Watch Killswitch Engage’s full headline set at Bloodstock festival 2023

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By ( Metal Hammer ) published

Metalcore leaders Killswitch Engage played 90 minutes stacked with bangers at UK metal fest Bloodstock in August. Watch the show in full here.

Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage onstage in 2023
(Image credit: Medios y Media/Getty Images)

Pro-shot video footage of Killswitch Engage’s full set at Bloodstock Open Air 2023 has been uploaded to YouTube.

The Massachusetts metalcore favourites headlined the festival for the first time ever on August 11, playing a greatest-hits set of 21 songs. The complete setlist is available below.

Bloodstock commented on YouTube: “Killswitch Engage’s headline performance at Bloodstock Open Air 2023 was not just a concert; it was a celebration of metal music’s enduring spirit. The band’s connection with their fans was palpable, making it a night to remember. Their performance reaffirmed why they are revered as titans in the metal world and left an indelible mark on the festival’s legacy.

“This event was a testament to the unifying power of music and the vibrant spirit of the metal community. It was a night where legends were made, and memories were forged, under the starlit sky of Catton Park.”

Metal Hammer attended Killswitch’s set at Bloodstock 2023, with writer Merlin Alderslade giving it a perfect five stars.

Alderslade wrote: “Given how important they are to their generation of heavy metal, it seems ludicrous that it took this long for Killswitch Engage to headline a proper, three-day festival over here. Luckily, it was more than worth the wait.”

Bloodstock Open Air will return to Catton Park, Derbyshire, in 2024, from August 8 to 11. Headlining the festival will be Architects, Amon Amarth and Opeth, playing a setlist voted by the band’s fans.

Opeth singer/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt has commented: “So… back to Bloodstock 2024 for us, it appears. I don’t remember how many times we've played the festival, but we do have fond memories from there. ‘Filling in’ for Heaven And Hell when RJD [Ronnie James Dio] had passed is one. Fuck! Can’t remember a more emotional event on stage for us, to be honest. Anyhoooo, we’ll be there ‘rocking’ and ‘rolling’ in our own way, playing songs that you’ve chosen (apparently). Please be gentle.”

Tickets to Bloodstock 2024 are available now.

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Killswitch Engage setlist – Bloodstock Open Air 2023

1. My Curse
2. Rise Inside
3. This Fire
4. Reckoning
5. The Arms Of Sorrow
6. In Due Time
7. Beyond The Flames
8. The Signal Fire
9. Unleashed
10. Hate By Design
11. The Crownless King
12. Rose Of Sharyn
13. Reject Yourself
14. Fixation On The Darkness
15. Strength Of The Mind
16. The Element Of One
17. A Bid Farewell
18. This Is Absolution
19. The End Of Heartache
20. My Last Serenade
21. Holy Diver

Matt Mills
Matt Mills
Online Editor, Metal Hammer

Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.