There is one question that hung over Download Festival this year. It’s not who will be doing the ‘secret set’ (it was the mighty Malevolence) or who is President (c’mon, if that isn’t Charlie Simpson I’ll burn all my Busted CDs). It was what will the weather be like? Fortunately, barring a couple of downpours when the Sex Pistols hit the stage, the Gods of sun shone on the site and made it a lot easier for everyone to get around, soak up the music and a bit of Vitamin D.
Words: Paul Monkhouse
Photography: Ryan Hildrew
The metrological vagaries aside, one thing was for sure: 2025 brought arguably the most diverse line-up in the festival’s history, truly giving everyone something to enjoy. Added to this were three bands that had never headlined there before; the festival eschewed the tried-and-tested favourites.
Before the big guns hit the Apex stage, there was plenty more to see and for those who came late to the party and missed the site of thousands of metalheads losing their minds to the enjoyably cheesy charms of the Venga Boys on Wednesday night, there was so much more in store from the sublime to the ridiculous.
The annual pilgrimage to Donington has come a very long way since those early days of Monsters of Rock and whilst some of the classic/heritage acts do appear sometimes, things are looking much more to sustaining and growing the festival, ensuring that it continues well into the future, the appearance of bands like Sleep Token at the top of the bill very indicative of this.
Whatever the acts appearing, the faithful came in their thousands to worship all that was loud…
