This year I returned to Donington Park for another year of Download, the UK’s biggest rock and metal festival! I’m already at a complete loss for words as to where to begin, my expectations were met and more!
As a complete worrier, I made sure I had every band I wanted to see planned out, made sure I knew where I was going, etc. This year was a bit different to last year, however, as I was staying in RIP for the first time ever! I’d say if you can afford RIP and have an interest in it, go for it. I was honestly speechless at how amazing it was in there! I could ramble about the toilets and the showers or the camp itself, but with RIP you get access to your own little stage called the Courtyard Stage! That was what set the deal for me. Thanks to that, my first two days of Download 2025 were full of many amazing bands, which I’ll be diving into right now!
Wednesday 11th June
Wednesday was the day that I arrived at Download, at around 6:30pm (if it were up to me, we would’ve left a LOT earlier, but oh well). Anyone that was talking to me about Download this year knows how much I was stressing over when I’d get there because of one particular band I wanted to see on this day – Grove Street. I’ve been a fan of the UK hardcore band for a while now, so when I got the news that they were playing the RIP Courtyard stage on the Wednesday I couldn’t control myself.
The minute we parked the car I was already running all over the place trying to make sure I’d get there in time, and I’m SO thankful that I did. There was high energy throughout with not a single member holding back at all during their set. From flying beach balls to people jumping about, Grove Street brought 100% to Download’s small but mighty Courtyard stage; and it worked. Not only did Grove Street put on an amazing performance, playing hits such as “Ultimate Penalty” and “Lessons of the Past”, they are also such great people! After roughly 45 minutes of headbanging and jumping, I got the privilege of getting both the setlist AND a collection of guitar picks! Such a great way to remember what was an amazing set.
Wednesday was the shortest day for me, with my late arrival and me settling down after seeing Grove Street’s set. However, I knew already that the rest of the week would be hectic, and I was 100% right!
Thursday 12th June
That next day had a few more bands at the Courtyard stage that I wanted to see. Particularly, my mind was set on seeing LA-based “fairy doom” band Faetooth, whom I had been enjoying for a while. I wasn’t sure at the time if I’d be catching them during the main days, so at least I had a chance to see them anyway. Before that, however, I had a while to see some bands I wanted.
I started my day off by seeing Neckbreakers at around 3:45pm. They honestly blew me away with how good they were! Neckbreakers had a certain sound to them that reminded me of a certain game I had played not too long ago (Lost Records: Bloom & Rage). The band consists of siblings Ebony, Georgie and Max, all of whom brought such energy and passion to the stage. I think every person in that crowd felt it, I know I certainly did. I give a lot of praise to them since they really did make my head explode with the shock I felt from how amazing their music and stage presence was. If you ever have the chance to see Neckbreakers, please do!
After a drink break, and a little wander around the village area, it was time for me to see Jar of Blind Flies, an alt rock band from Brighton! I had only ever heard a few of their songs before on Spotify, but I honestly enjoyed the vibe and feel I got from their performance and music. It felt reminiscent of many other bands I had seen before, and I somehow felt both calm and rowdy watching them, weirdly enough! A lot of their songs feel like something for raging to, with their noisy, angry sound. Overall, Jar of Blind Flies were another band that I enjoyed a lot!
Then it was finally time for Faetooth! This performance marked, if I’m remembering correctly, their first ever UK performance! And what a success it was! Faetooth’s sound is something that I’ve been very fond of, which has led to me wanting to hear their music live for once. Honestly, I think it sounds even better live, they brought such a dark and powerful feeling to the stage and every song felt even more incredible than the last! You can really see why their later performance at the Dogtooth stage on the Sunday was such a success. The band’s EU/UK tour is currently ongoing, with the final date being in Brussels on the 27th. Maybe a last-minute gig to catch for some?
