Top 10 bands you must watch at Bloodstock Festival 2026 (New Blood & EMP)
The excitement for another heavy weekend at the legendary Bloodstock Festival is at breaking point. The 25th iteration of the festival certainly has some heavy hitters for all in attendance to put at the top of their ‘must see’ lists. However one of Bloodstock’s great strengths over other major UK festivals is the wealth of new bands playing on the New Blood and EMP stages. It’s the perfect place to see the fierce underground bands of metal on full display. We guarantee that you may not know some of these bands right now, but by the end of the weekend they may just end up being the highlight of your weekend. With so many up and coming bands ready to grab you by the ears this year on the New Blood and EMP stages, here are ten that shouldn’t be missed.
CONCRETE AGE – New Blood Stage, Friday – August 7th
If you yearn for the classic Bloodstock years where folk and power metal were more prevalent on the lineups, the New Blood Stage usually has you covered with a few bands in that vein. Standing out this year are the epic CONCRETE AGE. Their music switches between visceral, primal beauty and monolithic heavy metal. The band refer to themselves as ‘ethnic metal’, so if you like hearing many different instruments and cultures blended masterfully with crushing extreme metal this band should be at the top of your list for New Blood bands this year.
REDEEMON – New Blood Stage, Friday – August 7th
It may be best not to describe this band too much, just so you can have the unmatched shock when REDEEMON start playing. If you insist on reading on….this is a horn focused band in the vein of ska punk. But rest assured, this is much heavier than ska punk. You will be dancing to infectious bopping horn sections then killing each other with downtuned heavy madness. This defies explanation, go see it.
MARTYRS SAINT – New Blood Stage, Friday – August 7th
Storming onto the South West metal scene MARTYRS SAINT emerged victorious after a fiercely competitive Metal 2 the Masses in Bristol this year. With no nonsense crossover thrash with focus on the raw, unrestrained energy of classic thrash the energy of their music is matched only by the energy of the members on the stage. The passion in their performance is infectious and will demand more than a few pits by the end of their first song, and expect more than a few bruises by the end of the show.
VANITAS – EMP Stage, Friday – August 7th
If you like symphonic metal, with some soaring vocals, epic choruses and frenetic djenty and prog riffing, let no band be more vital for you to catch this year than VANITAS. Drawing inspiration from video game composers for series such as Final Fantasy and Dark Souls, their take on what they call ‘cinematic djent’ has been described as ‘PERIPHERY meets Disney’, their name is taken from a character from Kingdom Hearts after all. After the release of their stunning EP Journey to the Sun, VANITAS are one of the UK’s most exciting symphonic bands. The EMP Stage may not be big enough to contain how epic this is going to be.
THRASHERWOLF – New Blood Stage, Saturday – August 8th
There are many new bands that try to recapture the vibe and sound of those classic days of thrash metal. London-based THRASHERWOLF sound like a band lifted from the heyday of one of metal’s greatest sub genres. All the hallmarks are here, frenetic riffs, straight and punchy vocals and speed perfect for circle pitting. There has been much excitement for THRASHERWOLF’s impending set on the New Blood Stage. Make sure you are there to see it bright and early. It could be one of the most chaotic shows on that stage this year.
IMPERIAL DEMONIC – New Blood Stage, Saturday – August 8th
There just simply isn’t anything that hits the spot like a bit of melodic black metal. IMPERIAL DEMONIC are providing that in blistering fashion. Their EP Beneath The Crimson Eclipse is flawless modern black metal that takes from the post-EMPEROR era of black metal. After extensive live shows across the UK and Europe this is a band that are going full force and are for sure ones to watch out for. Corpse paint, rituals, black metal bombast it’s all going to be on offer for this one and it’s going to be magnificent.
GOAT MAJOR – EMP Stage, Saturday – August 8th
CASTLE RAT seems to be receiving the most attention as the doom metal act to see this year, for good reason of course, but don’t neglect GOAT MAJOR on the EMP Stage. If the name didn’t already give it away it’s classic occult doom that gets in your head with thick infectious grooves. Having played Desertfest and Stoomfest, they are no strangers to a festival stage and their deliciously booming music should go down a treat on the EMP Stage.
CHEKHOV’S GUN – New Blood Stage, Sunday – August 9th
One of the more unique bands gracing the New Blood Stage this year, CHEKHOV’S GUN’s music is a mix of dark classic metal, verging on doom and black metal at times, paired with classical influences. If a metal band featuring a violin and cello player isn’t intriguing enough their live shows are fronted by a ballroom dancer. The whole set up sounds like it has the potential to be alluring and creepy in equal measure and probably one that has to be seen to be fully understood.
KAAPER – New Blood Stage, Sunday – August 9th
Rounding off our picks for the New Blood bands, we have one of the most epic bands of the weekend. KAAPER’s latest release When Gods Walked The Earth is a weighty melodic metal release. With incredible scope to their music it’s a show that should have everyone watching in awe. Crushing riffs and monstrous vocals with moments of levity KAAPER are going to take the audience through a musical journey unlike anything else at Bloodstock this year.
THE CARTOON CARTEL – Emp Stage, Sunday – August 9th
Concluding this list with something a bit different. THE CARTOON CARTEL at present have one song released. Despite that though this is a band worth getting excited for. It features members from BLIND RIVER and LEOGUN coming together to create some punchy as hell hard rock. With how hard hitting their only song Coochie Coo is, this is one where the recommendation comes from pure intrigue as to what these guys have been cooking up and where better than the EMP Stage at Bloodstock to see it in action.
Bloodstock Festival 2026 is set to take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire from 6th August – 9th August 2025. Tickets are sold out, resale tickets may be available via Tixel.
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