Korn get their chance to headline after putting in the graft over the years. Bleed From Within step up, Meshuggah punish and Turbonegro being the good times.

GOOD MORNING DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL!

‘DOWNLOAD FESTIVAAAAALLLL!’ hollers Harpy as she enters the Download fray. Anyone still in a slumber in adjacent fields is surely awake now. She means business and the new goth queen revels in the subjects before her Her band are all topless and masked; she loses her robe after her first track showcasing her scant leather get up. The pounding mix feels relatively simple but it is massively effective. “Are you gonna show me how you do it at Download?” A new song, Precious, has a throbbing bass and drum intro and a massive vocal crescendo sees Harpy doubled over on her knees, full of passion.

No God Anymore is for anyone who has been in a toxic relationship and Last Time is utterly hedonistic with its ‘fuck me like it’s the last time’ refrain. Harpy covers herself in blood and showers the front rows. “I can’t believe you came here at 11am to see me…” Harpy is bowled over. Before the end, Harpy asks for a ‘breakfast pit.’ What Harpy wants, Harpy gets. Expect her star to rise.

PYRO LOADED…

Orbit Culture arrive later than scheduled but waste no time in getting stuck in. They, like Harpy, demand pit action. Naturally, people oblige. The Swedes are masters at what they do; they are clinical and crushing in their sound. When we caught them in 2024 they were incredible. To see them up on the big stage is excellent. They’ll be back and further up the bill in years to come.

As for Bleed From Within, the Scots have the pyro loaded. Their huge riffs are always a pleasure to hear. They take it to the crowd with utter domination. Flanked by a huge screen showing their hypnotic visuals, Bleed From Within offer unrelenting power. Singer Scott Kennedy, moves between clean and growled vocals with ease helping the band shift between heaviness and powerful anthemic rock. Although there has been rain overnight, it’s another dry affair and the dust getting kicked up from the vociferous pits drifts over the crowd.

“We are Bleed from Within from motherfucking Glasgow Scotland! Does it get any better than this?” asks Kennedy. “2005, we all came down on the Megabus – 20 years later were on the main stage,” he continues before I Am Damnation. Plenty of crowd surfers head over the top in unbridled joy. The ‘everyone get down’ trope is cliched but Bleed From Within get the buy in and it creates a stunning atmosphere. The Scots also have one of the coolest shirt designs of the weekend.

CRUSHING, THRASHING, DISSONANCE

Faetooth have an arsenal of churning riffs with Ari May and Jenna Garcia offering darkness and light in their sahred vocal delivery. Sporting a Perfect Circle tee, guitarist May keeps things mystic with her vocals whilst her dissonant and crushing guitar tones shake everyone’s ribs. When the two break from their mics to meet in the middle of the stage with the drummer Rah Kanan the smiles they have, beam. They interact with the crowd well and introduce their latest release.

Amira Elfeky has plenty packed into the Avalanche Stage as her nu-metal meets emo sounds fill the air. She takes a little bow before the drum and bass tones of Trouble help push things forward further. It can’t go without mentioning Elfeky’s dazzling dress of cards either; certainly an inspired outfit choice.

Over on the Apex Stage, its one of the best metal bands of recent years. “We are power trip from Dallas, Texas; we wanna see some circle pits.” It’s old school with all the band sporting band t-shirts and being flanked by stacks of Marshall amps. With their influences clear, the group set about their work. Executioner’s Tax (Swing Of The Axe) is a fist pumping beast of a song. The pits are big and the energy is high. “Thank y’all for checking us out,” says singer Seth Gilmore.

Firing Squad has a bit of a d-beat/grind opening – whatever it is, there is a mass of bodies spinning and crowd surfing. After a slow-ish start, Power Trip find their groove and kick the living hell out of the crowd in attendance. Another of Power Logic’s bankers, Crucifixation, is a great head banger of a track. The breakneck solo tops it off and Power Trip leave with their jobs well and truly done.

