Dio Disciples to pay tribute at Bloodstock Open Air

The Saturday Night headliner for this summer's Bloodstock Open Air will not be announced until 6pm on the 6th June 2012 (6 6/6).

	Bloodstock 2011

A statement from organisers states, "Due to circumstances beyond the organizers control - all of which will become apparent - BOA is unable to share the name of the Saturday Night headliner at this point. What we can tell you is this; The Saturday night at Bloodstock will see the festival's most prestigious and exciting headliner to date, doing something very, very special, at their first ever UK Festival Headline slot. All will be revealed at 6pm on the 6th June 2012."

Bloodstock band booker Vicky Gregory said, "To say we are excited is an understatement! This is the biggest metal act we have ever had and a band we have wanted to see at Bloodstock for years... we're all just gutted we can't announce them until 6th June at 6pm but it's definitely worth the wait!

So whoever it is, they must surely be already bound for Download this summer.

When Ronnie James Dio passed away in 2010, festival founder Paul Gregory - who had provided artwork for Dio's albums paid tribute by renaming the main stage in his honour. Now, two years later, his former band mates take to the stage to pay their respects on Friday, with Dio Disciples. Featuring former Dio drummer Simon Wright, guitarist Craig Goldy and keyboardist Scott Warren join vocalists Tim 'Ripper' Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth) and Toby Jepson (Little Angels, Fastway, Gun) and bassist James LoMenzo (Megadeth, Black Label Society, Slash's Snakepit, White Lion, David Lee Roth) to mark Dio's passing with an emotional tribute.

Also confirmed today are Brit metalheads Primitai, Pythia, and Crimes of Passion.

European acts have also been added to the bill on the now extended Sophie Lancaster Stage including Croatian metallers Infernal Tenebra, Norway's new Queen of Shred Commander in Chief, Slovenian Extreme Metallers Noctiferia, Switzerland's Gonoreas and Croatian female fronted power/death band Rising Dream.

Bloodstock Open Air festival will take place from Thursday 9th until Sunday 12th August at Catton Hall, Walton-on-Trent, in South Derbyshire. The aim is to offer a traditional metal event comparable to those regularly seen in Europe and capture the spirit of the original Monsters Of Rock shows which used to take place at Castle Donington during the 1980's and 1990's.

The festival will have exclusive performances from Friday headliner Behemoth, and Sunday headliner Alice Cooper. Plus Deicide, Sanctuary, Grand Magus, Nile, Mayhem, The Black Dahlia Murder, Dimmu Borgir, Hatebreed, Corrosion Of Conformity, Anaal Nathrakh, Watain, Paradise Lost, Anvil, Orange Goblin, and Doomed also confirmed. For the line-up details, day and stage splits, as available please click here.

Tickets are priced at £115 for adults, and car parking is priced at £14, campervan passes are priced at £40, child (aged 4 - 11 years) tickets are priced at £25, with day tickets expected to be on sale at a later date.

Organisers have also announced a deposit scheme which offers the chance to pay for weekend camping tickets in 3 easy instalments, with an initial payment of £36.25 if purchased before 1st March 2012. The second instalment is due on 31st March, and the third on 30th April.

To buy tickets, click here.

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