Catton Park · Walton-on-Trent · Derbyshire DE12 · August · Four days
Bloodstock: black clothing, August sunshine
Bloodstock is the independent metal festival, run by people who are in it for the music rather than a promoter's portfolio, and its crowd is famously among the friendliest in Britain. It also takes place in August, and metal audiences dress in black, which is a combination worth thinking about.
Rather than owned by a large promoter, which the crowd cares about a great deal and which shows in how the festival is run. Smaller than Download, more focused, and with a reputation for looking after its own.
The two metal festivals, compared
Both worth going to, and they are genuinely different propositions.
Catton Park, independent
Smaller, more focused on the genre, and run independently.
Donington, a race circuit
Larger, broader bill, and a considerably bigger operation.
Famously good-natured
Appearances notwithstanding. Both festivals have this reputation and Bloodstock especially.
August, in black
The one genuinely practical warning on this page.
Kent to Derbyshire
Round the M25 and up the M1. A familiar northern run.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 152 miles | 2h 55m – 3h 35m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 155 miles | 3h – 3h 40m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 158 miles | 3h 5m – 3h 45m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 163 miles | 3h 10m – 3h 50m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 168 miles | 3h 15m – 3h 55m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 173 miles | 3h 20m – 4h |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 197 miles | 3h 45m – 4h 30m |
Black clothing in August
Said plainly because it puts people in medical tents every year at metal festivals.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Black absorbs heat | A denim battle jacket in direct August sun is genuinely hot |
| Water, constantly | Free water points are on site. Use them more than feels necessary |
| Sun cream | Even if the wardrobe suggests otherwise |
| Shade in the afternoon | Take some. The bands will still be there later |
| Boots and heavy kit | Fine in the evening, punishing at two in the afternoon |
A Bloodstock weekend
The crowd is the thing people remember
Metal festivals have a reputation among people who have never been to one, and the reality at Bloodstock is a famously good-natured, look-after-each-other crowd. It is one of the safest-feeling festivals in the country and people bring their children to it. If someone in your group is hesitant, that is worth knowing.
Take the heat seriously
This is the one genuine warning on the page. August sun plus black clothing plus a denim jacket covered in patches is a combination that fills medical tents every year, and it is entirely avoidable with water, sun cream and an hour of shade in the afternoon. Nobody looks less committed for sitting down at two o'clock.
Three hours makes it comfortable
Round the M25 and up the M1 to Catton Park, which puts Bloodstock in the same bracket as Donington and Trent Bridge, considerably closer than Leeds or Kendal. It is a manageable run with a full camping load and a straightforward one to plan.
Independent matters to the crowd
And it shows in the way the festival is run, the size of it, and how focused the bill is on the genre rather than on broad appeal. If you have done Download and found it too big and too general, this is the alternative people move to, and very few of them move back.
Bloodstock questions
Catton Park, and an August field.
How does Bloodstock differ from Download?
Bloodstock is independent, smaller and more focused on the genre. Download is at a race circuit, larger and with a broader bill. Both are worth going to.
Is it intimidating?
Not at all, despite what people who have never been assume. The crowd is famously good-natured and it is one of the safest-feeling festivals in the country.
What is the practical warning?
The heat. August sun plus black clothing plus a heavy jacket puts people in medical tents every year. Water, sun cream and shade in the afternoon.
How far is Catton Park from Kent?
Around a hundred and fifty to two hundred miles, roughly three to four and a half hours each way on the M25 and M1.
Is it suitable for families?
People do bring children, and the atmosphere supports it. It is a considerably gentler crowd than the outside perception suggests.
What should we pack?
A full camping load as at any four-day festival, plus water bottles, sun cream and something lighter than the battle jacket for the afternoons.
Is it a manageable journey?
Yes, comparable to Donington. Three hours or so from most of Kent, which is well inside the range for a camping weekend.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking as one arrangement covering the drop and the collection.
Rock festivals and the midlands
The metal weekends.