Vol. 143
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Full Pelt Magazine
Tag: Karen Dio
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2000trees Festival
Upcote Farm, Cheltenham
8-11 July 2026
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2000trees 2026 review
Those that know, know. 2000trees Festival has gained a special place in the hearts of regular attendees and once again we headed to Upcote Farm near Cheltenham for four days of glorious musical goodness.
Last year, a heatwave tempered the enjoyment for many, but the qualities of the event still shone through. That’s ok though because that couldn’t happen again this year… could it?
The slow build of worry, fear and acceptance was tangible on social media as the forecasts solidified and we all understood that the festival would for the second consecutive year be dubbed by many as 2000degrees!
WEDNESDAY
The Wednesday of 2000trees may just be the best day of the year every year. With early attendees getting the chance to soak up intimate performances in the Word tent and on the iconic Forest Stage.
Setting up camp during a heatwave isn’t our idea of fun but that’s ok because we know we won’t be spending long in our tent! Indeed, we take the opportunity to get straight into the woods as Split Dogs get the prestige of kicking off the 2026 edition of 2000trees with a raucous set.
Music lovers are spoilt at this fabulous festival, and it’s been said before that 2000trees is a marathon and not a sprint. Dubbing ourselves Full Pelt however does push us to attempt this marathon at a sprint pace and despite the devilish heat we manage to clock up sixty-six sets across the weekend. So, strap in for our big overview!
This opening day often spotlights acts from previous years that are treated as returning heroes and on this day the likes of Karen Dio, SOAPBOX, BLACKGOLD, VENUS GRRRLS and Split Chain all get that classic Trees reception.
It feels like every year we find ourselves saying we didn’t see a bad set and this year follows that pattern. If you are astute enough, you’ll clock the sheer volume of artists who heap praise on the festival during their performances, and you can tell that comes from a place of love rather than the clichéd “you’re the best show of the tour” head pat.
What you therefore get is artists ensuring that their show is special. Early on you again sense this from Love Rarely, Bruise Control and especially the energetic Hyphen whose set is one of the rowdiest of the weekend.
As the evening sets in, more and more early attendees join in the fun and each set lives up to the hype. SPRINTS who took home our Album of the Year award last year bring ‘All That Is Over’ to the beautiful Forest setting and it feels like a match made in heaven. Equally, the platform given to Lake Malice who headline the Word tent is seized with both hands by a passionate band who have fans spilling out the tent.
2000trees sets itself apart from other events in various ways but the willingness to repeat bands across the weekend is a big one. The Dirty Nil and today’s headline band PUP will both appear again this weekend, so what we get on night one are unique performances that ensure fans are kept on their toes.
The Dirty Nil opt for a set purely consisting of covers which starts with Metallica, Cheap Trick and The Police and concludes with Nirvana, AC/DC and Thin Lizzy! PUP on the other hand choose tonight to deliver their album, ‘The Dream Is Over’ in full, which results in many a lost voice amongst the audience.
THURSDAY
It’s often said that the atmosphere is what makes the event affectionately dubbed Trees so special. We should know. We’ve said it. Often. It’s sounds corny or even contrived but it really does feel like one big family.
Part of this is the dedicated audience getting to track the progress of bands that they discover at the festival in smaller slots as they rise through the ranks. Buds. are an example of this as they open the main stage on Thursday. Party bags are issued to attendees and its all very small family gathering like despite being the main stage of a well-established medium sized festival.
This is again something that many artists touch upon from their vantage point on stage. Like Goldilocks herself is assessing the scale of the event – it isn’t too big, it isn’t too small, it’s just right!
The festival doesn’t change for changes sake. What works, works well and you’ll find a lot of food vendors and stalls in the same spots year on year. Shout out to Happy Bangers whose simple yet effective hotdogs have provided Full Pelt with our daily brunch every day for as long as the memory serves.
One change this year is the evolution of the Neu Stage into the Marshall Stage. The legendary amplifier brand has been supporting the festival for a number of years but step things up a notch this year with a refurbished stage and interactive installations including artist led screen printing and more.
