Download Festival 2026: The Review – Friday
It's pretty much inarguable that Download is the biggest date within the alt music calendar, and recent years have seen the festival fully embracing it's larger than life reputation. However, with this year long sold out, it looks and certainly feels like Download 2026 is the biggest version of the event so far. Here's what went down on day one.
Unsurprisingly, and as tradition at this point, the first few days of Download 2026 have been a bit of a Drownload. Not as bad as 2012 or similar years, but even the Aussie punks Dune Rats couldn’t banish the cold and rain of the last 48 hours. Thankfully, today is a lot nicer. A bit blustery and a wet, sure, but such a thing is fitting for today’s main stage opener.
Performing a glitter-coated take on metalcore that’s in the key of vajazzled genitalia and oral sex, Scene Queen are certainly obnoxious and outrageous, but such is the point. Clearly, for those with a penchant for sexually-charged, provocative music of this kind, this is the best Download opener possible. But for the rest, judging by the reaction of today’s set, which is about 50% of the audience, this is certainly a case of style over substance. But truth to be told, whilst it’s certainly debatable that Scene Queen’s lyricism far overshadows their talent in offering an interesting take on metalcore, this is a fitting opener to a day that’s topped by Limp Bizkit. Also, saying how your family have crossed the Atlantic just for this set and having the camera pan to them prior to launching into a song called ‘Mutual Masturbation’ might be the most Scene Queen thing possible.
The obnoxiousness doesn’t stop with Scene Queen, though. Playing before a packed Avalanche Stage and flanked by a digital backdrop of a waterfowl of their namesake holding a Glock, Silly Goose are a daft yet fun proposal. Peddling a take of energised nu-metal that’s obviously influenced by tonight’s headliners in Limp Bizkit, the outrageous waterfowl may commit every nu-metal sin in the book (silly moves, provocative lyrics, a sense that this was pulled from the mid-naughties), but what makes it work is how self-aware it all is. This is groove-influenced nu-metal that knows it’s daft, silly even, but totally owns it and embodies it with a snarl. And judging from the sheer size of this audience before them, this is clearly a sentiment shared by all those watching them with a smile. The nu-metal revival wave may be met with some chagrin, but it’s impossible not to be enamoured by this lot, and should today’s reaction be anything to go by, it probably won’t be long before people start heralding this band as the Limp Bizkit of the tsunami that is this new wave of nu-metal.
Photo Credit: Download Festival
At the same time, over on the Opus Stage, Silent Planet offer something a bit more grounded in reality. Skilfully presenting tech metal that sounds akin to La Dispute meets Vildhjarta and mostly performing material from 2023’s Superbloom, Silent Planet’s approach to the genre today is heavy not just in its musical delivery, but also in its lyrical themes. Punctuating songs with speeches that draw attention to the horrific crimes currently being committed in the name of imperialism and tyranny, it’s hard not to be drawn into Silent Planet’s dystopian sound, even with the sun now blessing Castle Donington. Even with the band’s atmospheric intricacies struggling to manifest in this open-air setting, it’s a wonderful set, one that contrasts beautifully with the ignorance of the nu-metal that’s being peddled on other stages.
Back on the main stage, it’s a full return to stupidity with Hollywood Undead. Back at Download for their first set at the festival in over a decade, there’s almost a relic-like quality to the band this afternoon. Long removed from the halcyon days where writing songs about wanting to show your willy to people was considered the basis for witty wordplay, the LA rap rockers feel like they’ve been unearthed by Time Team, with the band performing a take on nu-metal that feels aged but hardly nostalgic. In fact, without their masks, this set unfolds like a bunch of middle-aged dads preaching the gospel of perversion with all the charisma of someone who sustains themselves on Monster Energy and punches walls as a form of self-expression. Sure, ‘Everywhere I Go’ gets the crowd moving, but whilst some bands from this act’s heyday have aged like fine wine, Hollywood Undead have matured like a can of Dragon Soop.
In a similar vein to Silly Goose, Vianova are a band totally self-aware of their inherent daftness. After all, you would be pretty hard-pressed to find a band fronted by a man in a furry white Cossack hat peddling metalcore that sounds like it was written by Jamiroquai that wouldn’t be self-aware. But whilst Vionava clearly have their fans amongst them today, their set is somewhat lacking. There’s a lack of punch in the air of their R&B-infused metalcore, and given how sound bleed from Hollywood Undead is less of a bleed and more of a haemorrhage at times, the Germans’ bouncy metalcore fails to land with the impact it should. It’s a shame, but still, ‘Alright, Cool’ manages to get the people beneath the canopy of the Dogtooth stage moving regardless.
Thankfully, back over on the Avalanche stage, it’s total pandemonium. After last year’s debacle that saw the majority of the hardcore bands on the bill pulling out, some wondered if Download would continue to book bands from the genre in the future. Thank god they did, though, as Drain are nothing but a total joy. With vocalist Sammy Ciaramitaro having the demeanour of a golden retriever as he stirs up the shark tank of a mosh pit, the Santa Cruz trio take the punishing styles of East Coast hardcore and infuses it with a sense of total joy that’s haplessly infectious. Even with push pitters and two steppers sharing a space, there’s nothing but total elation here. For a band renowned for their shows being utter bedlam, Drain are a band that just radiate collective optimism and glee, something that becomes inarguable with hammering renditions of ‘Nights Like These’ and ‘Who’s Having Fun’. Even with a muddy mix and security clearly struggling with the antics of both the band and the fans, this is a set that just feels perfect in every way possible.
