Review by Sheri Bicheno for MPM
Its another fantastic year for Download Festival fans as the 2026 Edition sported not just a killer line up – but also way more to do and see.
This years line up saw Limp Bizkit headline Friday with Cypress Hill, Halestorm, Cavalera, Pendulum, Electric Callboy amongst the day. Then Saturday nostalgia set in for a huge set by Guns n Roses, supported by Trivium, Babymetal, Architects, Behemoth, Blood Incantation and much more!
Sunday closed the weekend with Linkin Park, Bad Omens, Ice Nine Kills, Creeper, Scooter, Mastodon, Tom Morello and so much more to see!
On top of the amazing selection of bands and artists, this year fans could go and check out much more in District X with a mini skatepark, photo booths, with a lot of traders set up here and rocking out for the weekend.
Raven Records and Nox of York made an appearance amongst the traders which was a really fantastic touch to the weekend.
Plus, one of my favourite make up brands, Jolie Beauty had a set up in the Press Garden and were offering touch ups throughout the day and the new range honouring Download Festival plus the gorgeous other selections.
This shows that Download Festival are actively supporting small businesses and businesses that are building their way as a vital piece of the puzzle within the UK music industry – and it’s a majorly welcome sight to behold.
You may also remember, back in the day, one of the most iconic London rock and metal bars nestled in the heart of Soho that was once brimming full of people, good music and great drinks – our much missed Crobar.
You can imagine my utter glee at strolling into the new set up of the Avalanche Stage area and seeing that The Crobar has made an appearance at Download Festival as its own outdoor bar.
Naturally, it was jam packed.
New food and drink options and new things to go and experience this year – and the Avalanche Stage set up further back to where it’s normal place is, just made things feel a bit bigger.
I feel like Download listened to fan feedback as there were much more seating areas, shaded areas from the sun and better provisions for queues and better accessibility facilities for those with access wristbands.
So now… onto Day One!
Friday saw the glorious sun and heat clear away any damp from the rain all day Thursday.
Heading to the Opus Stage, British alternative metallers Caskets inject some stunning atmospherics within a metalcore meets electronic style.
The Only Heaven You Know is stunning in its live setting, kicking off with colliding riffs and heart wrenching synth keys upon James Lazenby’s drums that draw you right in.
Matt Flood has a vocal range that completely breaks into your core. With some melancholic cleans and beautiful high end screams that soar through you and spin you right round.
Back after 3 years of last playing Download, the whole band beams as cheers come from the crowd.
Fan favourite Glass Heart sees the crowd singing along to the chorus and clapping along to the beats whilst Lost In Echoes is beautiful and haunting.
This one is ultimately one of my favourites from the set… its energetic roots within the way Caskets reach your heartstrings just create such a bubble around you where there is nothing but you and the band in the moment.
Staying at the Opus Stage, a huge roar emerges from the crowd.
“Whats up? Someone told me that if I tell you to mosh, they’ll cut our set. They clearly have no clue who we are right?”
Visceral and full of raging energy, Paleface Swiss bulldoze into their set and come to annihilate.
Hatred kicked off the set and showed no mercy.
Zelli spews absolute vitriol with some of the most insane vocals that give snippets of Slipknot’s IOWA era. Between the pure spite, the absolute filth of Yannick, Tommy and Luigi laying down grooves and beatdowns that are chugged out from this set, its going to be hard to go over the bar of how monstrously heavy these guys have the way for Download.
The crowd jump on Zelli’s signal and its a sea of carnage of headbanging and moshing bodies.
Best Before: Death invites crowd interaction of chanting back to the stage and sees a circle pit forming right in front of the pyro roaring to the air. A brutal but absolutely stunning breakdown lays waste to the track and causes utter destruction to the pit below before descending into melancholic Everything Is Fine.
“This one gets me through a dark time” Zelli addresses the crowd.
As such a contrast to the dark and heavy weights Paleface Swiss blast into your soul, this is a whole other side to dark and heavy that they deliver.
A powerfully vulnerable, stunning and haunting offering, in it’s live setting you’re caught up in a vortex of despair, emotionally charged riffs that collide with beautiful clean vocals to let you soak in the soundscapes and message of this moment.
“Show me what the big famous Download can do!” Zelli roars and makes a nod to British Geezacore outfit PINTGLASS with their rendition of the Stella FC song before ripping into Please End Me.
This delivers Zelli’s chanting rap growls and gutturals entwined with the deepest chuggiest breakdowns that would melt your face off. Luigi’s pure skill behind the kit shines here hugely – the tech infused groove meets blast beats are heavy as anything and smash against the riffs and chugging bassline like a mallet to granite.