This sun-soaked Thursday we catch impressive sets in this tent from newcomer Ashaine White and two Full Pelt favourites Youth Killed It and snake eyes. Marshall don’t just make amps, they back talent and across the weekend this stage welcomes some of the best on offer.
Thursday does find us darting between the different stages a lot but at 2000trees if you are that way inclined then you absolutely can. The Axiom treats us to Tooth and Coach Party and The Cave allows us to catch two acts with big momentum behind them Bleech 9:3 and the incomparable Delilah Bon.
This year more than ever, it’s a blessing that most stages are good sized tents. We endure the unrelenting sunshine on the main stage however for an engaging Melanie Baker, a blistering Saint Agnes, a good time guaranteed Mariachi El Bronx and perhaps the most puzzling set of the weekend for us from The Skinner Brothers. No longer generic indie guitar wannabees, now perhaps looking to cash in on the popularity of masked rockers. Quite the transformation and one that might take a little while for us to get our heads around.
Thankfully we get to seek some shelter from the sun back in the Forest today also with a delightful run of young upstarts DeadWax, the ferocious Native James and another of our favourites The Virginmarys. The duo are in top form and deliver a superbly crafted set that gives the fans what they want but ensures that stunning new album, ‘The House Beyond the Fires’, remains very much in the limelight.
Now, it wasn’t just the weather warnings that gave fans and organisers a shock ahead of the event this year. Alkaline Trio had been set to headline tonight as part of a European tour however just six days before the event the Trio had to pull their dates for health reasons (get well soon Matt!).
This presented an enormous challenge for organisers but one that they were able to overcome, no doubt helped by the goodwill the festival has earned. Step up Don Broco on six days’ notice to again top the bill.
With a fresh album in the bag, the band are able to deliver something different to their previous headlining slot whilst ensuring that their undeniable energy producing machine is still turned to the maximum.
The band have bangers for the days and new tracks like ‘Nightmare Tripping’ and ‘True Believers’ are already in that terrain. Fair play to the band for stepping in, stepping up and ensuring that Thursday night is party night at 2000trees 2026!
Of course, another special feature of 2000trees is what happens once the main stages conclude. There is still plenty to do into the early hours such as the legendary silent disco, special live sets in the forest using that technology or the campsite busking stages.
Thursday night we head to Camp Turner (one of many named camps that helps build that special atmosphere at Trees) to again catch Ashaine White who delivers a beautiful acoustic set that delights those lucky enough to be nearby.
FRIDAY
Somehow, we are now halfway through the festival and Friday is set to be a hot one in every sense. The temperature rises and the talent on offer just continues to soar. We begin our day with (deep breath), IOTA, Prodigal, Guillotine, Bratakus, Grandmas House, God Complex and Knives who again all clearly understand the task.
A funny moment makes us smile during Knives as a big cheer occurs when a small cloud dares cover the sun. Only for it to quickly disappear after only the briefest respite, much to the chagrin of attendees.
Despite the continued unrelenting heat, we head back to the main stage for Higher Power and House of Protection (complete with Jordan Fish cameo) who both manage to eek energy reserves from the crowd with fun sets.
Call Me Amour then pick up on this challenge in the Marshall tent and won’t take lethargy standing still. The band pull out all stops to engage the crowd who duly oblige and ensure the set is one of the best of the weekend.
The Scratch, Free Throw and Militarie Gun all then follow back-to-back and evoke varying emotions but all in a good way. It’s then the home straight for the day as a much-changed Mallory Knox return with a set of crowd-pleasers and Sunny Day Real Estate offer a rare UK appearance.
We then rush over to the Axiom for the return of Arcane Roots after eight years away. A true Trees band, the tent is packed as the Trees family look to welcome back one of their own. The atmospheric assault that is Arcane Roots sounds even bigger than ever and the crowd eat up every big riff and every soaring chorus. Some sets you just know will live forever in the memory and this was one of those.
How then do you close out this eclectic day of musical delights? A big old nostalgia session with Funeral For A Friend of course. A band with renewed vigour thanks to the addition of Lucas Woodland on vocals, the likes of ‘All The Rage’, ‘Rookie of the Year’, ‘Bullet Theory’ and ‘Juneau’ all do exactly what you’d want for the big penultimate night romp. We even get a surprise appearance from tomorrow nights headliner Ben Barlow.
