Bloodstock: What Is The Mysterious Count Down?
On Thursday a mysterious image appeared on Bloodstock's Socials, the number seven set against a dark backgroud of haunting looking trees, the number itself seemed to be made of ice. No one knew what it meant and no comment was forthcoming from the festival itself.
On Friday a similar image appeared, featuring an cold looking '6'. A countdown had seemingly begun. Through the weekend the trend continued, a 5 on Saturday and a 4 on Sunday.
Something approaches, but the festival remain tight lipped on what it is.
It's not the first time Bloodstock have kept the fans in suspense. We all remember the secret act of 2023 that had the fans talking for weeks.
So to get the conversation going, The Razor's Edge team have racked their brains (if you heard a frightening noise over the weekend, it was us trying to get our cerebral functions working, sorry) to try and think where this countdown may be going.
Lets dive into it...
*to note: This piece is pure speculation. We have no inside knowledge - we wish we did - and so take everything that follows with a pinch of salt.
1. A Band Announcement
The obvious assumption is that it is a band announcement. If so, the image must give off some clues? The dark forested image, what seems like a stoney outcrop at the bottom, the icy font of the number...
If a band announcement is incoming, maybe a historic black metal band from Norway that would be a huge coup for the festival?
Our understanding is that the bill is relatively set for 2025, with the exception of the New Blood stage, so an additional big name seems unlikely. But you never know.
2. A Headliner for 2026
Usually the following years announcements come on festival weekend itself. But this year is different, 2025 is SOLD OUT (with the exception of a few day tickets), the bill is locked in. Are the Bloodstock team getting us warmed up (or cooled down as per the image) to an epic headliner for 2026?
It's possible, but in this writers opinion seems unlikely. No doubt Vicky has 2026 headliners locked in, but we can't see her revealing her hand just yet.
3. Slushies
The slushy stall is ever popular, and lets be honest in the year of epic heat that was 2023 it made an absolute killing!
Could the announcement be the return of the Slushy stall, but this year with added alcohol?
4. The Black Ice Cream is Back
We all love the black ice cream that Bloodstock has made famous The icy numbers are just a countdown to the announcement of their return?
5. A Merger With Download!?
The ice cold numbers indicate that hell has indeed frozen over. The Bloodstock team have sold their soul to the devil, 2025 will be the final event as we know it and next year Bloodstock will become the second summer weekend of an enlarged Download Festival. No more is Bloodstock a stand alone entity, it is instead a mere branch on the Download tree, providing Andy Copping and his team with a second event to book for in 2026.
Do we really think this will happen... FUCK NO... but its an interesting theory.
6. A Bloodstock Site Move
At the start of the year issues were raised about the infrastructure surrounding Catton Hall, in particular a bridge spanning the Trent, north of the site that is in desperate need for repair. Both Bloodstock, Bearded Theory and others highlighted this issue, but could this lead to Bloodstock needing to move sites? Well the answer to that at the time a resounding NO from Vicky, so let's discount that.
However, the festival did sell out in record time this year and the current site can only grow so much to accommodate more fans. So away from the surrounding infrastructure issues, could the festival need to move just to facilitate its ongoing natural growth.
Having spoken to someone in the know - admittedly a few years ago now - it was at that time suggested there was still room for growth on site, so again we don't think a site move is on the cards for this reason either.
This really seems unlikely, but never say never...
7. A Second Bloodstock Event
Of course Bloodstock started as an indoor festival back in 2001, and when Bloodstock Open Air first came into existence the indoor festival continued with both events running in both 2005 and 2006.
With the popularity of the festival this year, could they be looking to expand the empire. A second event under the Bloodstock banner at another point during the year?
It's entirely plausible of course, but will it really happen? What venue(s) could host a second Bloodstock event? With British weather being as it is, a probable need to keep it out of May/June to avoid a Download clash, a second outdoor festival seems unlikely.
So what about returning indoors? Well the Assembly Rooms are no more and with the Gregory family based in Derby you can't see them really wanting to go to far outside of their home base. And what venue(s) are there in the UK who could really pull it off? The BEC in Manchester maybe, but that already has festivals booked through June and November, so that seems unlikely. Maybe they go the Desertfest route, move a second event to Camden utilising the Roundhouse, Electric Ballroom, Underworld and Black Heart as four unique stages across a small city centre area?
Who knows, the possibilities are endless, but The Razor's Edge team are sceptical that this is really what the countdown is about.
8. Winter Is Coming
Let's be honest, the numbers give off a Game of Thrones vibe. So whats the tie in?
The fancy dress theme for this year is Game of Thrones, come as Jon Snow, a Targaryen, a dragon or even a White Walker?
Or maybe... just maybe... it's a nod to Mastodon somehow. The band famously appeared in the TV show, is Winter Coming and this is related to Mastodon's performance?
9. BODY COUNT!!!
We are focusing on the icy numbers, I know, but is this a nod to Ice-T?
It's been talked about for years, Vicky has publicly said she wants Body Count to play, Vincent Price even told us in November they would be playing (one day). But as yet it has not happened... is this a countdown to it finally becoming reality?
Still none the wiser?
Neither are we... We are at the bottom of our barrel of ideas at this point and we wont make you suffer with any of our more "out there" theories. We don't believe any of the above could be true, but you never know...
When the countdown reaches zero on Thursday you can read what the festival really intends right here on The Razor's Edge!
BLOODSTOCK’s 2025 Ronnie James Dio stage headliners are TRIVIUM, MACHINE HEAD, and GOJIRA. Headlining the Sophie Lancaster stage will be ME AND THAT MAN, KATAKLYSM, STATIC-X, and OBITUARY. You'll also be able to see MASTODON, NAILBOMB, MINISTRY, EMPEROR, FEAR FACTORY, LACUNA COIL, HERIOT, ORANGE GOBLIN, CREEPER, KUBLAI KHAN TX, CAGE FIGHT, RIVERS OF NIHIL, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, FEUERSCHWANZ, LORD OF THE LOST, PALEFACE SWISS, AUGUST BURNS RED, WARBRINGER, UNDEATH, SPIRIT ADRIFT, THROWN, ALL FOR METAL, BREED 77, HIGH PARASITE, and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD. Joining them are the most recently announced SHRAPNEL, FAMYNE, KONVENT, THE SPIRIT, GHOSTS OF ATLANTIS, ONE MACHINE, MY DILIGENCE, SHADE EMPIRE, EIHWAR, WATERLINES, PHOENIX LAKE, NEONFLY, WALL, DOGMA, and SIGLOS. Stay tuned for many more bands and on site activities to be announced over the coming months.
Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com.
BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 7th-10th August 2025.
Derby has a new (opening soon) venue, a 3500 seater looking for acts to fill it. Icy numbers could mean a winter event, multiple bands (like the original Bloodstock) would be great. Just a thought.