Bloodstock Open Air has unveiled a special Winter Gathering event set for December. This one-day, two-stage metal extravaganza will take place on December 6 at KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, just a short distance from the festival’s usual Derbyshire location. Swedish doom metal icons Candlemass will headline the event, with tickets available now.
The main stage lineup also features Venom Inc., who will perform their 2018 album ‘Ave’ in its entirety, alongside Raised By Owls, Hellripper, Tortured Demon, and King Kraken. Meanwhile, the second stage will showcase performances from Red Method, Thuum, and a second set from Hellripper. Fans can expect a night of heavy riffs and intense performances as Bloodstock extends its festival experience into the winter months. The event will also feature signing sessions as well as DJs.
Headliners Candlemass have commented: “Candlemass are proud to be a part of the Bloodstock Winter Gathering! We have always felt welcome on British soil and we’re excited to be there once again and deliver our special brand of Swedish doom metal! See ya all soon… Love you!!!”
The Winter Gathering follows Bloodstock Open Air 2025, set for August 7-10 at Catton Hall, with headliners Trivium, Machine Head, and Gojira. Weekend tickets have already sold out, as have Sunday day tickets featuring Gojira, but day passes for Friday (Trivium) and Saturday (Machine Head) are still available.
It has been an exciting year for the headliners and supporting act which will be taking this year’s Bloodsctok stage: earlier this week, Machine Head unveiled details of their upcoming album, ‘Unatoned‘, set for release on April 25 via Nuclear Blast and Imperium. Fans can already stream the first two singles, ‘These Scars Won’t Define Us’ and ‘Unbound’.
Meanwhile, Trivium frontman Matt Heafy confirmed in an exclusive interview with Metal Hammer last year that the band will perform their 2005 breakthrough album ‘Ascendancy‘, in its entirety during their Bloodstock set. They are currently playing the full album on their European tour with Bullet For My Valentine.
“We’ve discussed adding in the special-edition original songs as well,” Heafy shared, hinting at the inclusion of Ascendancy’s bonus tracks, “Blinding Tears Will Break The Skies” and “Washing Away Me In The Tides.”
With a lineup that also includes Emperor, Lacuna Coil, Lord Of The Lost, Mastodon, Ministry, and more, Bloodstock 2025 is set to be another unmissable event. The Winter Edition will keep the spirit alive into the colder months, offering fans another chance to experience the intensity of live metal. Tickets are available now!