Of course, I couldn’t ignore the one act that was probably the biggest topic of this year’s Download. No, this time it’s not Sleep Token – it’s Vengaboys! On Thursday, the Vengabus arrived to prepare us for the weekend to follow. Playing in District X’s Doghouse tent (which, mind you, definitely can’t hold more than 20,000 people, which even then might be pushing it) with a start time for 10:30pm. I arrived at 9:30, so an hour before starting, and as expected the tent was already almost fully packed! It took some effort, but thankfully I managed to get a spot inside the busy Doghouse tent, and I also was able to (mostly) see what was going on, which is insane considering the amount of people that tried and failed to even get INSIDE the tent at all! I wonder if the organisers knew just how big this would be, since I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Doghouse tent so busy! From the minute the music started it was a literal party inside, with Vengaboys playing all of their hits such as “We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)”, “Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!”, “We’re Going To Ibiza!”, “Up & Down” and “Kiss (When The Sun Don’t Shine)”. Metalheads really do like to party after all, clearly, given the scenes inside the Doghouse tent for Vengaboys’ 30-minute set. If you ask me, I think it should’ve been longer, but their set was more than perfect regardless! Venagboys’ set felt like the perfect start to the main weekend of Download 2025.
Friday 13th June
Now the main days of the festival begin! Prior to the arena opening, I was both mentally and physically preparing myself for the marathon I’d be running from the RIP guest area entrance (one side of the arena) to Avalanche stage (other side of the arena). Needless to say that I clearly got my steps in that weekend as this was my daily morning routine now. Firstly, we had the amazing Karen Dió playing! This was my second time seeing her since watching her open for WARGASM at the Brighton date of their Club Shit Tour last year. Once again, she completely owned the stage and earned everyone’s love that day! Playing songs like “Sick Ride”, “3AM” and “Stupid”, as well as her cover of Chappell Roan’s “Casual”, Karen Dió showed everyone yet again why she’s a rising star in the rock world. Her first performance at Download was so strong, and I can see her opening for Apex stage in the years to come! Her live band also always bring the energy, especially drummer Adam Breeze who I’m always entertained watching. If you loved Karen Dió’s set at this year’s Download, or you were unable to make it, she’ll be playing at The Underworld in Camden, London on November 25th, so grab a ticket and have fun later on this year!
Heading back to Apex, I just about managed to catch SiM play “The Rumbling”, their well-known tune which also served as one of the openings for Attack on Titan. Although I didn’t manage to catch the whole set, I could tell that everyone had a great time and that they were amazing on stage! Hopefully I’ll be seeing them play there again!
Also at Apex, I was able to enjoy some other bands such as CKY, Boston Manor (they definitely gained a new fan after their set) and American punk band Rise Against! I had been listening to Rise Against for a while before getting to Download, and I personally thought their set was really good. I had some good fun watching them perform; despite the fact that I was quite far back, I could still feel the energy and passion coming from their performance. It was nice being able to tick them off my list of bands I’ve yet to see.
Later on, we had the 2 bands I was probably the most excited for on the Friday: Weezer and Green Day. Weezer’s set consisted of hits like “Buddy Holly”, “Island in the Sun” and “Say It Ain’t So”, with songs played from a variety of albums including their iconic blue self-titled album and Pinkerton. I’ve been a Weezer fan for a while now, especially since they’re basically impossible to escape when you’re a rock fan, and it felt really special being able to see them live finally. If you’re looking for high-energy performances, Weezer isn’t the band for you (in fact, that’s more a Green Day thing), but that didn’t stop Weezer from being able to deliver a fantastic performance that hundreds of us were able to enjoy before Friday’s headliners – Green Day. Green Day’s set was definitely a top 3 from the entire weekend for me. From the stage visuals to the songs, to Billie Joe Armstong getting distracted by a passing plane, Green Day gave it their all and, as a result, left us all dazed following the non-stop energy and singing. One of the most memorable moments from their set, even though there were many to choose from, was definitely during “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, when it began raining during the line mentioning rain. Crazy coincidence! It’s even been noted on setlist.fm which just proves how surprising this was for all of us there. Other than that, we got to enjoy a variety of songs such as classics like “American Idiot”, “Basket Case”, “Welcome to Paradise”, “21 Guns” and “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” as an encore. The entire thing felt surreal, and I could feel myself smiling the entire time. Green Day, despite what your opinions are on their music, are 100% a band that always bring high amounts of energy and enthusiasm when it comes to performing. An insanely good way to end the first official day of Download Festival 2025!