SATURDAY
Somehow, it’s already the final day of the festival. Time simply flies when on the farm and this year has been no different despite the heat (have we mentioned yet that it was quite hot?).
A somewhat chilled-out morning catching sets from Ain’t, Peach, Luxury Apartments and Lakes is punctuated by two fun sets on the main stage. First another of these bands that have worked their way up the bill each year, as CARSICK make their main stage debut with a typically brash performance. Then the madcap Aussie phenom that is Battlesnake draw a massive crowd outside to witness their unique show.
Bicurious, Heart Attack Man, LASTELLE and Pinkshift keep us on the move and each showcases their abilities well. Gallus then bring some Scottish charm as they give us one last trip to the Marshall tent for 2026.
The afternoon and evening however is anything but chilled as we stare down the barrel of an incredible run of favourites spread across all the other stages. First up, Mouth Culture who back up what we saw at Download. We said then that they are going to be massive and we stand by that predication based on their main stage showing today.
As Everything Unfolds then get The Axiom moving with a set of stirring tracks including ‘Ultraviolet’ and ‘On The Inside’; and Marmozets give us a strong contender for set of the weekend on main stage. The band are still weird and wonderful and ‘Captivate You’ provides us with one of those glorious moments when you just have to take it all in and remember why you love music.
A dash back to the Forest comes next for the always brilliant A who showcase their fantastic new album, ‘PRANG’, in amongst fan favourites such as ‘Nothing’ which includes a guest appearance from The Blackout’s Sean Smith.
The XCERTS may be the Trees band. In fact, I don’t think 2000trees can legally occur without the band being represented in some way. This year they hit The Cave and perform their newly released album, ‘i think i want to go home now.’, in full. The performance is so remarkable that singer Murray Macleod is moved to tears and the audience deliver an emotional ovation. A beautiful moment from a beautiful band at this beautiful festival.
How do you top that? Dinosaur Pile-Up at the peak of their powers of course! Complete with an actual dinosaur pile-up in the crowd, and a final run of ‘Sick of Being Down’, ’11:11’, ‘Thrash Metal Cassette’, ‘Big Dogs’ and ‘Back Foot’, which quite frankly should be illegal as it’s unfair for other bands!
But oh, this magnificent final run of bands isn’t over yet and we still have a big pop-punk party to enjoy with Neck Deep. The band begin their set with ‘Can’t Kick Up the Roots’ and the don’t relent for the next hour as they ensure that the festival gets the finale it deserves.
That however isn’t the end of the night. There is a big football match happening which has been the talk of the town and the festival erect a big screen to let fans see the second half of the game.
As another reminder that there’s always something happening at Trees however, we quickly jolt to the Word tent to catch a comedy set from the brutally hilarious Jamali Maddix! We return just in time to see extra time and an historic England victory!
The celebration that ensues then morphs into the final night silent disco and if anybody has anything left then they see 2000trees 2026 off in style.
Having first attended 2000trees ten years ago it has been a pleasure seeing this festival grow. It’s been an organic evolution and despite its growth the event has stayed true to the foundations that it is built upon.
Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the festival and no doubt will see heightened attention coming its way. The question may then be how can the festival ensures that it retains its unique charm when the secret continually is getting out?
But that’s a question for later. Right now though, let’s just bask in the glory of another successful year for the best festival in the UK!
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2000trees Festival
Upcote Farm, Cheltenham
9th – 12th July 2025
Cover 📸 Joe Singh
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2000trees 2025 – the big review!
Isn’t it funny that particular years at festivals get remembered for certain things? There are years at festivals that are infamous for the weather, events revered for landmark performances, weekends fondly remembered for a special attraction, and of course those other oddities that make something memorable.
2000trees is now a staple of the festival calendar. The pilgrimage to Upcote Farm in Cheltenham has become a must for passionate fans and when something becomes routine, even a positive one like attending this great festival – our brains need something to help differentiate between each occasion.
Well, 2025 is going to be long engrained in the memories of attendees for a number of reasons which we will get into during this review. 2025 at 2000trees for now though can simply be summed up with three words – heat, Kneecap and wasps!
