Firevolt Festival 2025

8th-10th August 2025
Whitebottom Farm, Stockport.

The beautiful surroundings of Whitebottom Farm within Etherow Country Park is where you’ll find Firevolt Festival. The site blends rustic charm with natural beauty – think woodland trails, riverside views, and a tucked-away feel that makes the music hit even harder.

Launched in 2022 by passionate rockers Stret and Bev, Firevolt has rapidly grown into one of the UK’s most beloved grassroots festivals. The festival has earned rave reviews for its community spirit, killer line-ups and laid-back vibe making an absolute beast of an experience that is far greater than the sum of its individual parts. It’s not just a festival – It’s a sonic pilgrimage for lovers of all things loud, so if you’re a seasoned rocker or just dipping your toes into the heavy scene, Firevolt promises a weekend of raw energy, unforgettable performances, and a wonderful community spirit.

This is my 4th year of attendance and I got the same warm welcome I did the first year I arrived, and all throughout the weekend! The staff on site are the best I’ve experienced at a festival, so helpful and always have a smile for you. Shout out to George who helped me park my van as am not the best at reversing into a small space lol.

The new main stage ‘Bludsucker stage’ looked wonderful there at the head of the site, which I could see from my van spot. Launching straight into the proceedings for the weekend on this stage were ‘Rare Breed’ When I heard the guys warming up playing a Rival Sons track perfectly, my ears pricked up! These guys are alt-metal trio from the North East. They delivered a fast paced set, I enjoyed the vocals, bluesy rock with a bit of punk thrown in. What a great opening band, getting the Firevolters ready for a great weekend of more rockin sets.

The day progressed in the sunshine and we headed over the the new Grand Central Stage which is dedicated to grass root bands. This is a fantastic addition to the festival, giving smaller bands chance to perform and gain some exposure to the crowds in attendance. We managed to catch Flint Guitar School, Matt Fryers, Eddie & The Wolves, Shape of Water & Buried in Bermuda here. All gave brilliant performances in a gorgeous chilled setting. Here’s my photo gallery dedicated to this stage:

Grand Central Stage Gallery

On one of my fast walks back from the Grand Central Stage in my ever growing FOMO, I got whacked in the face by booming sounds of Sonic Whip as I legged it into the pit to grab quick photos. These guys pack a punch! They are a dutch alt-rock trio, 2 of them brothers, they sure rocked up dressed like they meant business! The crowd were sonically whipped for sure as they delivered their hard hitting grooves whilst whirling round the Trooper stage. Brilliant, am sure these young lads will go far.

Back to the main stage and I caught SKAM power trio from Leicester. I could get a whole set of pics from the bassist alone. Excellent stage presence from these guys and I could see they brought plenty of fans with them down the front in support. That was a fab set full of classic sounding British rock.

Some old school rock in the shape of heavy metal band from the West Midlands Fury as they served up a storm on the Trooper stage. I particularly enjoyed vocalist Julian Jenkins who has a gritty soulful voice not forgetting co-lead vocalist Nyah who is a phenomenal vocalist and gives the band extra dynamic. Roadwolf hailing from Austria brought their hard rock set full of great vocals, air fist pumps and air guitars. They sure proved heavy metal is not dead! Girlschool are still rocking after more than 40 years, and that speaks volumes itself! The girls put on a stellar performance getting crowd interaction from the huge gathering in the barn. Jackie Chambers is a guitaring legend and glided around that stage with confidence in her musical excellence. I’m a big fan of theirs and hope to see them again soon.

South of Salem brought their biggest show yet, this being their 3rd time at FV. On speaking to people during the day, at lot said they were looking forward to these guys, they have a huge following ! Their set was full of pyros, sparks flying around, enough to singe my eyebrows off! The stage was set up with coffins at the back which lit up at various times, cheerleaders in their evil make up, it looked brilliant and very fitting to this band. The guys filled that stage, with never ending energetic leaps and running end to end. They never disappoint, and this was no different, the crowd joined in and cheered through it all. It was an awesome set from the worthy headliners to round off a brilliant first day.

Friday band gallery

Saturday was kick started with strong coffee on the top of the double decker bus, a great way to start your festival day in my opinion. We managed to grab some of Jack J Hutchinson’s fabulous acoustic set in the barn, which was also a great addition to our morning.

Getting the main Bludsucker stage fired up were 4 piece powerhouse from Sheffield The Heavy Souls I loved their hard hitting blues rock vibe. They have the swagger and soulful sounds that captivated the crowd wonderfully. I nipped over to see Eddie and the Wolves on the Grand Central Stage as I have heard great things, and they did not disappoint. They have a fantastic blues-rock punchy vibe with excellent guitar sliding riffs. I met them afterwards, lovely to chat to them. I will be checking them out again for sure. Juliet’s not Dead (I can vouch for that) on the main stage. I discover this band was originally Twister and great to see Stevie and the boys rocking that stage still. They delivered their fast paced set packed with grit and attitude.

I just want to mention in the middle of all the bands, there are many stalls serving food, drink and awesome rock jewellery/accessories and much more. I recommend RNR Toasties, they are delicious, and the curry truck is really nice too. I didn’t get chance to sample them all but I didn’t hear a bad word about any. I did visit the coffee and cake truck a few times, this is always a welcomed addition. The crowd were super friendly, good to stop and chat to a few of you! Special shout out to the front row crowds, as we must have got in their way a fair bit. The atmosphere was spot on all weekend. I even managed a hug or two from Bev, always a treat, and a quick hi to Stret, Mr & Mrs FV are always so busy but always have time for a hello.

