Without a shadow of a doubt, Bloodstock is the one event on the heavy metal festival calendar we don’t miss. And yeah, following the EddFest fiasco at Knebworth just over a week ago, of course I’m feeling a little apprehensive that something’s gonna go wrong. That things aren’t exactly going to go to plan. And that at some point, I’m gonna end up missing bands that I’ve been really looking forward to seeing since the day they were first announced.

But the big difference is, the organisers at Bloodstock actually seem to care about disabled people attending their events and making them accessible to all. In fact I think they’ve more or less got their accessibility provisions down to a fine art, a million miles away from the so called larger scale festivals and those who simply couldn’t care less.

Since it’s humble beginnings at Derby Assembly Rooms back in May 2001 to an audience of just 700 people, to the 20,000 strong sell-out crowds we see at Catton Hall these days, Bloodstock has done nothing but grow from strength to strength, without ever losing that feeling of inclusivity, community, and belonging. And that’s what we love about it. It’s certainly what I love about it.

No! Those of us with additional needs who attend every year may not always get every little thing we apply for when submitting our accessibility applications, but lets be fair, there’s only so much the organisers can do. They can’t bow down to every little request or demand thrown their way, it just wouldn’t be possible. But what they can do, and what they do do, is help however and whenever they can, and surely they should be commended for that.

Now celebrating its 25^th anniversary in just 16 days time (at the time of writing), the Bloodstock organisers are already beginning to tease us with the news that two of the Ronnie James Dio stage headliners for Bloodstock 2027, are bands that have never played the festival before, in any way, shape, or form.

And the good news is, we only have to wait until the Friday evening (7th August), immediately after Municipal Waste have played the main stage to find out exactly who those bands are, when they’ll be announced on the giant screens. Another thing I love about Bloodstock. No having to wait to find out who’ll be headlining the festival the following year. No mess. No fuss. Job done.

Admittedly, having mobility issues, I do struggle with the walk from the box office to the arena at Bloodstock most years, especially seeing as it’s across uneven ground, but at least it’s manageable as long as I take my time. Nothing like the Olympic sized cross country excursion presented to us at Knebworth, disabled or not. They’d already taken our money, why should they care?

Plus I’ve always struggled to find a decent camping chair, both comfortable enough and strong enough to take my big fat ass, at an event where seating is typically somewhat sparse. But hopefully, after numerous Amazon purchases which have failed to meet my needs and requirements, I think I’ve even managed to get that sorted for this year. So fingers crossed that I can relax a little bit more.

And yes, I’m fully aware that the pro’s and con’s of camping chairs at festivals is quite often a hot topic for debate online, but please remember, those chairs are essential to some of us if we’re to carry on being able to enjoy the same live music events as everyone else.

So love ‘em or hate ‘em, it’s a big NO from me when it comes to banning camping chairs at festivals altogether, but an equally as big a YES to being considerate to others when using them. And don’t be a dick… don’t start blocking walkways with your chairs, or anything else for that matter. It’s not rocket science. Just be considerate.

Now just find me a pitch not too far from the bar (any bar), as close to the Jack Daniels van as possible with a half decent view of the main stage, and within walking distance of the Sophie stage and toilets, and I’ll be a very happy man. Though I’ll probably need to come up with a plan for any bands I want to see on the EMP stage, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

There’s actually ‘a lot’ of bands I want to see at Bloodstock this year (unlike some previous years), with at least 15 bands on the Ronnie James Dio stage, and 7 (maybe 8) bands on the Sophie Lancaster stage, as well as who knows how many other bands I want to try and check out across the four day event. Well worth the money we paid last year for early bird tickets for this years event, and that’s before we’d even seen a band last year, if that makes sense… and no doubt we’ll do the same again this year for 2027, if finances allow that is.

Out of those bands, and in no particular order, Saxon, Lamb of God, Judas Priest, Sepultura, and Testament stand head and shoulders above the rest for me, with Slaughter to Prevail, Municipal Waste, Biohazard, Bleed from Within, Black Label Society, and Body Count following not too far behind. Then there’s the likes of Evil Scarecrow, Party Cannon, Inhuman Nature, Imperial Age, Cryptopsy, 200 Stab Wounds, Celestial Sanctuary, and Imperium to consider too. All in all another 4 fantastic 4 days of awesome music to look forward to.

Then there’s the camping and all the fun that comes with it… Yeah! We don’t do that… We’re way too old to have fun these days. Honestly, we live literally 40 minutes down the road and I’m way too fond of my own bed and shower to even consider swapping them for a ground sheet, queue’s, and tepid water at it’s best. So its 4 days of back and forth for us, just like every other year. But at least we’re guaranteed a good nights sleep, a hot shower, and a good cooked breakfast before heading back the following morning to do it all again.

And I’m sorry if that sounds like cheating, but hey ho. Needs must and all that.

That said, I wouldn’t mind acquiring a camper van spot one year if the chance arose, but they go so fast, you’ve got more chance of winning the jackpot on the Euro Lottery. They literally sell out within the hour. And the other thing is, we don’t actually own a camper van which might also help. So back to that prospective lottery win we go.

No doubt Sonia will be off mooching around the market stalls at some point buying all sorts of weird and wonderful things again, still confused as to why no one sells flip-flops, and telling everyone they’re missing a trick there. Whilst me a Steve sit back talking complete and utter bollocks as we swig warm cider from our tankards, poured straight from a 4 pint plastic bottle that’s been sat in the sun for too long (its tradition), maybe with the odd Kraken Spiced Rum Slushy to swill it down with (not yet a tradition, but we’re working on it), and hopefully, I’ll be able to spend a few pennies myself on a handful of patches or more, so that I can finally finish off my current battle vest before moving on to another one. It’s been a long process.

Either that or a nice piece of jewellery, providing of course I don’t get ripped off like I did last year. But you have to learn from your own mistakes I guess, and not pay overly inflated festival prices for things you can buy for much cheaper online, and from exactly the same seller. Oops!

So onto the things we already have in place for Bloodstock 2026:

Tickets, check… Transport, check… Parking pass, check… Camping chairs, check… Tankards, check… Sun cream, check… Hats, check… Enthusiasm, check… Loperamide and painkillers, check.

The things we still need to work on: Beer tokens and other spending money.

And the things we’ll no doubt have to do without again:

The desire to camp. Healthy knees. Backs that don’t hurt whenever we fart or sneeze. The ability to stand for more than 20 minutes at a time, and of course stamina.

So if you are doing Bloodstock this year, whether as a new comer to the festival, or a hardened Bloodstock veteran, I hope you have as great a time as I intend to have. Stay safe. Stay hydrated. Consider others, and just have fun, it’s what Bloodstocks all about.

See you at the bar maybe. First rounds on you.