4 Big Things That Happened at Bloodstock 2025 - Trivium + Friends, Ozzy Love + More

Bloodstock 2025 is in the books and the weekend provided plenty of memorable moments for those in attendance.

The festival featured headline sets from Gojira and Machine Head, but it was fellow headliner Trivium who truly had everyone buzzing with a set featuring several special guests and two notable tributes as well as the live debut of a new song.

The music weekend also saw the U.K. debut of Nailbomb, while Orange Goblin played their final U.K. performance.

Plus, given the recent death of Ozzy Osbourne, the festival found the perfect way for fans to share their respect and recognition for the late musician. Check out some of the big moments from Bloodstock 2025 below.

Trivium Wow With Guest-Filled Bloodstock 2025 Headline Set

As headliners, Trivium understood the assignment and in the process delivered a show that singer Matt Heafy called "the best Trivium show ever."

What made it so? Trivium might as well have had a checklist, because they delivered surprise special guests, moving tributes to metal legends and even the live debut of one new song that kept the crowd on their toes and in no fear of receiving a standard setlist.

After running through a string of Trivium favorites to open the show, the band's first curveball came at the sixth song of the night where Heafy teased, "So we recently lost a hero of metal. I should say a hero of metal without whom's influence none of this shit would exist. I wouldn't be here, we wouldn't be here, none of these fucking bands would be here and metal would not sound the same, rock wouldn't sound the same, fucking metalcore, deathcore. None of that shit would exist without this band. You know exactly who I'm talking about." As "Ozzy" chants rang out, Heafy welcomed Robb Flynn of fellow Bloodstock headliners Machine Head to the stage for a cover of Black Sabbath's "Symptom of the Universe."

That would not be the only nod made to metal icons over the course of their set as two songs later, Trivium covered Metallica's "Master of Puppets."

The night also included a number of special guests. Sleep Token III sat in with the band on "Throes of Perdition," Ihsahn of Emperor turned up for "In Waves" and Josh Baines of Malevolence lent his talents to "The Deceived." The night also featured the band's first ever performance of "Bury Me With My Screams" that is featured on their upcoming Struck Dead EP, due on Halloween.

"THAT. Was the best Trivium show ever. We had some of our best friends who are in our favorite bands on the planet guest with us. We paid tribute to Ozzy, covered Metallica, played a new song, made 'in waves' no longer the outro, played fan favorites from most of our entire career and had enough fire to roast a heard of beasts," commented Heafy after the show. "Thank you Robb, III, Josh, Ihsahn, Bloodstock, the Trivium crew and most importantly… you!!! I love what I do."

Check out Heafy's post as well as fan-shot footage from Trivium's Bloodstock performance below.

Trivium Featuring Machine Head's Robb Flynn, "Symptom of the Universe" at Bloodstock 2025

Trivium Featuring Sleep Token III, "Throes of Perdition" at Bloodstock 2025

Trivium Featuring Ihsahn, "In Waves" at Bloodstock 2025

Trivium, "Bury Me With My Screams" (Live Debut at Bloodstock 2025)

How Did Bloodstock 2025 Salute Ozzy Osbourne?

While several of the acts that played Bloodstock 2025 included either an Ozzy Osbourne or a Black Sabbath song in their set, the organizers of Bloodstock found their own way to salute Ozzy Osbourne.

Included on the grounds was a portrait of Ozzy Osbourne with a message stating " John "Ozzy" Osbourne
1948-2025 Forever loved, always missed, never forgotten. From all of us at Bloodstock." In addition to the portrait and the message, a rather large 17 meter banner wall with plenty of white space left so that those attending Bloodstock could leave their own personal tributes.

Festival director Vicky Hungerford told the BBC, "We want people to show respect, leave their messages. It's hit the metal community incredibly hard."

Among the tributes posted were one from a fan that read, "Thank you Ozzy for helping to create the religion that is heavy metal. We miss you.."

Nailbomb Make Their U.K. Debut 31 Years After Their Debut Album

There's a first for everything, but it's rare that a band waits 31 years to make their concert debut in a country as big as England. But such was the case when the Max Cavalera-led Nailbomb turned up to perform at Bloodstock 2025 on Saturday (Aug. 8).

Granted, Nailbomb haven't exactly been road warriors throughout their career. They made their live debut with two shows in June of 1995, then didn't play again for 29 years when Cavalera brought back the band for a show in Temple, Arizona last November.

READ MORE: Max Cavalera Brings Nailbomb Back With New Lineup

That said, Nailbomb appear to be making the most of the renewed interest in the band by using Bloodstock as one of the key stops on their current European tour.

Bloodstock played a 12-song setlist that consisted of their entire Point Blank album minus teh song "For Fuck's Sake."

Nailbomb at Bloodstock 2025

Orange Goblin Say Their U.K. Festival Farewell at Bloodstock 2025

As one band plays their first ever U.K. festival date in Nailbomb, another in Orange Goblin just played their final U.K. festival performance at Bloodstock over the weekend.

The veteran metal band had already announced plans to play one final tour that will wrap in December of this year. Luckily for fans in the U.K., that meant one last performance at Bloodstock on Saturday (Aug. 8).

The group delivered a welcome nine-song set featuring such standouts as the show opening "Solarisphere" and the set closing "Red Tide Rising."

Orange Goblin at Bloodstock 2025