A First Timer's Perspective
My first time attending Download festival
On June 10th 2026 I embarked on my journey to the hallowed grounds of Donington Park to attend Download festival for the first time. I went into this experience not fully knowing what to expect- I had a vague idea, but this environment was very much fresh for me
After getting off the coach I started the trek to camp, first stopping to collect my wristband and have my bag checked. Oddly enough, no bags did actually get checked and I walked straight through which made the process much quicker all while being a bit unsettling. After that pitstop, the real trek began.
I was camped at the very top of purple camp and to those who know, that hill is BRUTAL. I will definitely have to hit the gym to make the walk easier next year because it was worse than anticipated- especially with the weather conditions we were dealing with. After making it to the camp and setting up, I took the time to meet my campmates and have a couple drinks before having to head out to the village to collect the essentials I had ordered from Fat Franks camping shop; an arguably easier journey because I didn’t have to go up and down that evil hill again… That was until I had to go to the toilet.
Surprisingly, the toilets actually weren’t that bad for the whole weekend and I found them to be very clean and well stocked, this being said, I cannot speak for the toilets in other campsites. The biggest nightmare was making it back to camp in one piece. Due to the rain we had, the ground had become that akin to a swamp and I had to try so hard not to slip over walking to and from the toilets, which was up and down the hill. It was an absolute nightmare as someone who has a small bladder. That first day was fairly exhausting so I spent that first night at camp with a few other stragglers who didn’t go to the village. I had a few drinks and somehow ended up becoming a trusted adult which was pretty funny. I now also know too much information about these people which should’ve been kept private… The night ended fairly early for me due to exhaustion, but this was just the beginning of the chaos that would later ensue.
Thursday was an early one, somehow I was up before 9am and only slightly hungover which was a win. The rain hadn’t ceased and it was also incredibly windy which instilled a fair amount of fear in people. Tents were reinforced and nothing bad happened thank god, but others were not so lucky. Many gazebos were lost and you could go through seeing the structure of what used to be. That morning staff were also telling groups to take down gazebos too in order to make space for Friday arrivals, campsites had already filled from Wednesday alone. I had my electrolytes to fight the hangover with a flapjack and got myself looking half decent before sitting with the rest of my campmates and started drinking- admittedly this was the beginning of the end for me.
The morning was fun and fairly laid back, we had some laughs before I had to jump ship and meet my friends in the village. This is when I realised I had made a grave mistake and my head was spinning before midday, not something I recommend at all. I managed to meet my friends in one piece, got fed a pastry which surprisingly fixed me- well the spins at least. We visited the megastore and bought some merch where I spent a decent amount of money, not as much as I had anticipated though so I am proud of myself for that. It was crazy seeing how quickly pieces had sold out though, many of the items I wanted to buy were gone. The lines were also something to note with how long they were and the length of time people were waiting.
We headed up to the main area of the village after and met some more people whilst enjoying ‘James B. Partridge’s Primary School Bangers’ from outside of The Doghouse which was incredibly entertaining and nostalgic. I bought some Korean chicken after being put on by a friend, it was very much needed and very enjoyable. The portion was quite good and the price wasn’t too bad either, I really hope they make a return next year.
We kept close to The Doghouse and enjoyed what was going on from the outside. The tent was packed for Electric Six, but we got to enjoy them from the back before having a wander and looking at all the other vendors in the village. Unfortunately I didn’t buy anything, but there was a large range of clothing, accessories and trinkets. We made our way back to The Doghouse to watch more of the DJ sets before watching 5ive- again the tent was absolutely packed and we had to watch from the outside, but that one was another fun set to watch. After they had finished we had a little boogie with more DJ sets before it was time to settle down.
A couple of us had some crumble which really hit the spot when you’re intoxicated and shivering, it was sweet, warming and incredibly filling too. From there it was time to head back to camp .I said goodbye to my friends because they had camped elsewhere and I got myself in my pyjamas before hanging out with my campmates again until it was time to go to sleep. Getting to sleep was a struggle because of how cold it was; I knew it would be a bit chilly, but I did not expect to still be freezing whilst layered in fluffy pyjamas, a hoodie, and thick socks all whilst I was wrapped in a blanket and sleeping bag. I will be better prepared for 2027.
