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MYSTERIOUS: Download - You Need To See This

"Be you and be confident in that. It doesn’t mean being a bitch." Amy Lee reflects on 20-plus years of Evanescence, collaborating with everyone from Bring Me The Horizon and Poppy to Tyler Bates, and why the band were never goth

Evanescence are in a better place than ever, but Amy Lee isn't about to slow down

Metal Hammer

“If it wasn’t us, it would’ve just been someone else, because there are so many great female-fronted bands”: Linkin Park react to becoming first band with female singer to headline Download festival

The nu metal hit-makers, now co-fronted by Emily Armstrong, closed the Donington weekender on Sunday

Metal Hammer

The 10 bands who won Download festival 2026

From historic headliners to exciting new bands, Download 2026 was one for the books. Here are the 10 best sets from this year's festival

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"She might have been crowned Miss World Chile, but we could be seeing a future death metal queen." Chilean extreme metallers Decessus made a hell of a first impression at Download festival

Decessus - the Chilean death metallers whose vocalist was crowned Miss World Chile - make their UK debut at Download 2026

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Emily Armstrong just made history with Linkin Park at Download - and they made it one hell of a celebration

Download's most significant set of 2026 ends the festival on a massive high

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I went to the UK's largest rock festival to see its one and only videogame band

The Primals took to the stage at Download Festival in their first non-Fanfest appearance outside of Asia.

PC Gamer

Architects' chaotic Download set suggests that the festival's second biggest stage might need a rethink

A frustrating stop-start affair undermines what should have been a celebratory show

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We've waited over two decades for a Trivium Download set that could match their legendary 2005 show. We might have just got it

Trivium shrug off some windy restrictions to put on a show worthy of the famous 2005 set that made their name

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Guns N' Roses' bloated Download headline set is a slog, but when they lock in, they still remind everyone why they're one of the greats

Shave an hour off this set and we could have had something special

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"This is the experience Babymetal have wanted to give fans for a decade." Download's most cursed band finally bring the show we've all been waiting for

Sunshine, riffs and bops: Babymetal finally shake off their Download curse in style

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"It seems pretty evident that he's going to be a major player very soon. We might have a star on our hands." Merging grime, metal and buckets of charisma, Native James showed Download he just might be the future of alternative music

Metal Hammer

"With such sheer star quality, it feels like they're lining themselves up for headliner status." Flames, confetti, screams and Lady Gaga: Halestorm's Download set is a rock 'n' roll masterclass

Could Halestorm headline Download one day? This set certainly suggests they could pull it off

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"This band's potential for absurdity, partying and fame appears uncapped." Electric Callboy show Download why they're the modern metal scene's ultimate party band

Electric Callboy draw a huge crowd and make the most of it with a bangers-filled, dancefloor-baiting set

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Download might be the home of rock, but Pendulum and Cypress Hill just showed why the festival is wise to mix it up a little

Drum 'n' bass and hip hop might not seem like obvious fits for Download, but Pendulum are now Donington veterans - while Cypress Hill's world class set was long overdue

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23 years after they pulled out of the first ever Download, Limp Bizkit finally headline the UK's biggest rock festival - and they absolutely smash it

Metal's biggest party band bring the ruckus to Donington on Friday night

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From Metallica surprise shows to Slipknot triumphs, these are the 13 greatest Download festival sets ever

For over two decades, Download has been the premiere rock and metal festival in the UK. These are its finest moments

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Rail firm bans Download festival-goers from bringing wheelie bins full of beer onto trains: “While it might seem like a great idea, it just isn’t safe”

“Our teams will be on hand at stations to support customers and help them complete their journeys, without their bins or trolleys, as smoothly as possible,” says East Midlands Railway

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“People say they hate them, that they’re ruining metal, but it’s not a battle. They mean a lot to people, so why is that a bad thing?”: What happened when we met Sleep Token’s fans at the biggest show of the masked cult’s career

Last year, we descended upon the Download festival field and got to know the rabid following behind the metal sensation

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"I’m not indoctrinated anymore." How weird masks, wild rallies and big choruses helped President became one of metal's hottest new bands

From an overpacked tent debut at Download Festival to sell-out shows across the Atlantic, President are quickly becoming one of metal's biggest new bands

GamesRadar

Thal's balls, Final Fantasy 14's beloved in-house rock band that's made up of Square Enix devs is playing one of the UK's biggest festivals

The Primals will be playing Download 2026

PC Gamer

Final Fantasy 14's in-house rock band is heading to one of the UK's biggest music festivals and it feels like my two main friend groups meeting for the first time

The Primals are coming to the UK, baby.

Metal Hammer

Metal, pop punk, Final Fantasy and Miss World Chile: the list of new bands joining Limp Bizkit, Guns N' Roses, Linkin Park and more at Download this year has a lot going on

The UK's biggest rock festival just got bigger as day splits are officially announced

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"I nearly died at Download Festival. When I took that mask off it was like upturning a bucket." From a panic attack in a Rolls-Royce to being metal's hottest new masked band: an interview with President

From an overpacked tent at Download Festival to selling out their first UK tour, President's first year in office has been nothing short of a success

Louder

Iron Maiden, Metallica, Rush, Bon Jovi and more: 26 things we're looking forward to in 2026

Over the next twelve months, rock will keep rolling smoothly forward - here are 26 ways its wheels will remain lubricated

Metal Hammer

One of Europe's biggest (and cheesiest) dance acts is going to be playing the UK's biggest rock and metal festival, Download, in 2026

Download Festival are continuing to bridge gaps between cultures in more brilliant and bonkers ways

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