Bloodstock: Thousands attend Derbyshire metal festival

Thousands of metalheads descended on the Bloodstock festival in Derbyshire for four days of music over the weekend.

Organisers have hailed the event's success after Los Angeles group Megadeth closed the festival in Catton Park, near Walton-on-Trent on Sunday.

The festival, which sold out of tickets on the final day, saw more than 18,000 people camp on site from Thursday.

Other headliners included Killswitch Engage and Meshuggah.

Festival director Rachael Greenfield said attendees had been treated to "perfect festival weather".

She said: "[The festival] has been incredible and the atmosphere across site has just been amazing.

"Skynd headlining the Sophie Lancaster Stage on Thursday were outstanding and Killswitch Engage headlining Friday were phenomenal.

"We were very close to selling out this year at over 18,000 weekend campers and then we totally sold out of day tickets for the Megadeth headline day on Sunday, so it's been a great year for attendance again.

"We had perfect festival weather, overcast, warm and very little rain. Everyone has been in such high spirits - it feels like a huge family reunion."

Festival-goers were asked to wear pink in memory of Sylvia Lancaster, who founded a charity against hate crime after her daughter Sophie was murdered for being a dressed as a goth.

One of the stages was named in tribute to the murder victim, who was killed in Bacup, Lancashire, in 2007, aged 20.

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