WHERE ONLY THE TRUTH IS SPOKEN

Jinjer are a band that need no introduction in these parts. Five albums in, the Ukrainians go from strength to strength. In Tatiana Shmayluk they have one of the most versatile singers in modern metal. Her range is impressive, but it is her ability to shift vocal styles that impresses most. What is also very impressive, is the bass work of Eugene Abdukhanov. He is fleet fingered but lays a stunning bedrock for the band. In 2025, Jinjer have released their latest LP, Duél. It is no surprise that a large portion of the set is made up of their newest Napalm Records release.

On the Avalanche Stage, one of the worst kept secrets in festival history comes to fruition; the excellent Malevolence take the stage in the week they release their new album; Where Only The Truth Is Spoken. Their Snatch sampling intro tape is quickly eviscerated by the opening tones of If It’s All The Same To You. Yorkshire chants break out and the pit inside the tent is utter carnage. Their hefty breakdowns and hulking sound possess the crowd and the band are clearly in celebratory mood in the week of their new release.

We don’t need it, but we get the introduction; “We’re Malevolence from Sheffield – let’s get this party started!” There is no escape in the tent from the masses of dust and dirt being kicked up – when I say utter carnage, that is not hyperbole…that is the truth I am speaking. The band do their due diligence in instructing people to help each other out in the fervent pits if someone falls. Malevolence are one of the best UK bands in the business at the moment. They are only going to go from strength to strength with their new record.

THE PIONEERS

Meshuggah one of the most intense bands on the Apex Stage across the weekend. The blistering Swedes are 38 years on from their initial formation and they have a discography full of some of the most fearsome and frightening technical death metal around. Their sound has inspired generations or math/tech metal bands. With tracks like Rational Gaze and Born In Dissonance, they showcase their use of unusual time signatures and impenetrable guitars. Jens Kidman is magnetically charismatic as singer – he takes a stoic position front of stage whilst he adds his vocal extremities to the wild sounds the band create.

Combustion is an early highlight; Meshuggah show that they have the technical nous of a band like Tool and the crushing heaviness of a band like Slayer. “Oh Download…where the fuck are you? I can see you but I can’t hear you!” says Kidman…”What a lovely day for metal right?” He is not wrong. Meshuggah crush their performance and lay waste to the Apex Stage.

SPIRITBOX

Following Meshuggah are Canadians, Spiritbox. Touted as future headliners by some, a crack of thunder welcomes them on stage. The band throw up horns and amp the crowd before a note is hit. When the notes do it, they hit hard. Singer Courtney LaPlante strides on elegantly before delivering a vocal onslaught of the highest order. In her voice, there is a huge amount of anguish that feels uncontrollably controlled.

Like Bleed From Within earlier in the day, they have a dazzling visual aspect flanked by images of the band filtered in black and white. They get the people clapping along before the breakdown pause in Black Rainbow and spend the rest of their set pulverising the crowd. “How are you doing today?” It’s our great honour to be here with you today.” asks LaPlante. A unanimous cheers says it all. Like Tatiana Shmayluk, LaPlante has a great skill in how she sings and controls her voice, tone and range. They have potentially the crowd of the day so far.

THE CROWD PLEASERS

On the Dogtooth stage, Ingested deal with what’s left after President’s tent bursting debut performance. The Mancunian death metal mob are great at working the crowd. Their crushing tunes are blistering and the charm they offer from the stage appeals to all. Flanked by their suitably death metal logo, they get everyone in attendance giving all they’ve got. Singer, Josh Davies, is savage in his delivery and bounces around the stage with massive energy. “Spin this fucking room,” is the call. You can tell it’s booting off by the person holding the Ukrainian flag aloft going ten to the dozen in circles.

Airborne take the stage on the Opus Stage like returning heroes. They’re all guts, glory, fire and Marshall amplified riffs. Joel O’Keeffe relentlessly refers to the place as Donington and not Download; it’s a refreshing nod to the history of the festival. Back In The Game is superb. O’Keeffe does his party piece trip into the crowd which is a lot of fun and the crowd reciprocates with getting just as involved as the rhythm section hold the groove meticulously. They wheel up the air raid siren with singer atop his Marshall stack. It is everything you come to expect from Airbourne. They are perennial festival entertainers and it is great to have them back on Donington’s turf.