Yes, in amongst the endless jokes from bands about counting the trees were quips of 2000 degrees and 2000 wasps. The intense and unrelenting heat has a massive effect on the weekend; it makes everything difficult and means many will have had to tailor their expectations of what they wanted to see across the weekend.
It would be easy to write an essay on the inferno that we all survived, but all we will say is that the wonderful 2000trees community deserve all the credit in the world for banding together to ensure that the festival was still a resounding success.
We came to see some bands though, so let’s get this thing started!
WEDNESDAY
The Wednesday at 2000trees is seriously special. A relatively small selection of early birds get to make the most of the beautiful Forest stage. This stunning setting always has a unique atmosphere, but the opening night party always hits differently.
The first band on, just two hours after the gates open, are returning heroes Haggard Cat! The band have no problems in getting the crowd moving and the love they receive just goes to demonstrate the connection that this group of passionate fans build with those acts that impress at 2000trees.
Another fantastic example of this comes next as Blank Atlas hit the tiny Word stage near to the forest. Usually reserved for podcasts, comedians and kids activities, on Wednesday the Word stage alternates with the Forest Stage to give fans a relentless live music experience like only trees can. Having wowed crowds with an early morning set last year, Blank Atlas return to deliver another great slot this year.
2000trees are a rarity among bigger festivals in that appearances over consecutive years aren’t just accepted, they are expected! Wednesday is known for bringing favourites back and next is a group made of members of various trees favourites – Vower. They keep the evening building nicely, as do Buds. in the Word tent next.
It’s clear that unpeople are heading for big things and they play the first of two sets this weekend next. They take the route of not repeating any songs across their two performances and this set takes the party theme to a new level with new songs punctuated by fun covers of ‘Fight for Your Right (To Party)’, ‘Hash Pipe’ and ‘Sugar’!
Other Half, Blood Command and Meryl Streek all keep the night flowing perfectly before Panic Shack provide an early highlight and Grove Street ramp up the intensity of the crowd.
We are then treated to a special throwback set from Kid Kapichi which is poignant with this being the last festival for the original line-up. The Meffs are their incendiary selves as they headline the Word tent and Forest stage headliners Hot Milk bring their fantastic new album, ‘Corporation P.O.P.’ to life with a fun set.
As the blazing sun finally disappears, the best bit of trees can commence – the after-hours activities. The silent disco at trees is legendary and a recent addition is a live band in the forest but played through the silent disco system. Listening to 2000trees royalty The Xcerts through our headset is a very different experience and the band make the most of the setting by delivering a crowd pleasing setlist.
THURSDAY
A warm night sleep then finds us awaking to an even hotter Thursday and the first day proper of the festival. As we’ve touched on, if you are that way inclined then you can watch non-stop live music all day and we happen to be that way inclined. So, deep breath…
Hangovers be damned, first up in the NEU tent at 10:30am (yes it’s early but it’s far too hot to be in your own tent) are Terminals who like Blank Atlas before do a great job of engaging the morning zombies.
Meryl Streek follows his fantastic Word tent set with a bigger opening set on the main stage and Youth Killed It kill it with a great set over at the Axiom stage. It helps in this heat that four of the stages are tented, but Karen Dio attracts a relatively decent crowd for her bop of a set back at the main stage.
PAVÉ, HIMALAYAS and CHROMA all keep the pace going with more really fun performances. It’s already becoming clear that the standard of acts booked for trees again this year is high, and despite the hazardous conditions, each band is determined to grab their opportunity with both bands.
Indeed, across the weekend there aren’t many disappointing performances at all and that is a credit to the artists but also a testament to the regard this festival is held in. Bands want to do it justice but also know that a big performance here can elevate their career more than an early set at a bigger festival. At 2000trees they are playing to a smaller crowd of engaged fans and not a group of often disinterested attendees looking to kill time.
The continued rise of unpeople began at 2000trees and it’s marvellous to see them really thriving. As such their appearance today on the main stage feels like a crowning moment for them and the reaction to the likes of ‘The Garden’ just convince you further that this bands trajectory will see them headline this festival within five years.