First arena day! Friday morning was a stark contrast to the night before, I woke up absolutely baking in my tent and had the worst hangover of my life- serves me right for consuming god knows what the night before. I crawled out of my tent in such a state and did what I could to rectify the situation which only slightly worked, this is what also made me vow to not drink for the rest of the weekend. Before getting ready to head to the arena there were two missions: get showered and eat a proper meal. I initially debated on paying for the refresh retreat package this year, but I am glad that I saved my money because the showers in the village were actually very good.
The changing rooms were communal; very similar to the PE changing rooms at school in my opinion, only with less judgement and humiliation. The showers hit the spot as well with strong water pressure and the right temperature, after two rough nights of sleep it gave me some hope to carry on. Next stop was food. I opted for a sausage and egg roll with some hashbrowns which was just what I needed in my haggard, yet refreshed state. After balance was restored it was time to head back to camp to get ready for a long arena day ahead of us.
I completely underestimated how long the walk was to get to the arena, but overall it wasn’t too bad. I got in just before Hollywood Undead came on and got briefly settled to watch their set. This set was very fun to watch and I thoroughly enjoyed it, nostalgia really smacked me in the face when listening to them play ‘Bullet’ and ‘Everywhere I go’ because they were playlist staples for me back when I was in school- although saying that I can admit that those songs were not appropriate for 12 year old me.
The next band I watched was Creeper who were playing on the Opus Stage. I had already known what to expect from them because I had previously seen them in 2018 and attended the ‘Sanguitour’ only two months prior and really enjoyed that show too. These guys really know how to put on a show from the music to the stage presence, not to mention the theatrics on top which really tied the set together. The guillotine coming out at the end to chop off Will Ghould’s head was a huge shock to everyone watching and became a much talked about moment that weekend. Still in awe from this set, I headed back over to the Apex stage where I settled for the rest of the day. I did want to watch other bands on other stages, but it was quite difficult to navigate the arena later in the day due to how busy it was.
Pendulum played a brilliant set and I enjoyed them more than I expected, I do think points were definitely added because they brought out Rou Reynolds from Enter Shikari to play their remix of ‘Sorry You’re Not a Winner’, this definitely put the crowd in their element and it was beautiful seeing thousands of people clap in sync. When this set was over I managed to find some of my friends, we had a brief period of time together before I handed off my belongings so I could go in the pit for Electric Callboy.
This band was one of my favourites from the whole weekend- they had the energy, the visuals, the pyro, overall very fun to watch. I had an amazing time and I cannot wait to see them again on their upcoming ‘Tanzneid’ tour, I don’t think I could ever get tired of them and definitely see them as a future headline at Download, they already have Bloodstock on the cards for them next year so we can see what happens later on down the line. The crowd itself was also brilliant, they really came through with the energy and added another level of fun, I only had one issue and that was the smoking of cigarettes in the pit. I don’t have anything against those who smoke, but I didn’t enjoy having to dodge people around in order to try and not get burnt.
Cypress Hill was next on the bill and managed to get reunited with my friends and possessions after exiting the Callboy pit. This was more of a chilled set in my opinion, I did enjoy it and even had a little dance, but I don’t think I would see them again anytime soon. This set did lead to the arena developing a herbal smell though… If you catch my drift. Next on the agenda was a refuel where I paid £14 for a stingy portion of BBQ pulled pork and chips which did the job and provided enough energy for the rest of the night.
Limp Bizkit were Friday’s headliner and they were brilliant. They came through with an incredibly stacked setlist, opening and closing with ‘Break Stuff’ as well as playing many of their hits such as ‘Hot Dog’ which they brought out Lauren Sanderston for, ‘Nookie’, and ‘Rollin’. I would really love to see this band again, they are incredibly fun and really do get the crowd engaged. I will admit that I did hear ‘Break Stuff’ too many times that weekend and had to temporarily withdraw it from my music queues…
Friday night in the village was a different story than a packed arena day and led to a very late night. We headed up to The Doghouse where we ended up spending the rest of the evening, various dj sets were on before Dick and Dom took the stage at midnight for their DJ set- it was absolutely packed so yet again we were stood outside taking in what we could and overall it was really fun to watch. Chop Suey was back on after they had finished The Doghouse cleared out a bit which gave us a view for Creeper’s DJ set. As much as I love the band, I didn’t enjoy their DJ set, I found that the mixing wasn’t very cohesive and fell short in many places unfortunately. We left that one slightly early to scope out what else was going on in the village.
