After Green Day’s triumphant closing set for Download Festival day one, day two has a very diverse set of bands to offer including divisive headliner, Sleep Token.

Words: Dominic Walsh & Howard King

DAY TWO

As flights from the nearby East Midlands Airport regularly fly over Donington, people are still coming to terms with that Green Day set from night one. What is so special about Download Festival is the incredible energy and community feeling generated by top quality performers and festival goers. Truly this is one of the most friendliest festivals in Britain.

First up on the Apex Stage are Static Dress. Naturally, static adorns the screens around the stage as early morning pits break. It’s a riotous opening and one that blows the cobwebs away.

Kicking off the afternoon on the Opus Stage is versatile guitarist Sophie Lloyd. Her firecracker riffs and shredding solos set the arena ablaze. Striding onstage to the Top Gun theme and laying down the solo, Lloyd is all glam; glam fit for a guitar queen. Guest vocalists, Marisa Rodriguez (Marisa & The Moths) and Nathan James (Inglorious) strut and equal Lloyd’s playing with vocal acrobatics but it is her guitar prowess that people are here for. The audience chant along the words to her instrumental cover Metallica’s Enter Sandman before ending on Do or Die (during which fire eating and flame acrobatics add an extra level of heat).

EARLY ENERGY

Lastelle are an early highlight on the Dogtooth Stage. Their moody an ambient opening is gorgeous with trumpet to boot. Back in 2020 we were lucky to have Lastelle on our pages for our Why I Love column. They wrote about Sigur Ros, and that influence shines through in the music. “Download…I wanna feel your energy,” says mulleted singer Adam Rigozzi; “We are band called Lastelle, thank you for getting up early!” With flecks of post rock/metal and various vocal styles, Lastelle craft a great sound. They might have a few early morning revellers here out of curiosity but they do themselves no harm in gaining new fans with their powerful and energetic performance. The band have a new headlining tour later in the year (details here).

Venus Grrrls singer, Grace Kelly, oozes charisma as she struts around the stage. She has a voice that demands your attention. “We’re Venus Grrrls from Leeds,” she shouts. If you didn’t know the name before, you do now. The punky attitude enamours plenty of people to get involved in bouncing around. As a band that At The Barrier have followed for a while, it is great to see them knocking it out of the park at a big festival. What sets them apart is the way they weave synth lines around the music, and the chemistry that the five has is clear. “Thank you for coming; it’s our first Download. Thanks for making it so memorable.” Memorable is the right word.

BALL OF DEATH!

The music is a lot harder on the Apex Stage with the legendary Hatebreed, who insist on constant action. Jamey Jasta is a legend at working the crowd and Download Festival laps up his demands. For those placed further band in the field, they enjoy the pounding sound of the band. It’s always fun when Hatebreed are in town; when they introduce their ‘Ball Of Death’ (instead of wall of death), the crowd bat the gigantic balls around in the blazing sun. “It’s always a privilege to play for you here,|” says Jasta. Hatebreed are always reliable and never disappoint.

NEW BLOOD

Zetra are a two piece gothic industrial metal outfit. They have an ornate back drop and pull on influences from black metal in their look to Gost, Pertubator and Gary Numan in their sound. Vocally, the band transport you to a different sphere and the variation in beats and sound make it utterly exciting.

Another band who put in a great turn on the Dogtooth Stage are Holy Wars. They create their own brand of mayhem with trigger-happy guitar work and raucous vocals. They bounce around like a demented Tigger encouraging the crowd to join in…and they do, enhancing the already great atmosphere around the place.

On the Apex Stage, Poppy makes her Download bow. She mixes clean and harsh vocals and has plenty of crowd surfers going over the top. There are danceable beats by the bucketload, and crushing riffs in swathes. In Poppy’s voice, she has a real symphonic metal vibe at times. “Hey Download…I’m Poppy,” the Boston native says coyly. Scary Mask lures you into a false sense of securing before exploding in a hail of incendiary guitars. There is also an airing of V.A.N.; Poppy’s collaboration with Bad Omens. Whenever Poppy asks the crowd jump, the collective response is effectively ‘how high?’ Poppy’s mainstage turn will definitely not be her last.

MORE FIRST TIMERS…

On the Avalanche Stage, LØLØ is making her Download Festival debut. Sporting a Union Jack vest top, LØLØ and her band get things going with 2 of us. She works the crowd like a seasoned pro – it is evident that she has a solid following already. Debbie Downer has the crowd singing along and when LØLØ cuts shapes with her band, her harem of fans scream. The vitality and fun nature of the set is something to behold; this is what live music and festivals are all about – singing and dancing with your mates and forgetting your cares. “This weekend you will see many breakdowns, but I share my mental breakdowns!” she states. Songs about ex’s and relationships appeal to those in attendance; when LØLØ reaches the end of her set, she leaves a great atmosphere with a beaming, magnetic smile on her face.

Mothica are a change of pace from LØLØ. Keeping up an afternoon theme of strong female performers, Mothica air their struggles in a more visceral and serious way. Her personal struggles pervade each passing song with the emotional connection with the crowd growing. Clear excitement is in the air; “It’s my first time here at Download…I know you’ve got that energy!” She is correct. It’s another bumper crowd at the Avalanche Stage. A cover/remix of Bring Me The Horizon’s Can You Feel My Heart sounds utterly epic.