Dream Nails and SNAYX are next on our watchlist before we head into the Axiom to enjoy the return of another typical trees band – Puppy. Having been away for a while, the trio get a huge reception and the likes of ‘World Stands Still’ and ‘Entombed’ remind you how special the band are.
The Hunna make the most of their first trees appearance on the main stage and you can’t help to enjoy the infectious Hyphen in the NEU tent. BIG SPECIAL sound big and special on the main stage and Kid Kapichi smash out a second set of the weekend at the Axiom stage as we head into the first evening of the full festival.
This year features five acts billed as headliners and the first of those is up next on the main stage. PVRIS are out celebrating the anniversary of their incredible debut ‘White Noise’ and songs from that album feature prominently in what is a truly fantastic performance. Lynn Gunn is an absolute star and the singalongs that the band conjure in the most intense sunshine are refreshing as hell.
2000trees continues to grow year on year and that is demonstrated by Twin Atlantic returning to headline the Axiom having previously twice headlined the main stage. Clearly bands want to play trees and the festival have a great relationship with their regulars. The crowd loves every moment of another standard set from the fan favourites.
Kneecap were a controversial booking for the festival (if that even is possible), even prior to the media frenzy that has accompanied them in recent months. Although they’ve played before, musically they were an outside choice as a headliner.
When first announced some speculated online how many (or few to be precise) would watch them. Well now they are the most infamous band at the festival and the field is packed! Easily one of the biggest crowds the festival has seen, there is a real party atmosphere amongst attendees.
The set itself feels more like a celebration of cause as much as a rousing endorsement of their musical output. It however will go down as one of those ‘I was there’ moments for 2000trees.
It’s then time to hit the full multi-stage, multi-channel silent disco again and take in another live disco set, this time from the ever-charming Dream State.
FRIDAY
Friday feels hotter still and you can certainly see the crowds really beginning to flag. Each band however still get their own personal group of fun starters and somehow the 2000trees atmosphere never wanes despite the challenging environment we are in.
Failstate and Mallavora get the early slots today and again are both able to make the most of them. EVER, Eville and Oversize follow for us and we again find ourselves locked into a cycle of mightily impressive bands one after the other.
The good times vibes are essential to 2000trees and Press Club, Youth Fountain and BLACKGOLD keep them coming as we make our way through our third day in heaven (but with the climate of hell).
We then make our way to the forest and another special feature of 2000trees. You can often catch bigger artists doing intimate things in the woods and this year we have the privilege of trees icon Frank Turner playing his album, ‘Love, Ire & Song’ acoustically in full.
Trash Boat, VENUS GRRRLS, FIDLAR and Benefits get things a lot noisier again next and all four are again in top form. As are Coheed and Cambria who attract a huge crowd to the co-headline performance. Always a bit of a marmite band, the crowd at trees welcomes them with open arms and the band get to see for themselves why this event is so special.
We’ve had a few returns and reformations at 2000trees this year, but it’s the appearance of Frank Turner led Million Dead that has garnered the most excitement. They don’t disappoint and their five-piece version sounds absolutely huge headlining the Axiom today.
The last band on the main stage today are Taking Back Sunday and whilst a fun time is had, poor sound mix, an uninspired setlist and a lack of real energy mean that they are perhaps the first band to not truly hit the spot this weekend.
Thankfully that feeling doesn’t last long because next we head into the campsites, which at 2000trees are another unique feature. Whilst the partiers will rave in the silent disco, others will find themselves at the tiny busking stages. We head to Camp Turner to catch a special unplugged performance from Cyan Kicks which is simply stunning. The beautiful set being the best way to finish the penultimate day of this special festival.
SATURDAY
With the sun still showing zero sign of giving in, the final day of 2000trees is here and Saturday begins with a really fun run of Honey Buzz, Gen and the Degenerates, Love Rarely and The Molotovs. These acts ensure that despite surreal levels of lethargy kicking in the crowd is still given a rousing slap across the face!
Perhaps though a bucket of water over the head would work better today and Bad Sign, Catbite and Daytime TV are on hand to deliver that with more enjoyable performances. Love Is Noise sadly experiences catastrophic technical problems next however and cuts his set short.
Split Chain, Employed To Serve, Anxious and Soapbox are all on hand afterwards however to reinvigorate us as we head into the final straight of the weekend. Cyan Kicks then plug themselves in and deliver another real highlight of the festival in the forest. Magical!