Alas we didn’t get too far because one of my friends injured themselves which led to the night ending in the med tent. The staff there were brilliant and had a wonderful sense of humour, but luckily we were only in there for a couple of hours before we made the trek back up to camp. It was unfortunate, but it was beautiful seeing the village empty with the twinkle of the various lights and sky lightening over the horizon.
Saturday had a slow start, but I made my way down to the arena for Black Veil Brides and got set up with my friends. Black Veil Brides played a phenomenal set and Andy Biersack really knows how to command a stage. I didn’t know a lot of their stuff, but I had a blast singing along to the hits that made my playlist as a teen. I do need to listen to them a lot more because they are definitely a band I would love to see again. They really brought the nostalgia with them and I came out a fan, their newer stuff was brilliant and really gave insight of what to expect with their latest album.
Babymetal were up next. I do love them and listened to them quite a lot when they first debuted but ‘Bunnyman’s Bunnychow' did become a priority. I unfortunately don’t have much feedback on this set; I can talk about the food though. I paid £15 for the Bunnychow and I found that it was incredible value for money. I opted for the mild meat Bunnychow topped with sour cream- this is essentially chilli in a bread bowl topped with the innards which had been turned into garlic bread. I enjoyed it very much, unfortunately I couldn’t finish it though because the portion was huge.
After eating we walked around for a bit to allow our food to digest and explored the area around us. Fortunately for my bank account, no money was spent at any of the vendors despite seeing some really cool pieces.
It was time to reunite the rest of the group and get settled to watch Trivium, this was another band I was really excited for and had heard so many good things about. They really did put on a show and were incredibly captivating. From heavy riffs to strong vocals mixed with the insane pyrotechnics, I was in awe the whole way through. I didn’t know too many songs of theirs, but that did not stop me from having an amazing time and I would really love to see them again in the future. At the time of writing this they have announced a tour for April next year co-headlining with In Flames, I may go and see them but unfortunately tickets are incredibly not within my budget.
My Saturday headliner was Architects and it seemed like the vast majority of the Download crowd had the same idea. I handed my belongings over to a friend before diving straight into the chaos and found myself in a great spot. Architects opened their set with ‘Elegy’ and the crowd immediately became electric with the energy growing more intense as the set continued. This energy did unfortunately become an issue with the band having to restart during both ‘Blackhole’ and ‘Impermanence’. One of the times I was crowdsurfing and being held up in the air for what felt like an eternity before being safely put down.
The set continued after we promised to behave and they continued to put on a great show. Florent Salfati from Landmvrks was brought out during ‘Brain Dead’ and was incredible, his vocals are incredibly strong and I am gutted that I missed Landmvrks earlier in the day. The set ended with ‘Animals’ which was to be expected and I felt such a dopamine drop when the crowd dispersed because of how much fun I was having and the pure adrenaline that was just surging through me.
The evening set a different tone, I spent it with a new group of people and took everything at a slower pace. Unfortunately we missed The All American Rejects acoustic set which was a little bit heartbreaking- I am determined to see them at some point in the future though. We caught the tail end of Frozemode in The Den before heading back to The Doghouse to catch Modestep which closed out the night.
Waking up Sunday was incredibly bittersweet. It really hit me that this was the last day and that soon enough the weekend would be closing out. I got myself ready for the last time and made that final trek down to the arena.
Røry was playing on the Apex Stage as I got into the arena, I hadn’t really listened to a lot of her music prior honestly and my main priority was finding my group. Turns out I was one of the first in the arena so I had to wander around like a headless chicken looking for them. Luckily I wasn’t alone for too long and got myself set up for Bloodywood.
