Download Festival 2026: The Review – Sunday
All good things must come to end, and sadly Download 2026 was no exception. Here's what went down on the final day.
We were always going to be a touch biased when it comes to today’s main stage opener. But still, there’s no denying Unpeople are utterly fantastic this morning. Riding high following the announcement of their debut LP, Unpeople sound triumphant on a stage as ludicrously large as this, with the spirited nature of the likes of ‘Overthinking’, ‘Clouds’ and unreleased belter ‘Bottle It’ effortlessly carrying the charm, charisma and chemistry now synonymous with this band. However, the most striking aspect of this set is just how at home this band seem this morning. Sure, Unpeople aren’t new to bigger stages such as this – they’ve literally opened for Metallica – but to see a relatively new band with boundless promise like this own the biggest festival stage in the world and relish it is brilliant. You better get used to seeing this band on stages this big.
Back up the hill on the Dogtooth, Private School shake off any remaining final day hangovers with all the force of a boot to the doors of Eton. Sounding akin to the early days of Linkin Park marred by the fury of Native James, this set is an unapologetic barrage of adolescent fury that carries the disillusioned rage of the emerging, albeit futureless, generation. It’s still early days for this band, especially here in the UK, but judging from the sheer number of people in this tent even whilst Kublai Khan play songs about having large testicles or something, it’s clear this band is set for a promising future even if this new wave of nu metal comes to a crest in the near future.
Back over on the Opus stage, it looks like half the festival has turned out for Dogstar. Probably not for their band’s music, though, but rather for who’s actually playing the music. Featuring none other than Keanu Reeves on bass, Dogstar are probably one of the few acts this weekend who are capable of drawing tens of thousands of punters who have never actually heard their music. But fair play, they sound alright. Performing a kind of inoffensive alt rock that incorporates motifs from Queens Of The Stone Age and Muse without the overinflated egos, Dogstar ultimately prove to be a band of musical substance that warrants their inclusion regardless of their members. It’s offensive radio fodder, and of course, many punters do wander off after grabbing a pic of John Wick for Insta, but genuinely, this band does prove to be more than its bassist, even if that’s only what they’re known for.
Photo Credit: Download Festival
Come the afternoon, it’s pretty clear that this festival has reached maximum capacity. But despite seemingly everyone under the now blazing sun trying to get into Download’s smallest tent for the not-so-secret Skindred set, there’s still a sizeable crowd gathered across site for Magolia Park. It’s easy to understand, mind you. Presenting the kind of sleek, synth-backed metalcore that seems to be all the rage on TikTok right now, the US metalcore group have the Avalanche stage eating from the palms of their hands from the offset. Granted, the videos of a 3D model anime girl demanding blood whilst waffling about vampires or something might be a bit cliché, but still, it’s easy to see why this younger crowd are loving this; it’s got all the honed hallmarks of the kind of heavy music that feels pandered to the youth. ‘Cult’ proves to be a universally enjoyable highlight though, especially with song being a hex against the facist pedo that is the US commander in chief.
Immediately following, it’s a return to the high-octane basics of punk-inspired alt-rock. Kicking off another summer spent on the festival circuit, Dinosaur Pile-Up once again show why they’re repeatedly booked to play basically every festival going each summer. This is a wonderful set of belt-along, bounce-along anthems that everyone knows, presented with breathless energy. Still, it’s important to note that Dinosaur Pile-Up aren’t pulling crowds this size just from high-rise festival touring; the boys have been grinding for years and have experienced some serious hardships. But with that in mind, such a thing only makes this set even more triumphant. New material from I’ve Felt Better blends perfectly with the all-time hits, with ‘Big Dogs’ being a highlight, and despite the trials they’ve faced, it’s impossible not to associate this band with life-affirming good times. Never let this band go extinct.
Back over on main stage, it’s Ice Nine Kills, and for a band whose main shtick is playing songs about sadistic violence, this is awfully sterile and safe. Peddling pretty and pristine entry-level metalcore whilst people in Poundland Halloween tat run about on stage pretending to kill each other, it’s clear the band are relying on their gimmick of re-enacting famous and viral horror flicks more than anything else. However, the only shocking thing about this set is just how derivative it all is. Should one remove the tat and theatrics, the only thing remaining is the kind of cliched and trite metalcore that’s been ingested and regurgitated by countless bands since the early 2010’s. For a band that takes inspiration from films about homicide and torture, this is as safe as Winnie the Pooh.
Of course, though, then there’s the closer of ‘A Work Of Art’, where the band reenact the scene from Terrifier where the titular character from the song murders a woman, rips an unborn baby from her womb, and then swings said infant from its umbilical cord. Sure, it’s absolutely daft, and arguments will be made that it’s just a playful re-enactment of a film that’s as substance-free as this set. Still, given the rampant misogyny and sexual violence in the alternative music scene, this feels tasteless at its absolute best. Regardless, it’s easy to see why this band have the following they have; they’re a gateway band. But this is still drivel nonetheless.
