they won't be part of any announcement at Catton Hall. However the dates for their tour would line them up perfectly for Downloads announcement in November. We don't think they'll be at Bloodstock next year, but never say never.
Odds: 25/1
Deftones â Contemporaries of Korn and survivors of the nu-metal movement when it died a death many years ago. They forged a path that kept them in the limelight and moved them away from their nu-metal roots. Their popularity has never wained and they played their own huge outdoor shows this year. Could they headline Bloodstock in 2026? With a February arena tour booked, we think the odds are very low, but keep them in mind for 2027.
Odds: 50/1
Anthrax â Another band that played Back to the Beginning last week, they also opened for Slayer at their outdoor shows. As the band left the Finsbury Park stage they revealed a new album is coming early next year which lines them up perfectly for Bloodstock. But will they be a headliner? Whilst many 'thrax fans will argue they should be headlining, in reality they aren't a big enough ticket draw to be there yet. More likely we speculate they'll be special guests to a returning Slayer.
Headline odds: 60/1
On the bill odds: 2/1
Misfits â The legendary New Jersey punks have yet to bring their reunion tour to the UK, having fixated on sporadic US dates. It is known that they have out priced themselves in the past causing Download to take a pass on the opportunity. Will Glenn and Jerry make a surprise appearance on the 2026 bill? In all honesty it seems unlikely with their price tag compared to Bloodstocks budget, but stranger things have happened.
Odds: 100/1
Ghost â Their name always gets bounded about, and we'd love to see them headline the festival a second time. But let's be honest, they are far too big now. They sell out arena tours, they've had their own movie in cinemas and the next step for them is headlining the main stage at Download, they aren't returning to Bloodstock any time soon (sadly).
Odds: 100/1
Obviously all this is just speculation. We'll all find out on the Friday just who the headliners for 2026 are!
