Black Country rockers Judas Priest join Gojira and Nightwish at Bloodstock in Derbyshire

The event opens on Thursday with headline shows running from next Friday to the following Sunday at the picturesque location of Walton-on=Trent in Derbyshire.

The festival has won the hearts and minds of fans of heavy rock and metal fans by consistently showcasing the strongest metal line up on UK soil. More than 15,000 metal heads will descend on on Derbyshire for four days of unadulterated full-on heavy metal.

Bloodstock boasts more than 100 international rock and metal acts across four stages, as well as other attractions including a huge international metal market, late night entertainment in the Sophie Lancaster Tent, fairground rides, the Lemmy’s Bar festival bar, which serves real ale and a full weekend camping site.

There is also a signing tent where fans can meet their favourite bands, and for those you who need those extra creature comforts there is also an extra special VIP experience in the Serpents Lair camping and hospitality backstage bar, which offers more than 100 different real ales.

Judas Priest, who formed in West Bromwich in 1969, will loom large.

In addition to their headline slot on August 10, Bloodstock will also feature the band in its onsite RAM Gallery, one of the more unique elements that sets the event apart from other festivals. Festival founder and globally renowned artist, Paul Raymond Gregory created the onsite RAM Gallery in 2014 and each year the purpose-built structure showcases not only some of Paul’s work, but several other Bloodstock-related rock and metal-friendly artists and creators.

This year the festival has chosen to honour the Friday night’s headliners, Judas Priest with a dedicated wall in the gallery, including some of the band’s album artwork and two incredible new creations, the ‘British Steel’ guitar and the Angel V guitar from the RAM Gallery’s luthier-in-residence, Cynosure.

Cynosure’s previous guitar-as-art creations honouring Motorhead and Saxon in years prior, garnered global attention. Further details on Paul’s own work in 2018’s gallery, as well as details on the other artists exhibiting will be announced in July.

Paul says: “As an artist and founder of BLOODSTOCK, I decided to take my next journey with art and music by creating the www.rockandmetalmuseum.com. My first step was to go back to my roots as a gallery owner by establishing the RAM Gallery at Bloodstock with an inaugural exhibition in 2014.

“When Judas Priest were confirmed to headline the main stage in 2018, I decided to create a Priest wall in the gallery.”

The wall features some of the band’s iconic album art, plus two bespoke, hand-crafted guitars to sit either side of the band’s latest ‘Firepower’ album artwork. The guitars were created by artist-in-residence, Cynosure a talented luthier who has made guitars for the museum’s RAM gallery each year since 2014.

Mark Wilkinson, the artist responsible for many of Judas Priest’s iconic album covers, has also shown his support by designing The Priest Wall. Both Mark and Cynosure will be at the festival this year.

Cynosure says: “This is quite simply the biggest opportunity of my career to date. I am thrilled to have been asked by Paul Raymond Gregory to produce two guitars to honour the inimitable powerhouse of metal, Judas Priest. For a band that defined metal music and inspired millions, I am humbled to work so closely with them.”

Bloodstock will raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust during this year’s event. Since partnering up in 2011, Bloodstock has generated more than £62,000 to help young people facing cancer and this year the event is aiming to break through the £80,000 mark.

In addition to Friday night headliners Judas Priest, Saturday headliners Gojira and Sunday’s bill toppers Nightwish, the event will also feature Emperor, At The Gates, Devildriver, Watain, Suicidal Tendencies, Wednesday 13, Jasta and Friends and Fozzy Combichrist.

Fans who are heading to the event are being encouraged to play for free beer in a Facebook contest with the festival’s HQ.