The set of the weekend however belongs to the incredible VUKOVI who absolutely own the main stage and elicit frenzied scenes that belie the overpowering temperatures.
Making no reference to the footwear needed by vocalist Janine due to the lava like feel of the stage floor, the charm and charisma that she possesses should see VUKOVI able to headline this event in the future. Each track sounds massive today and if the weekend had ended here, it would’ve been very fitting.
It doesn’t end here however, and we still have time to squeeze in performances from La Dispute, letlive., SPRINTS and final main stage headliner Alexisonfire. Underground favourites, returning icons, new heroes and a band made to headline trees – just a perfect reflection of what this festival is all about.
Throughout this review we’ve used the word special an awful lot to describe 2000trees and that’s because no other word does it justice. The event feels like less of a typical festival and more of a family gathering. As it continues to grow however, the event will face some dilemmas because if it grows too big it will lose the very thing that makes it so special.
Thus far, despite the growth the organisers have managed to do that. They can’t do anything about the weather or the damn wasps, but they may have some online criticism coming their way this year for car park exiting and VIP overcrowding.
That said though, the things that they got right this weekend far outweighed any issues. Every festival has issues, it’s how they are dealt with that demonstrates the passion of the organisers and you can be sure that 2000trees will ensure that concerns are listened to. Credit must also be given to the organisers for sticking by their guns and allowing artistic integrity to remain intact.
Despite the wasps, the controversy, the extreme heat and any minor gripes 2000trees 2025 is another resounding success. The bands, the atmosphere, the food, the drink, the party, the side quests, just everything about this festival is special and we can’t wait for 2026!
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Download Festival
Donington Park
13-15 June 2025
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DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2025 – the big review
After a washout of a year last year, those making the annual pilgrimage to Donington Park this year were checking the weather forecasts regularly. Would it be scorching? Would there be storms? Rain? Snow? The forecasters had us prepared for anything this weekend.
As always though as we enter the hallowed grounds of Download Festival, we are prepared to rock! For over twenty years now this monster event has welcomed the best of the alternative scene for a weekend of revelry and kickass music and 2025 on paper looks no different.
The arena itself though does look a little different. The now standard layout remains the same, but everyone is quick to notice and appreciate the upgrades in toilets and a few other little touches such as a screen outside the Avalanche Stage and the new fancy video totems on the main stage.
FRIDAY
The weather on Friday is hot, hot, hot… so it’s nice to start our weekend off in a tent! Karen Dio is a bundle of energy as she opens proceedings on the Avalanche Stage. The early crowd enjoy every moment of her short but sweet set and Download Festival 2025 is a go!
The line-up across the Avalanche Stage this week is great and features some of the best young bands on the scene. One of the most exciting is next as unpeople bring the riffs and the audience bring the party as we get into full swing today.
After a quick sojourn over to the main stage where CKY bring back memories of Tony Hawk games and teenage tomfoolery. The current line-up continues to defy the odds and as the sun beats down, they get the vocal cords of another crowded year warmed up.
There’s plenty of singing to be done next as we return to the Avalanche tent for Scottish breakouts Dead Pony. The likes of ‘MK Nothing’, ‘RAINBOWS’ and ‘MANA’ have the crowd repeating every word and the band can leave the stage knowing that they’ve smashed their opportunity.
Speaking of smashing opportunities and it’s back to the main stage for Boston Manor. Wow. The boys from Blackpool read the assignment and they understood every word. With a busy crowd, the sun shining and the beers flowing, Boston Manor deliver the biggest set of the entire weekend.
Every one of the nine tracks is delivered with passion and energy and the audience give the band everything that they have. This is just goosebump inducingly good. This set is one of those moments that you have to stand back and take in. It’s one of those moments in which a band solidifies their future and ensures that when they return, they will be playing even higher up the bill!
The run now on the main stage will become the stuff of legend and Rise Against are next up. A band who can be a little hit or miss, especially with their festival sets are fully on top of their game today. Blasting out the likes of ‘Prayer of the Refugee’, ‘Satellite’ and closer ‘Savior’, they all sound huge today and Friday is setting a tough measure to follow.