My second time seeing Paleface Swiss and I cant emphasise enough the amount of pure visceral energy and utter bone crushing heaviness these guys display. One of my favourite beatdown / deathcore bands to watch!
Staying on the Opus Stage, British horror rockers Creeper put on a show that had everyone mesmerised.
Mistress of Death is a gothic theatrical offering that oozes a sexy and dark riff fuelled number. Something nostalgic whilst diving fang first into a modern twist of hard rock.
Will Gould was totally on fire, like a possessed ringleader, stalking and swirling the stage into a frenzy of gothic anthemic tones and powerful fury.
The whole show was packed with drama and upbeat guitar riffs wielded by Ian Miles and Lawrie Pattison blending into mysterious choral harmonies
“We are Creeper, all the way from Hell. We put out a new record last year and this is from the record.”
Blood Magick (It’s a Ritual) taken from Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death fuels into the stage with high shrieks of choral vocals before meeting Will’s lower, sultry range that would make any Billy Idol and Typo O fans weak.
Sean Scott‘s skippy bass ripples subtly beneath winding riffs and haunting organ keys that outline a soaring atmosphere taking you on a ghost train ride.
Headstones also taken from the new album served as a punky intro as Will called for a circle pit.
With anthemic notes running through the chorus and catching guitar solos that are quite frankly, mindblowing.
Catching the essence of old school rock and punchy beats with a modern and sultry anthemic stamp on it – is excellent songwriting. And in its live setting, Headstones is clearly a fan favourite with the lyrics and pits heading back to the stage.
With Prey For The Night giving Meat Loaf theatrics and The Black House delivering an operatic vibe with spooky keys providing the backbone, Creeper spin through some of the new album tracks which prove to be hugely popular, we’re linked to the finale taken from 2023’s Sanguivore album in the shape of Cry to Heaven.
Shrouded in 80’s style keys and synths with choral vocals and Hannah Greenwood taking centre with her powerful notes, the last stop of the ghost train halts at Will seemingly losing his head…
Which was later found at their second set at the Dogtooth Stage!
Heading over to the Avalanche Stage, Californian hardcore meets punk outfit Drain took to the stage with unforgiving energy.
Feel The Pressure came at you like an absolute brick to the face with some filthy riffs and Pantera-esque meets Testament thrash vibes.
Chuggy and full of venom, the riffs are wielded by Cody Chavez to reflect the sting of Greg Cerwonka’s bassnotes.
Vocally, Sammy Ciaramitaro delivers a spiteful range with hardcore crossing with thrash shrieks. Tonnes of groove beatdowns and skippy riffs adorn the stage and pummel into the chugging basslines of next track Stealing Happiness from Tomorrow.
Heavy and utterly full of breakdowns, this is a track to get your head so far into the floor, whiplash is imminent.
Tim Flegal has expert drum technique that displays in this live setting – blast beats combine with groove pummels and tempo changing sections to deliver some of the filthiest breakdowns of the day.
Heading back across to the Opus Stage and I’m hella excited for Periphery.
Starting with the live debut of Mr God from latest album A Pale White Dot just released in May, a djent infused riff hurls into the crowd with huge blasts of the kit paving the proverbial slabs of heaviness into the mix.
Spencer Sotelo grafts a critical pitch that growls and gnashes through the chuggy bass notes and blasting beats which delivers a rage inducing yet enigmatic tone.
The melodics amongst the carnage is a beautiful chaos and gives way for harder and deeper beatdowns that sees the crowd pit open up.
Another track from A Pale White Dot makes its debut appearance in Everyone Dies Alone.
Slightly anthemic but caught up in the chaos of djent and groove intricate riffs and beats smothering the centrepiece of this track, there is so much going on here underneath too.
Misha Mansoor and Mark Holcomb add in a subtle atmospheric soundscape underneath their colliding guitars and a small injection of programmed synths to highlight some beautiful yet sombre diversity into the track.
A track with deep rooted meaning that addresses grief whilst the world continues on, Spencer’s vocal tips from clean and commanding to blistering roars.
The guitar solo here is absolutely stunning and grabs you into the centre of the moods that are bursting out of the seams.
“Lets get heavy baby!”
Launching into Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre, we’re gifted with utterly visceral Wildfire.
Offering up an insanely intense inferno of pummeling drums and riffs colliding to make a monster of a live setting for this already earthbreaking track.
Heavy as granite and completely twisting from djent to progressive styles of metalcore, witnessing this track is an experience.