Saturday 14th June
Saturday had even more good bands, some whom I had been waiting to finally see for years! Once again, I started off the day running to Avalanche stage where I saw Autumn Fires open the day. From what I remember, they won a competition hosted by none other than Kerrang! Radio, which earned them the opportunity to record new material and play Download! Normally pop punk isn’t my thing, but I found myself surprised with how good they were. They were clearly happy to be there and gave it their all for the crowd. Ending their set by taking a picture with the crowd, Autumn Fires delivered a performance that boosted our energy that morning, something that we’d need given the day ahead of us!
Next up was BEX, who I was really eager to see. BEX is definitely a new up-and-coming artist in British punk music, with her newest single “politix” having just released recently. I was really excited to hear her play my personal favourite song “crybaby”, but the whole set was amazing with other songs such as “Sum Kinda Syko” being thrown at us! With big “circle pit” signs being shown at the crowd, BEX knew what she wanted – and she got it. As I turned around I saw plenty of circle pits during the set, and BEX even went for a crowd surf eventually! I knew she’d be fun, but she blew my expectations and was even more fun than I’d have thought! Definitely one I’d see again if I had the chance. Artists like BEX are exactly what we need to ensure us that music is in good hands nowadays!
With roughly 9 minutes to spare, I had to rush towards Dogtooth stage to prepare for Bastardane, one of the bands I discovered when the line-up initially came out. I spent time going through it, looking for new artists to discover, and Bastardane gained my interests with their music. Having made it with a few minutes to spare, I got myself ready and, finally, Bastardane were ready to play! They were as good as I’d hoped they’d be, and I believe this was their first performance in the UK! So amazing to be a part of that! They absolutely smashed it and hopefully they’ll play Download again in the future. I can already see them on an even bigger stage, maybe opening Apex in a few years time!
Heading back to Apex for a while, we got to see Hatebreed shake the stage. This was my first time seeing them, and when I tell you I was caught off guard with the “ball of death” they threw into the crowd! Tunes like “Empty Promises” and “Looking Down the Barrel of Today” were played, with the latter being dedicated to Lou Koller of Sick Of It All. Hatebreed were incredibly fun and had such a great prescence on stage, yet another band I’m glad to be able to say I’ve seen. I can 100% understand why so many people love them, as I do too! Following this, Poppy graced the stage. Something people here won’t know is that I recently saw her open for BABYMETAL at the O2 Arena (sorry, I’ve been taking a break from gig posts so a lot have not been spoken about! Maybe I’ll do an ultimate recap at the end of the year), so this was actually my second time seeing her after being a fan for over 5 years now! Poppy’s set was FANTASTIC, and she played some songs I didn’t get the chance to hear last time such as “Anything Like Me” and “BLOODMONEY”, as well as regulars such as “have you had enough?”, “Scary Mask” and “new way out”. Overall, whether you prefer Poppy’s metalcore style heard in her latest album or her more alternative pop-influenced works such as I Disagree, it’s clear that she rocked Download this year, which I know as I was singing along 90% of the time…
Back to Avalanche for me to see yet another icon, this time it being Mothica! Her music is so comforting and soothing to me, and I knew I had to hear her live! I managed to get to the row behind barricade, but it wasn’t long before someone in front of me kindly let me stand at barricade. If you’re that guy and you’re reading this (low chance but you never know!), thank you! It was so sweet! Mothica was so ethereal and vulnerable, opening up about her past and making it clear how grateful she is to be able to perform here today. She deserves all of the success she’s seen and more, in my opinion. We got a tease of “VICES II”, a new version of her 2020 single “VICES”, which is out now everywhere! Additionally, we got to hear her play “Can You Feel My Heart”, a cover of the hit by Bring Me The Horizon, and “forever fifteen”. Mothica is a beautiful addition to the music industry, and I hope her future is full of happy moments and huge achievements! She deserves it all!
The rest of my evening was spent at Dogtooth stage, where I saw 4 brutal bands that night. First up was Anaal Nathrakh, one I was excited to see after hearing their material on Spotify! They were absolutely insane – non-stop fury for their entire set! They did not hold back at all, throwing out tracks like “Unleash” and “The One Thing Needful” to get us all energised, which worked as I was feeling a lot more hyper that whole night! After that, I finally got to see Kittie, who I’ve been a fan of for years now! Naturally, I was ecstatic when I saw that they were on the line-up for this year’s Download and I knew I had to see them. Songs from their newest album Fire were played, but we also got some of those classics from Spit and Oracle such as “Brackish” and “Mouthful of Poison”. Being able to finally see Kittie live was such an unforgettable moment and I’m so grateful to have been able to be there at one of their first UK performances in 15 years. I’ll never forget this!