A quick trip for Trophy Eyes on the Avalanche Stage shows that the tent is still in full swing before it’s time for Jimmy Eat World to make their return to Download. Bringing in the likes of ‘My Best Theory’ and ‘Get It Faster’ helps their set to flow and of course ‘The Middle’ presents one of the biggest moments of the festival.
The nostalgic feel continues next with the ever-delightful Weezer bringing hits such as ‘Hash Pipe’, ‘Beverly Hills’ and ‘Buddy Holly’ to the main stage crowd. A Download appearance is a long overdue thing for the band and their first time didn’t disappoint.
Download Festival debuts is the Friday night theme and we can’t help but check out McFly in the Avalanche tent next. The crowd is expectedly large, if considerably smaller than Busted last year. McFly mix some snippets of rock classics amongst their own hit songs and those gathered have a whale of a time.
The biggest and longest overdue Download Festival debut however is reserved for our Friday night headliners Green Day. There is a real sense of occasion as the band hit the stage, and you feel that this is a true moment in time for the festival.
When a band can begin a performance with a run of ‘American Idiot’, ‘Holiday’, ‘Know Your Enemy’ and ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ and make a two-hour set go by in a flash then you know that they are special.
It’s not often rain is welcomed at Donington but perhaps the moment of the festival is the shower that begins with precision just as Billie Joe sings the line “…Here comes the rain again…” during ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’!
Green Day’s ability to make a packed field feel like a small venue is a gift and tonight they simply make headlining a major festival look easy. As the fireworks and ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)’ close out a fantastic day, we can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow!
SATURDAY
Friday felt big and by comparison Saturday feels a little more subdued. We have a much talked about headline set to come and there are still some exciting acts spread across the stages however.
After a mysterious gap on the Opus stage results in nothing, we start our day as Static Dress continue their ascent up the line-up by opening the main stage. They do their best to wake up a clearly hungover early crowd and can leave knowing they didn’t fluff their lines.
BEX is fully prepared to win over a docile pre-midday audience in the Avalanche stage and brings her infectious energy and a couple of “Big BEX” colleagues to get the crowd engaged. Her short set is a resounding success, and the future looks very bright for an act Full Pelt have highlighted since the beginning.
Two more such exciting young acts, VENUS GRRRLS and Split Chain sandwich some hardcore icons on the main stage. Hatebreed cause chaos with their brutal set, but it’s both the two younger acts that really show themselves as ready to step up next.
Another set that will stand the test of time and prove to be a defining career milestone is that of Poppy on the main stage. The sort of act that old school Download Festival attendees would’ve bottled relentlessly, Poppy is incredible this afternoon. Even the most hardened sceptics in the audience appear to be won over by a superb set.
AWOLNATION are our next stop off over on the Opus stage and they lean heavily on their breakthrough record, ‘Megalithic Symphony’ much to the delight of the crowd. ‘Sail’ naturally provides another one of those big moments.
Teen Mortgage are good fun in the Dogtooth tent before we catch the beginning of Smash Into Pieces on the Avalanche stage. They say dress for the job that you want and not the one you have – well Smash Into Pieces bring a show ready for the main stage and the crowd love it today.
For a number of years fans have clamoured for Don Broco to be given a logo spot on the main stage. Those fans knew that the band could own such a slot and to nobody’s surprise that’s exactly what the band do. In a similar vein to Boston Manor yesterday, the band know what they need to do today, and they simply smash it.
Shinedown next are given a big opportunity to step up to sub-headline the main stage. We remember first seeing them low down the bill in 2009 and since then they’ve worked their way up the line-up. With a performance and show like they deliver today, you wouldn’t put it past them one day topping the whole thing!
A unique experience is on offer next as festival favourite Frank Carter is back. Not with his Rattlesnakes however, nor one of his other past bands but instead with the legendary Sex Pistols! Present day John Lydon may not endorse this collaboration but a rammed full Opus stage at Download Festival most certainly does.
Speaking of unique experience, a different sort of experience is next as Sleep Token act as a beacon for all young acts that says that headlining is not unattainable. The rise or even explosion of Sleep Token is a refreshing phenomenon and the volume of their t-shirts on parade this weekend show that they deserve this shot.