THE ENTERTAINERS

Turbonegro are utterly flamboyant and all kinds of brilliant. All dressed wildly, they are quirky and full of punky, glam stompers. The entire band are like a spinning top of unrestricted energy – they have their loyal fans in the their back pockets, but anyone here out of curiosity is won over by the Norwegians. They’re certainly a unique bunch and one that owns the stage in the final throes of the weekend.

Closing the Opus Stage are another group of veteran entertainers; Steel Panther. If ever a band were NSFW, then Steel Panther are it. Sex. Drugs. Rock. Roll. More drugs. More sex. Pole dancers. Inflatable mammalian protuberances being batted around. And what’s more, is that it is completely great fun. They poke fun at Jerry Garcia (Cantrell…who played earlier); they offer free cocaine (but only if you’re over 8 and have parental permission); offer endless jokes about fellatio, masturbation, ejaculation and poke fun at the ages of the band. Most quips land with a chuckle. They plough through 17 Girls In A Row, Fat Girl (Thar She Blows), Friends With Benefits, Eyes Of A Panther and Girl From Oklahoma (with crowd member Libby – who is a fantastic sport for playing along with the pastiche). It is all completely puerile but raises a giggle.

Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’ is halted due to a crush at the front of the stage; luckily there were no reports of serious injury. It is a rare sombre hole in a set that is full of undoubted glory. Death To All Metal gets things back on track with its stomping groove and biting lyrics. Community Property has all hands aloft and Tomorrow Is The End of The World is a crowd pleaser. Hijinx with catching hats (you had to be there) ensues as Gloryhole fills the end spot on the set. Steel Panther are the perfect party starting band and they delivered on what they needed to do.

KORN

If ever a band deserve their chance on top, it is Korn. Opening with Blind and hypnotic flashing white screens, the crowd is massive after Steel Panther. The white is amplified with the mass of phone screens trained on the stage. It looks like a chain reaction of white light before Jonathan Davis screams; “Are you ready?” An almighty roar suggests that Download is more than ready.

For the duration of their career spanning set, Korn never relent in their energy. It is high octane stuff. The dreadlocked duo of Munky and Head are silhouetted maniacally against the lights. Just ten minutes into their set and it is evident that Korn are here to slay. And slay is what they do. Got The Life is an early highlight with its driving tempo; it’s surrounded by a raft of big hitters in Twist, Ball Tongue, and Shoots & Ladders; complete with bagpipes intro and Metallica sampling outro.

Y’ALL WANT A SINGLE?

The instantly recognisable opening riff to A.D.I.D.A.S. sends the crowd into raptures. For the entirety of the bombastic set, Fieldy’s bass work is exceptional. He has a tone that is so distinctly ‘Korn’ and he drives everything along with Luzier on drums. When they want to, Korn can extremely sinister and gothic. Be that through bass, guitar or Davis’ unique vocals.

Davis, and his bandmates, look like they’re having the time of their lives closing out the festival. As the main set draws to a close, he remarks about it taking so long to get to this position. Davis asks the crowd to raise their middle fingers and give him a ‘fuck that.’ “I didn’t wait thirty years for that!” Clearly not happy in letting the band down, the crowd explode as Korn close their main set with the brilliant Y’all Want A Single. It is a brilliant end before an encore return.

4 U

When your encore still has the potential of more big hitters, it is obvious that Korn have the kind of heavy artillery befitting of a headline show. Falling Away From Me is massive, and incredibly heavy and loud. Like, really loud. The heaviness is unrelating as Divine splits the former from eventual closer; Freak On A Leash. There was really only one way that Korn could close thing out, with arguably their biggest ‘hit.’

Freak On A Leash is a song tailor made as a curtain call for one of the biggest festivals on the planet. Korn finally scale the peak and they deliver in abundance to send the crowd back to their respected tents/fields/homes very, very happy.

Download XXII has been a triumphant success. The weather helps, but bold bookings, a great crowd and incredibly resourceful and helpful staff/security all play their parts.

Roll on 2026!

Check out our day one review here, and day two here.

Earlybird tickets for Download Festival 2026 are available now, here.

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