Layers of heavy tech riffs move with raging drums until around 3 quarters of the way into the track, a jazzy little interlude nestles in the section. Sax and keys settle the mood until Spencer brings the chorus back into reality before slamming into tech infused Atropos.
Insanely good!
Heaven on High opens up a highly emotionally charged vibe that carries us through a streak of catharsis and shows an exposed rush of sentiment and grief.
Starting soft with beautifully melancholic vibes, as we go deeper with Periphery, we end up at a raging sea of gutturals and riffs smashing against blast beats – so so many layers of emotion to this one of my favourite tracks off the new album.
Staying at Opus Stage, i catch a slice of nostalgia from my early twenties with the ever immersive Daughtry.
A smokey stage that rings out beautiful keys introduce the North Caroline hard rock legends and once they’re greeted by the roar of the crowd, they launch straight into pulling heartstrings with fan favourite It’s Not Over.
Seeing this track live just brought so many feelings flooding back that were once forgotten and I stood reminiscing my growth with Daughtry as a youngling trying to find my way in life. This is a song around the time of when we got our hearts broken and we turned to it to feel and just process.
Daughtry got some of us here through some tough times and standing here listening to my memories was quite an experience.
The crowd sang back to the stage, some really putting some oomph into it – and i suspect they were also in my shoes.
And these guys sound huger than what they did back in the early 2000’s.
The catching energy, the unity you feel listening to them is still strong.
Chris Daughtry has a beautiful clean singing voice that grips your heart and empowers inner strength whilst Brian Craddock delivers some stunning solo work on the frets.
Speaking of nostalgia, the absolute feels coursing through my bones when the 80s synths rang out and we were treated to a cover of Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey.
Still holding the essence of the track but glowing it up with harder riffs and powerful vocals, this was a welcome offering as the whole crowd around me sang back to the stage and no one was still.
Heavy Is The Crown serves as a striking and melodic anthem, uplifting yet a poignant reminder that struggles with mental health is very much present in society.
Keeping to the Opus Stage, I’m always so excited and eager to see rock giants, Halestorm smash their set time and again.
Having interviewed and seen these fantastic people play a few times, each time is better than the last (don’t ask me how that’s possible).
Against the stunning backdrop of Everest’s album art, anticipation sets before Arejay Hale takes to the stage loaded with a big grin. A melodic key rings out as the others follow – all smiles to the roaring crowd before we’re launched into some face melting riffs and huge drum beats that come from Fallen Star – the first track on the newest, prominent album Everest.
Lzzy Hale has, without a doubt, one of the best voices in modern rock of today… and she puts her absolute soul into her tremendous range.
Storming guitar riffs between Lzzy and Joe Hottinger burst throughout the track in epic soundscapes and twisting solos whilst the very full field of people move and jump to the beats.
Lzzy holds one of the longest notes known to man held in the penultimate of the song and stuns everyone.
I Miss The Misery is one of the most enduring fan favourites with soaring riffs, a huge chorus, and huge vocals all show a growing empowerment throughout the track. Paired with an outstanding solo, this has everyone around me dancing and moving about, screaming the lyrics back to the stage.
“Download, we love you!” Lzzy addresses the crowd. There’s always an air of good vibes around Halestorm and their following. Upbeat, positivity and a safe space to be who you are.
Tearing through energetic bangers Love Bites (So Do I), WATCH OUT! and I Get Off dedicated to the ladies in the crowd, we’re first to witness in the UK the collaboration with I Prevail, song can you see me in the dark?
A different tone shimmers throughout this next offering from previous listening.
Taking on a dynamic metalcore fit but never straying from the signature Halestorm aura, witnessing this one was so much fun – headbanging, the stage chemistry was immense and the melodics were intense whilst bleeding into upbeat moments – some killer blast beats from Arejay.
Next, a cover of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance taking form in an energetic riff fuelled rendition and so much fun!
Rain Your Blood On Me see’s another Everest track come forth and show how more dynamic Halestorm are becoming. A slower starting, powerful and striking track, Lzzy’s vocals are commanding and stretch to high, empowering notes.
Arejay wields the kit with forceful beats that drive the mood of the track into an almost doomy shimmer before storming into the bassnotes of Josh Smith and bestowing groove infused sections lacing through the song.
It’s a singalong track with the chorus being shouted back to the stage – one of my favourites to watch!
Halestorm are nothing short of incredible and always create an atmosphere full of fun, vibrancy and inclusion whilst being one of the best, most immersive rock bands on the planet.
What a time to be alive!
Time to go catch the sea of red caps to the Apex Stage and this is one I’ve been hoping to see headline at Download for many, many years.