They are however something of a marmite band and those that love them, really love them and if you don’t “get it” then you actively seek to tear them down. Their set this weekend will only split the crowd even more.
What it is not is the statement that Bring Me The Horizon delivered. It’s also not one of the instantly forgettable sets that have topped the bill. Musically and stylistically the band are captivating. However, those very aesthetics and the whole no audience engagement element of their mystique also make the performance quite inaccessible to those not already clued in.
It’s a shame that the performance doesn’t win universal acclaim because in some ways it needed to. The reality is though that this festival needed to evolve and bring in fresh blood and the fact that Sleep Token were given this chance and they didn’t completely fumble the ball must be seen as a win for the future.
SUNDAY
The heat and the mammoth scale of the festival looks to be taking it’s toll on the audience and the arena is relatively quiet as Sunday gets underway with the mesmerizing Harpy in the Avalanche tent.
After a downpour during Sex Pistols last night, the rain is still lingering this morning which may also mean some stick to the comfort of their tents to sleep off lasts nights fun. Orbit Culture and Archers both bring a crisp brutality to the morning air and do their best to blow away the Sunday morning cobwebs.
Before we get back into our musical entertainment, let’s shout out the food and drink offerings with the new dedicated bars and areas continuing to provide individual feels to the arena. The Guinness bar is a favourite for us and we are won over by Supermac’s who we hope will be back again next year!
Right, back to the music and we are back at the Opus stage for an always visceral Nothing More. The group only have limited time but they undoubtedly make the most of it with the likes of ‘If It Doesn’t Hurt’ showing their ability to enthral and entertain.
The afternoon phase of Sunday is then something of a mixed bag with Vower making the most of their Dogtooth slot, Jinjer doing a good but perhaps slightly underwhelming turn on the main stage, Alien Ant Farm and Jerry Cantrell both delivering alright sets that perhaps dip due to understandable lethargy from the crowd, and a superb House of Protection statement set.
As we head into the final run of bands for the weekend Spiritbox do what they need to do in their big main stage spot and Airbourne do what Airbourne do over on the Opus stage. Neither set will likely prove that memorable, but both are a good time.
The heat this weekend whilst not quite at 2023 levels is certainly a factor in Sunday feeling quite sluggish. Many fans seem exhausted and the bands on offer whilst technically sound lack the ability to grab these fans by the collar and drag them from their stupor – case in point the very good Unprocessed who play to a rather tepid gathering in the Dogtooth tent.
It takes a firm festival favourite like Bullet For My Valentine to get momentum building again and the fans are treated to another run through of their seminal album, ‘The Poison’. Frontman Matt Tuck has never made any bones about his desire to headline, and he makes another bold proclamation at the end of their set. Up until recently you’d have probably laughed this suggestion off but with the band regaining their own momentum and the festival in a new era it’s entirely possible.
Another Welsh group reclaiming their past glories is Kids In Glass Houses and we catch them closing out the fantastic Avalanche stage for the weekend with a crowd-pleasing set.
Then there was one left. Closing out the entire festival are the band that Bullet will be hoping to emulate – Korn. A prime example of a band who lost out when Monsters of Rock died. If a Donington event had existing when Korn were at their peak, then perhaps they would’ve topped the bill before now but at last in 2025 it’s happening!
It seems that every single person at the festival wants to see the band take their opportunity with both hands and that love from the audience erupts as the opening echoes of ‘Blind’ ring around the arena.
A simplistic but effective production means that the band let their songs speak for themselves and as they blast out ‘Here to Stay’, ‘Got the Life’, ‘Clown’ and ‘Did My Time’, the band and audience find themselves in a combined state of euphoria.
A splendid outing for rarity ‘Twisted Transistor’ is a highlight but by the time they bring everything home with ‘Freak on a Leash’ the band have solidified themselves as bonified headliners at a festival that they are synonymous with.
There is perhaps no better way to finish the weekend and close the chapter on another Download Festival. This year’s will last long in the memory and is up there with the best. For the diehard attendees, Download Festival is their diary marker that they plan their year around. So the question now turns to who will make their mark next year?
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