A THRILL-A-MINUTE

In the shadow of the Download Eye, it’s a thrill-a-minute as Palaye Royale make their Apex Stage debut. They are a truly a class act with their punchy, brassy sound. Fulfilling an eight year dream to appear on the Apex Stage makes the wait for us, and the band, worth the wait. Orchestral keyboards are misleading before they explode into catchy infectious rhythms. Raunchy, crunchy riffs are fired at a relentless pace, and they even segue in Strange by The Doors. A November UK tour is a mouth-watering prospect to look forward to.

EXTREME WAYS

Don Broco pull a huge crowd; the swathes of folks in the Friends style ‘Broco’ shirts is huge. Their set is incendiary, but Anaal Nathrakh absolutely destroying the Dogtooth Stage is a complete sight to behold. Arguably the most extreme band of the weekend, they have plenty of people ready to mosh, throw horns and bang heads furiously. The crowd energy is noticed and acknowledged by singer Dave Hunt. “This is a mosh pit monster…We haven’t got much time so we’ll just push through.” You could say that about every Anaal Nathrakh song. The grind/death/black mix is absolutely savage and it is delivered with a technical ability that defies belief. Forward is absolutely massive; there is even a break from ferocious moshing for the crowd clapping along between hulking riffs and breakdowns.

Over on the Opus Stage is a one-two of two of the most seasoned festival bands on the planet; Eagles Of Death Metal and The Darkness. As gloomy skies threaten rain, replacing the searing heat of the day, The Eagles of Death Metal bring a rollicking half hour of monstrously fun songs sung joyously by the ever impressive Jesse Hughes. His boisterousness is reciprocated by the crowd who he interacts with non-stop.

GIMME A D!

There Rock n Roll party atmosphere continues as The Darkness begin their set with Justin Hawkins acrobatics. In the warmth, his shirt is soon discarded to reveal multi coloured torso. He may sing about trying to get a lost love out of his head but the music takes hold of his mind and body.  The communal, jovial atmosphere is indicative of The Darkness.

With a rain showers casting through, The Darkness show that they are a one of a kind band in inciting good times. “Give us a D…Give us an -arkness,” wails Hawkins. The boppy Longest Kiss from their latest album is fun and hits from Permission To Land never fail to hit the mark (Get Your Hands Off My Woman is still one of the best songs of the millenium). Throw in some festive cheer and a raucous I Believe In A Thing Called Love and you have a performance and a crowd fully in a Saturday night mood.

THE FLAMINGO IN THE ROOM

And so, to Saturday’s headliner; Sleep Token. It is impossible not to notice the plethora of Sleep Token shirts walking around the site all day. Clearly, lots of people are here to see arguably one of the most popular bands on the planet. Devoted worshippers have blow up flamingos down the front, and there are plenty dressed in Sleep Token attire; the whole kit and kaboodle.

Flowers and nods to Even In Arcadia have been installed around sound towers, and eerie windchimes periodically play over the PA. To start the show, a howling wind rises through the speakers. A slow thud and thump is added and a near ten minute soundscape heightens the tension in the crowd. When the sound breaks, Look To Windward opens Sleep Token’s set. The ‘halt this eclipse’ refrain is batted back from the crowd before the full set reveal shows Arcadia onstage and on the huge cylindrical screens towering above the crowd.

A pulsating light show draws us to the on stage drama as Vessel plots his way around the vast stage. With ‘caves’ in the stage set, backing singers stand atop the set. It walks the line between cool and cliché. At first, it is hard to see what people make of the band. Yes, a few people are on the move, but there are hordes of people still in attendance.

STAGE THEATRICS

Each changing light configuration and scene sections the set into an evening made up of several acts, punctuated by short interludes. An early airing of Vore is absolutely gigantic and Emergence, Even In Arcadia’s lead single, sounds glorious. Starting solo, Vessel plays keys bathed in blue light with a gentle waterfall flowing behind him. The live saxophone outro is sensational; it shows just one of the musical directions that Sleep Token explore.

Throughout, Vessel’s voice never wavers once as his compatriots thrash out the loud energetic moments. Holding a crowd of naysayers at Download Festival is not easy. Whilst some vote with their feet, much of the crowd sing along to each and every song. Alkaline, The Summoning and Granite are all highlights.

On the newer songs like Caramel and Damocles, the backing singers elevate the songs beyond their studio counterparts. Both provide massive singalongs for the crowd, trying to deliver the breakneck lyrics back at the band. It is hard to tell whether Sleep Token are actually enjoying themselves due to their anonymity, however you have to imagine that their souls must have been exultantly singing with joy.

TAKE ME BACK TO EDEN

As the set flashes by, Sleep Token deliver a brilliantly vivid and vital performance. Regardless of your percepton of the band, it is clear that Sleep Token have captured the hearts of many. Their ascension to headliners has been nothing short of meteoric; from Thread The Needle, included before eventual closer, to Take Me Back to Eden. 

A man who shared his love of the dramatic, Peter Gabriel, receives tribute with The Book of Love closing out the night as the crowd exits after an emphatic performance.

It would be folly to say that this performance had everyone engaged – there are swathes of less than friendly comments moaning about it. Quite frankly, like any good music, Sleep Token make you feel. How you engage that feeling is up to you. They strive to achieve a higher state of emotion; whether that is through crushing techy riffs or melancholic vocals, Sleep Token sit at the apex of going stratospheric. An American tour later in the year, and probably more UK dates to follow, will enable many more to worship.

For a mite over 90 minutes at Download Festival 2025, Sleep Token helped people escape their personal trials and tribulations, big or small. When the World is generally blanketed in misery, music is a form of escapism; let those who are fans enjoy it and bask in it. When do you ever get three headliners that you love?

Check out our review of day one at Download Festival, here.

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

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