Next was Sylosis, who I’ll admit I had never heard before that night – but I just knew that they were heavy and extreme. Which is what I like to hear! They blew me away, they were incredible! Whenever their next tour is I’ll be there. Their presence was strong and they rocked that small tent! Sylosis 100% left a lasting impression on me and, despite me not having known much about them, I’m glad I was there to witness their Download set. Finally, Cradle of Filth graced the Dogtooth stage as its headliners for the Saturday. Their set brought brutality and pyro, plenty of it. Amongst the shredding and screaming was frontman Dani Filth’s proposal to his girlfriend, something I never thought I’d witness at a gig but here we are! It was a really cute moment, but the band didn’t waste time before jumping back into their set. We had plenty of amazing songs like “She Is a Fire”, “Malignant Perfection” and “White Hellebore” to get us through the remainder of the night. Personally, I think the tiny, enclosed space that is the Dogtooth tent made the whole experience even better – especially since it had been sheltering me from the apparent rain during the evening so I was kept nice and dry! Cradle of Filth are another band I’ve enjoyed for some years now, so it was nice to finally see them too. Saturday had me seeing many artists I’ve loved for years clearly! After their set I headed back to camp for an early night ahead of the chaos that was awaiting me on the Sunday…
Sunday 15th June
The last day of Download 2025 was probably the craziest one for me. This is the one where I definitely got the most steps in, moving from stage to stage basically every hour. Starting off at Avalanche again I got to finally see Harpy, who I’ve been wanting to see for a while now! I’ve also now gotten tickets to her upcoming headline show on December 1st, which should tell you how much I enjoyed her set. Playing some of her most-known songs like “Slaughterhouse” and “Not My God Anymore”, newer track “Last Time” from her upcoming EP VII, as well as unveiling a new song, Harpy dominated the Avalanche stage so early in the morning and gave so much energy, as well as everyone in her live band – always appreciate them! Harpy’s charisma and stage presence vibrated throughout the entire tent and left us all mesmerised, or at other times jumping about to her music instead. She was a great start to my day and I can’t wait to be there at the upcoming headline gig!
Afterwards, I got to relax at Apex stage for a while, starting off with Orbit Culture, who were meant to play earlier in the day but were delayed. Not complaining though, as it meant I got to witness their killer set! I didn’t know much about Orbit Culture before, but now I know that they can put on a great show even so early in the day. I’ll have to listen to more of their music at home now. Following this, Scottish metalcore/deathcore legends Bleed From Within graced the stage! They appeared at Download last year, but on Opus instead. I unfortunately had to miss that one due to clashes, but I did get to see them open for Slipknot on their last EU/UK tour and they were amazing openers! No different at Download, clearly, as they played new bangers from their latest album Zenith such as “God Complex”, as well as more wider-known songs like 2020 banger “The End of All We Know”, and the hypnotic tune “Levitate”. I felt so much joy being able to see them again, as well as all of the Scotland flags in the crowds, and Bleed From Within belong on that main stage, they dominated it! I think when they next return they’ll be playing even later on in the day – they’ve proven that they’re a hit with the Download crowd, and their live shows are always one to enjoy, so why not keep it coming?
American crossover thrash kings Power Trip followed shortly after, another band I got the privilege of seeing before, this time opening for Pantera. They’re still moving crowds and that was especially evident at Download, with a big circle pit in the middle of the crowd. This time I had moved down into the front rather than being further back as usual, and after overthinking everything for a minute or so I finally dashed into a circle pit and started moving with everyone else – for the first time! I don’t know what I was afraid of because circle pits are insanely fun, and I think I went back in 3 other times during Power Trip’s 45-minute set. Playing all of the hits such as “Manifest Decimation”, “Waiting Around to Die” and, of course, “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)”, Power Trip brought such energy and fun to the Apex stage, and I left the crowd thirsty, mouth full of dust (I was coughing for about a week after), but also with loads of serotonin from that set! Power Trip have always been amazing, and are 100% a band you’ll wanna see if you have the chance. Don’t miss out!