Photo Credit: Download Festival
Back over on the second stage, Periphery, much like their most recent record, are perfectly fine. There’s nothing inherently wrong with them, but nothing shines through. Yes, their reputation as trendsetters in the tech metal scene is unarguable, but as this set points out, they are beginning to trail behind the bands they originally inspired. There’s none of the emotion of stage mates, Silent Plant, none of the chemistry like that of the band that played before them. Periphery are skilled musicians. There’s no denying that. But as the crowd before them remains mostly static with dull eyes hidden by sunglasses until ‘Blood Eagle’ lands, it has to be questioned if Periphery are influencing many today.
Meanwhile, Electric Callboy are in playing before the largest crowd a non-stage headliner has ever had here. Should anyone be looking down on this after taking off from East Midlands airport, they would probably think Limp Bizkit have come on early. But such is the Electric Callboy phenomenon. With the band looking like performers from a 1980s exercise video-based porno and with their punchy dance sound containing the right amount of cheese the Download demographic loves, is there really any surprise that they’re playing to the best part of 80K people here? And honestly, it’s hard not to enjoy this set.
Sure, some of those in crusty battle jackets may be watching this with a sneer, and it’s hard to imagine how this would go down at a Download of yesteryear, but the majority here are relishing it. A bass-backed melody of all those Kerrang classics we loved back in the day clearly makes it obvious Electric Callboy know how to pander to this audience, and with their confidence and ever-playful attitude, it’s no wonder that even the people so far back they might as well be in a different postcode are dancing along. Suddenly the conversations regarding them being future headliners don’t feel so absurd.
Photo Credit: Download Festival
It’s a return to basics over in the Dogtooth Stage, with Stampin’ Ground, mind you. Playing their time-tested metallic hardcore with the kind of effortless skill that can only come from decades in the game, the UK bruisers sound positively malicious even after all this time. There’s no forced genre dynamics, no shoehorned experimentation, no German cheese, just pure aggression. They might be playing to a crowd that feels minuscule in comparison to what came just before, but as they tear through ‘Officer Down’, Stampin’ Ground are just as powerful as they were when they performed their first Download way back in 2004.
As it turns out, Feeder are a band that everyone knows either subconsciously or not, and naturally, everyone under this canopy makes this fact very much obvious. Headlining the Avalanche Stage, Feeder may sound like an odd choice of a stage headliner, especially with their namesake being more associated with the likes of food festivals, but as they lurch into ‘Kyoto’, it’s clear they’re more than capable of holding their own in a more demanding environment such as this. Despite the majority being here just to hear the hits and songs about cars with CD players, there’s an air of impression as the band lurches into new material that’s relatively hard-hitting and surprisingly riffy.
Of course, credence has to be paid to their legacy: they’re a band that have been touring for countless years now, and no doubt know how to cater to whatever audience they find themselves in front of. But still, to hear a band such as Feeder hit with an impact as forceful as this is a brilliant surprise. As expected, though, it’s big radio singles that get the biggest reaction. The massive singalong for ‘Feeling A Day’ raises goosebumps, ‘Buck Roger’s’ ignites a bounce that can probably be picked up on the Richter scale and ‘Just A Day’, followed by a cover of Nirvana’s ‘Breed’, goes off like they just played ‘Break Stuff’ before Bizkit have the chance. A fantastic set, God knows how it took Download 22 years to get them back to Donington.
Photo Credit: Download Festival
More red caps than a MAGA rally and a collective intellect that’s been willingly turned down to be on par with one minus all the bigotry; it can only be Limp Bizkit. Arguably, the undisputed kings of obnoxious heavy music headlining Download for the very first time, Bizkit’s headline performance comes at a strange time. Whereas this band have performed at this festival many a time over the decades, their ability to suddenly headline seems to be less related to new material and more to do with a sudden resurgence of a genre many thought had finally died in the 2010’s. But lo and behold, though, nu metal is back, and suddenly Durst and co are now headlining 80K events. Could this sudden influx in size be related to the anger of the emerging generation in a world that’s beginning to rage, not unlike that of the world characterised by the forever wars of the early 90s? Maybe. Is this set good dumb fun regardless? Absolutely.
With Fred Durst looking more like Brian May than the snapback-donned man who rapped atop the World Trade Centre, a giant video wall displaying the lyrics in real time, and Wes Borland looking like a member of Sleep Token auditioning for a role in the new Christopher Nolan movie, this is an unapologetic set from a band who simply doesn’t know the meaning of subtlety. Opening with ‘Break Stuff’ before stomping through the likes of ‘My Generation’, ‘Livin’ It Up’, ‘Hot Dog’ and all the hits that characterised the radical era of the early 2000’s, this set is less of a cheap nostalgia trip and more of a full-bodied reaffirmation of the power and good-natured fun that is Limp Bizkit as an entity. Sure, their stage show may be lacking in comparison to previous Download headliners – instead of pyro, we receive memes on a video screen proclaiming how Tom Cruise loves Limp Bizkit – but such theatrics are not needed here. Instead of fireworks or anything of the like, Bizkit rely on their time-honoured craft, and it works.
The crowd, as anticipated, are utterly feral. Sadly, this does ultimately result in an extended stage stop due to a medical emergency during ‘My Way’, which leads to all energy (understandably) being sucked from the crowd. But regardless, it’s hard not to think of Limp Bizkit’s legacy come the end of this set. They may be referred to as the obnoxious big bully boys of a radical era that contrasts with the realities of the modern day, but there’s no way we would have half of today’s line-up without their cultural impact all those years back. And whilst Bikit’s presence today may be primarily down to a revival of the genre they premiered, tonight proves they’re still as fun, provocative and lovably just downright goofy as they were back in 2001.