Over on the Trooper stage I caught Brave Rival and WOW what a voice front gal Lindsay has! They are a powerhouse delivering raw energetic rock with a groovy edge. I think they won over more fans from that killer performance. They are one of my favourite discoveries of the weekend. Another girl powerhouse, in the shape of Marisa and the Moths ripped the main stage up. This modern-rock with a grunge influence sound hits you hard. Marissa has fantastic stage presence and reels the crowd in from the get go, joining in with every song. Fab set!

Over in the barn were Tailgunner now this was the most steps in one set I have done! These guys are like bombs going off all over stage, what energy! A fantastic young heavy metal band, looking and sounding like they were back in the 80s with their glam spandex and leather outfits, along with a bit of glitz and chains. Brilliant show, I can see how they sell out their shows.

Biggest crowd of the weekend at Grand Central Stage was for Shape of Water. Their Manager Sarah rounded up half of Firevolt to go and watch them, and the crowd loved them ! I have seen these guys a few times, each time they put on a brilliant solid set. Luca was energetic as ever and Rox was in fine voice, along with Tom bringing the thunderous drumming. They have a very unique sound and absolutely smashed it, and it appears the drums too when Luca jumped on them at the end – I believe Tom is ok.

Blaze Bayley took to the Bludsucker stage as part of his Silicon Messiah 25th Anniversary tour. From the first note Bayley’s stage presence was magnetic. He delivered songs of his own and some drawn from Iron Maiden catalogue, reminding the large gathering of fans at FV why his voice remains a force in heavy metal. Spike and The Quireboys donned the Trooper stage at dusk. I have never seen a bad show with these guys, so much fun and Spike always has a joke or two. Swinging the mic stand around narrowly missing the photographers in front of the stage, he danced and sang his heart out, as did the crowd. Holding beers cups in the air in a mass cheers with Spike, this was a party everyone was invited to, as it’s 7 o’clock somewhere right?

Saturday headliners belonged to Reef who put on a stellar performance packed with both old and new songs. The crowd pleaser ‘Put your hands on’ went down a storm as did their cover of Fleetwood Mac ‘The Chain’ I’ve been a fan since the 90s and they are still the solid rock band to this day.

Saturday band gallery

Sunday and the last day of the festival! Booo! Everyone was noticeably a bit slower when arriving on site after 2 days of music, and partying, but everyone still smiling and ready for another packed day.
Kicking things off were Liberty Slaves who stormed the main stage with the kind of swagger that doesn’t ask for attention – it demands it. Ryan has a real gritty Lemmy style rock n roll voice fitting well with the dirty rock n roll vibes they have going on. Well received from the early revellers collecting down the front of the stage. The Soul Revival were another new discovery for me. Their hard rock blended with classic influences and captivating stage presence showed the FV crowd a great time. Releasing their debut EP recently, I am sure there will be more to come, clearly a band on the rise.

Winding it down for some soulful southern blues rock was Tom Killner on the main stage. Releasing his first full album at the age of 19, you can see why he has been branded as a guitar prodigy. Tom’s soul drenched voice and guitar sliding skills backed by his band got the crowd dancing along to songs which resonates with fans of Skynyrd or the Stones. I’m sure we will be seeing more material from this experienced musician, which personally I will be checking out.

Here’s a band I was personally looking forward to seeing, all the way from Australia was The Lazys Having seen them a few months ago at a very small pub I knew what I was in for, but the boys were even better! Somewhere between AC/DC and Airbourne the guys deliver high energy, no nonsense rock n roll, high voltage riffs, anthemic choruses with lots of banter thrown in. Leon got the crowd going from start to finish, and if you don’t like to hear “cance” too much then they are not for you! The bassist Troy Smith and guitarist Matty Morris have bags of energy running about the stage. Absolutely brilliant set, the enthusiasm was electric both on and off stage. I went and said hi to the band after, such lovely, crazy set of guys.

As photographers gathered in the pit for the next band, The Picture Books the drummer got into place, and boom! I think the stage was literally tremoring at each beat. Once my eyes finished shaking I could see there were only himself and the singer/guitarist on stage, and wow what a sound these guys have! They transformed their minimalist approach into a fierce immersive experience at Firevolt of which the crowd connected with. They ‘rattled’ through their set, proving that less is definitely more!

Headlining the Trooper Stage were The Von Hertzen Brothers who brought grace and grandeur. The 3 brothers and their backing delivered a masterclass in progressive rock taking the crowd on a journey leaving them spellbound by their magnetic performance. Heads nodding, hands in the air, and cheers most of the way through proved they were very much appreciated and connected to their dedicated fans. This was one of the stand out sets of the weekend.

The last band of the weekend were Eclipse on the main stage. They are a hard rock band from Sweden formed in 1999. They entered the blood red bathed stage a bit like a musical bomb, jumping around, with seemingly endless energy. They performed strong melodies, commanding vocals and thrilling guitar performances staying enthusiastic throughout their set. The crowd were singing along to their catchy hooks joining in with arm waving as the band continue to hold the crowd in the palm of their hands. They had to be big favourites of the Firevolt family when they swapped up words to sing Viva La Firevolt this rounded off a fantastic performance to close the festival.

Sunday band gallery

This is one of my favourite festivals, once which I return to year after year, you can’t say that about many festivals! Special mentions go to the greatest pit boss – Nigel, thanks for looking after us and having a smile for me everytime I entered the pit (usually late) and also the famous compere Paul Cash who did the best job as always introducing bands and entertaining us. Most of all to Bev and Stret for bringing us the best festival year after year x

Below is a gallery of general festival shots, showing a lot of smiley happy people

Great to see everyone, take care of yourselves….until next year – see you in the beautiful fields. Already looking forward to it!