But the crossover thrash didn’t end there, the party was just beginning as Municipal Waste were set to take over Opus stage soon after. I’ve loved Municipal Waste for ages now and they were in the top 3 on my who-I-want-to-see list for the weekend. I’ll tell you right now that they were even better than I thought they’d be! Listening to their music, you expect them to be fun, but they were so so fun! From flipping off a passing plane to starting a…. rectangle circle pit? Municipal Waste have for sure earned their future slot on the Apex stage now after this, with a series of crowd surfers during their anthem “Wave of Death” as well as fast circle pits during songs like “The Art of Partying” and “Born to Party”. Municipal Waste are a golden band and an integral part of that 2000s thrash metal revival that Power Trip were also a part of! May people never stop loving Municipal Waste, because their music and live shows are amazing and need to continue forever. I already want to see them again!
Back at Apex, Swedish metal legends Meshuggah gave their everything at the Download crowd. I remember a few years ago when I was finally exploring extreme metal more, Meshuggah were one of the first bands I listened to and they were incredible. They’re even better live! The power I felt from them (especially those drums) was unmatched, and all I could do was watch as they completely blew me away. I felt honoured to be able to see them live after all this time, especially a band as important as they are. If there’s one true thing about metal it’s that Sweden has had its fair share of amazing bands. After this, I climbed my way through to Dogtooth stage to see Ingested, who had been booked last minute after Cattle Decapitation unfortunately had to pull out. I needed to spend my time watching someone, and Ingested seemed to match my taste so I went for it. They were so so so good! Their songs make me wanna snap my neck in half, especially their new single “Altar of Flesh” which I was really excited to hear live for the first time. There were even wilder mosh pits here, and I joined in on the circle pit a few times (nearly doing my ankle in along the way, ouch), Ingested knew how to make a crowd hyper and ready to move, and hopefully I’ll see them on an even bigger stage in the future.
If one good thing came out of Cattle Decapitation’s withdraw though, it’s the fact that it meant I could watch the entirety of Lorna Shore’s set now. I, somehow, managed to get barricade for their set, sliding my way across after Airbourne’s set finished (because lets face it, you think half of the people watching Airbourne want to see Lorna Shore?) and getting myself ready. We heard their biggest hit “Into the Hellfire”, which still gets everyone insanely excited as soon as it starts, as well as their newer song “Oblivion” from their upcoming album I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me. Despite being briefly cut off during “Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear”, Lorna Shore ended their set with a bang and made our Sunday evenings even better. I saw an insane amount of crowd surfers during their set too, which was fun since I got a lot of high fives and fist bumps as they ran past me and everyone else at the barricade. Very fun! After this, there was only one more band I was waiting for..
Which was Korn! The nu metal pioneers were finally headlining after slightly more than 30 years of existence. I especially love their self-titled album as well as Life is Peachy, so I was pretty eager to be here. Of course, we got the hits such as “Falling Away From Me”, “Freak on a Leash”, “A.D.I.D.A.S” and “Ball Tongue”, as well as “Blind” to open their set. Speaking of their set, their lighting and design was really nice to me and I found myself just staring off at the lights a few times, which I found a bit funny. Jonathan Davis clearly still has it after all these years, and I always love watching him perform. The whole band were incredible, and I still can’t fully fathom the fact that I saw Korn live. A few years ago I got my first Korn CD, which I think was Follow The Leader. Fast forward to a bit less than a month ago and I was watching them play the 2 biggest songs from that album, as well as many other songs I love. If Korn do a UK tour in the next year or so, I’ll have to make sure I’m there as I loved their set so much. Korn were definitely the best way to end off 2025’s Download Festival, and it was clear that the band themselves were grateful to be playing that stage as a headliner – they absolutely killed it and had everyone hooked! Korn are legends within the nu metal community, and I think they’re one of the best nu metal bands out there, and it’ll always be that way.
Download Festival 2025 was one to remember, with a weekend of unforgettable moments and amazing sets from a variety of bands. I’m already looking forward to 2026, and I can’t wait to find out who’s next to headline! I love the community and the music, and just being able to get away from everything for a few days – it makes everything worth it.