Photo Credit: Download Festival
At least Gatecreeper are engaging. They might be performing to a shamefully small crowd up in the Dogtooth, but it’s honestly hard to notice given the sheer amount of dust being kicked up from the the constantly spinning circle pit. Providing death metal riffs so thick and juicy that they’ll probably snap the hooks and knives from Ice Nine Kills stage getup, the US dungeon crawlers forgo all gimmickry as they rip through material from 2024’s Dark Superstition. Genuinely, this is a set that’s the musical equivalent of being run down by a tank. Sure, those longing for something a bit more dynamic and technical may be left wanting, but for those in the mood for some nasty old-school death, which seems to be most of the tent, this is perfect.
Back under the canopy of the Avalanche, security are on the cusp of having a collective aneurysm. In true Letlive fashion, it’s hard to ascertain if the crowd or the band as a collective are going the most feral, and as both security and stage hands scramble to keep the show tight, you have to ask if their attempts are worthwhile. Not that such a sentiment is an indication that this is a mess, far from it. Rather, Letlive are an act that relishes the chaos and bedlam that is a stage without laws, and this evening, they are thriving. As Jason convulses, thrashes and enters a fugue state, classic calls of class consciousness such as ‘Renegade 86’, ‘That Fear Fever’ and ‘Good Mourning, America’ drive this mostly millennial crowd into a fury. Ageing knees be damned, it’s hard not to enter a similar state when hearing these belters live with such energy and purpose.
However, it has to be said that Jason isn’t as much of a menace as you would expect here. Probably due to a stern talking to he received before stage time, as he alludes to. Such a thing isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it allows their antifascist messages to be understood more coherently without the spectacle of a half-naked man possibly falling to his death from a stage rafte- oh, never mind, he’s stripped off and climbing the stage scaffolding again whilst the stage manager screams at him over the PA. God bless this band.
Photo Credit: Download Festival
As for the Avalanche headliner, Scooter certainly kicked up a stir when they were booked. Whilst Download have recently started to book cheesy boy bands from yesterday for novelty factor, Scooter’s booking seems to be something else entirely. Let’s not forget they’re one of the biggest names in classic 90’s techno and happy hardcore; their fee certainly wouldn’t be that of a 2001 boy band well versed with the Butlins circuit. Thankfully for Download, everyone who proclaimed Scooter would be treated like nothing but a novelty must be looking daft right now.
Performing to a crowd so large that it spills way beyond the threshold of the tent and presenting so much pyro that it would probably make Rammstein raise an eyebrow, this set legit might be the most energetic and lively set of the weekend. It’s not surprising, though. Regardless of whether you’re well versed in the teachings of techno or not, everyone here, willingly or not, knows these songs. It’s impossible not to throw the guns to ‘Ramp!’ or bounce like an idiot to ‘How Much Is The Fish’. It’s clear Download knew this would be a hit with the new demographic, and whilst the old guard might not like it, expect more bookings like this going forward.
Speaking of acts that have proven controversial, it’s time for the final headliner of the weekend. Linkin Park are by no means strangers to Download, with their 2014 performance arguably being one of the best headline slots this festival has ever hosted. Of course though, the band have undertaken changes since then that we obviously don’t need to cover. But it can be noted that the current iteration of the band has proven controversial with some long established fans, with many saying the inclusion of Emily Armstrong was grounds for the group beginning a new project under a new name. Some have even said the current version of the band is an insult to the legacy of Chester Bennington. Regardless of such opinions, this is a headline set that puts to bed the opinions that the band should have restarted with a new name.
Photo Credit: Download Festival
Hosting the biggest production of the weekend and performing a set that’s defined by four distinct ‘acts’, so to speak, this headline performance isn’t one that strives to win over the unconvinced. Rather, it’s one that’s presented with nothing but confidence. As the band strides into ‘The Emptiness Machine’, ‘Lying From You’ and ‘Crawling’, Linkin Park sound just as good tonight as they did back in 2014. A large factor of this is the vocal prowess of Armstrong, who sounds utterly phemononal. Sure, she may not be the first name that comes to mind when thinking of the likes of ‘Burn It Down’, ‘A Place For My Head’ or ‘One Step Closer’, but there’s no denying she masters these tracks like they’re her own work. Judging from the crowd, which is either belting the words in unison or mauling each other, it’s a sentiment that’s universally shared here tonight. Should anyone still have reservations about Armstrong fronting this band here, they’re awfully quiet.
One element of this set that needs to be mentioned is the lack of reference to Chester. Clearly, it’s something the majority of those here spend the set expecting. And whilst some may see this as a lack of respect for the late vocalist, you have to ask, is such a thing truly needed? After all, in what world would this band reliving their biggest shared trauma improve this set. Such a thing would ultimately feel like a cheap attempt to elicit a reaction from the crowd and derail this set’s pacing, and ultimately, they don’t require such a thing. Instead, flawless performances of ‘Numb’, ‘Heavy Is The Crown’ and the final rush of ‘Papercut’, ‘In The End’ and ‘Faint’ get the frenzied reactions they deserve. In a way that’s almost inspirational, this is set from a band that is aware of its past but looks forwards rather than backwards. And ultimately, it comes to stand as a performance that mirrors this festival as a whole. Download is an event that has felt like it had been relying on its legacy for a few years pre-covid, but after this weekend, it’s clear this wonderful festival is now fully living up to the expectation of being the larger-than-life home of heavy music within the UK.