It goes without saying, growing up with Limp Bizkit deeply rooted into my core of memories and being a staple part of growing up with music has helped shape the person I am today.
Witnessing them was always going to be an experience.
Following from 2024’s Download, this year returning as headliner got everyone pumped, and the main stage arena was one of the busiest times I’ve seen.
The only fall was that not very long ago bassist Sam Rivers sadly passed away and tonight he and also departed long time driver, Dougie Miller were honoured.
Tonight Richie Buxton took on bass and he absolutely did every note justice. Big up to Richie. He smashed it.
With a backdrop of a photo of Sam and Dougie with the crew, the intro of No Fuck To Give by King Willonius sets up the mood before Fred Durst strolls out and takes in the scene.
Dedicating the night to Dougie Miller and Sam Rivers, the iconic guitar riffs for Break Stuff calls out for carnage about to happen.
“Are you ready to party with us? Get up, get up… GET THE F*CK UP!”
And suddenly the whole arena explodes.
Bodies flying everywhere, bottles yeeted into the sky, someone’s shoes make it into space and the pits are going HARD.
Shouting lyrics back to the stage, everyone is submerged into the mood that Fred sets with his charismatic ability to take 90,000 people and make their space a spectrum between chill, cool as a cucumber and going heavy as hell.
Beyond Fred’s chill demeanor and vibrant performance, the remaining band members demonstrated exceptional dynamics.
Wes Borland is one of my favourite nu metal guitarists – donning an all black outfit with a full mask, he riffs his way through Break Stuff and as the breakdown comes in, the whole stage jumps in time with the chaos of the crowd.
The nostalgia and party vibe caught everyone moshing together, dancing together, vibing off strangers and screaming the lyrics at eachother – what a way to unify people.
Ripping through My Generation, Livin’ it up and Bring It Back, Fred introduces a collaboration on stage with Lauren Sanderson, an artist he came across on Instagram after she sent him her track Come Say Sum and they reinvented it as a duo.
Lauren ran out, beaming and completely threw herself into a collab of Hot Dog.
What a vibe!
Nookie sent the crowdsurfers into orbit with so many bodies being ferried down to the front and for Full Nelson, Fred picked out 4 ladies from the crowd in red caps and gave them a mic to get involved.
John Otto has never rested on his laurels here for the utter precision he wields on his kit.
I think he’s wholly underrated as a drummer – his ability to make with the smash and beat and put them into a whole mash up of genres – rap, groove, nu metal and just knock your block off soundscapes whilst churning out chaos is quite unrelenting.
“Hellooooooo?” Fred plays with crowd and is met with a huge roar.
Dad Vibes got with one of the more recent tracks and is a catchy vibe with more focus on Dj Lethal kicking out his skills on the decks to the forefront instead of alongside the metal injections of the other tracks.
Limp Bizkit brought their dancers in for Rollin’ and we and everyone around me joined in on the Rollin’ choreography that, lets face it, we all grew up doing.
With the lyrics on the backdrop of their set, everyone that was new to Limp Bizkit (as nearly 3 decades of listening to them – you gotta acknowledge that there are now youngsters only just getting into these guys!) made it easy for them to join in and experience the same thing we all did in our younger days. The energy is just as feral though Limp Bizkit over the years have become so much more mellow as people as the years roll on.
Cover of George Michael’s Faith that was out pretty much when Limp Bizkits’ career was taking off in Three Dollar Bill Y’all was amazing to witness and Behind Blue Eyes by The Who had me in tears.
Sadly someone in the crowd needed help, Fred cut the set and made sure they got medical attention – and I’ve said it before but this is something I absolutely adore about some of the artists out there. They make sure people are safe, no matter how feral things get.
After the all ok, finishing on the second helping of Break Stuff ended the main stage on party mode, banter with security and making sure it’s a night to remember.
Bucketlist moment ticked.
Catching the last few moments of the almighty Cavalera in hindsight, I should have foreseen would have been want to keep partying.
Black Sabbath’s Symptom of the Universe covered by these guys was an exceptional way to honour the late Ozzy.
Being a long time fan of Sepultura and Cavalera Conspiracy, witnessing Chaos B.C as a send off to a killer friday was the cherry on top of the cake.
Full of brutal remixes and the carnage of Max’s roaring vocals and Igor and Travis’s soaring riffs combining with Igor’s pummeling beats, this felt like a heavy metal rave to send you on your way to carry on partying in District X.
First day done and its set the bar for the rest of the weekend!
Photography by Pete Key for MPM
No Photography for Limp Bizkit