Bloodywood were one of the bands I was very excited for and they did not disappoint at all. They really brought a unique sound to the festival grounds with their fusion of Indian folk music and metal, truly a band I would encourage everyone to see if they can. I got to watch the set from the top of the hill and truly regretted not being at the front with the rest of the crowd, the energy looked unreal and I was truly missing out on what there was to offer. In my opinion they definitely deserved to be higher up on the bill accompanied by a longer set, they definitely have the drive and energy behind them alongside stage presence and fantastic visuals.
They did also have a moment in their set where they spoke about their journey and the risks they had to take for their career as heavy music is very much outside of the norm back home in India. They also opened up about their struggles to keep the band alive whilst facing a lot of social and financial difficulties too. This really opened up a new perspective for me and gave me a much deeper appreciation for the band. It is so easy to overlook these issues in the West, especially since heavier music is more generally accepted on this side of the world.
The Pretty Reckless were next on the Apex stage, I only got to hear a couple of their songs before heading off to the Avalanche stage to see Dinosaur-Pile Up. On the way down I did get caught up and interviewed which was quite a surreal experience. I haven’t seen the part I was involved in, but I must admit that the photo taken of me was not the most flattering… Unfortunately I did realise thatI had made a grave mistake which was getting the set time wrong for Magnolia Park. For some reason I thought they were on later which was very wrong so I ended up catching the last song of their set from outside the Avalanche tent.
Dinosaur Pile-Up was incredible and so much fun to see live. The crowd was full of energy and quite playful. They delivered a strong performance with a well built setlist. The sound was spot on and I am very eager to see them again in the future. Since getting home I have listened to them a bit more in depth and I am looking forward to their next tour because I will 100% be there.
Coming out of the tent absolutely caked in dust, I decided to get some food. I decided to go for some teriyaki chicken and noodles which tasted incredible. Being priced at £13.50 I didn’t find it too bad, pretty much the standard for festival food prices as I had discovered. It also made me realise how much I had missed vegetables over the past few days, even if they were small pieces it made me so happy. The chicken was tender and covered in a rich sauce which paired very well with the egg noodles.
The next band I got to see was Bad Omens who were sub-headlining the Apex Stage, this was a band I got to fall in love with properly at Download. Noah Sebastian really delivered with his powerful vocals which complimented the visual effects too. I actually knew more songs of theirs than I anticipated and was singing a long to a lot of their set. They opened with ‘Specter’ which was like an emotional gut punch with the lyricism and the energy built up from there. I was in awe of what I was seeing and I am eager to see them again when they next do a UK tour. It was a mix of chaos with those songs that really do make you tear up.
Oh Linkin Park the Sunday headliner and band I was most excited for. This set was incredibly special to me and still makes me emotional as I reminisce over the weekend. Before taking the stage, the trailer for ‘UNSHATTER’ blessed the screen and I will definitely be taking the opportunity to go and see it.
The band opened with ‘The Emptiness Machine’ and the tears fell immediately. I was actually seeing Linkin Park and was in such a state of disbelief and awe. The song itself is one I hold close to me, especially when relating to the lyrics and spending the past year healing from those experiences.
Admittedly, I cried throughout the whole set. Linkin Park were one of the bands I spent a lot of time listening to growing up and I have kept them with me through my teens and whilst taking those first steps into adulthood. Their songs have touched me greatly and continued to do so with their album ‘From Zero’. When I was informed of Chester’s passing I was devastated. We had lost somebody who was not only an incredible musician, but also an amazing soul. I never thought I would get to see Linkin Park and that was it, I thought it was over.
There was a moment in the set during ‘Waiting for the end’ where I just turned around and took everything in. I was standing in a field with tens of thousands of other people getting to share such an incredible experience with them. I watched everyone sing along to such beloved songs and it was so special getting to share this moment with everyone. I looked at the twilight sky over the famous ferris wheel, and just felt a wave of an emotion I couldn’t describe, it was heavy but light at the same- so incredibly complex.
The setlist itself was incredibly diverse and had a range of songs spanning across their many albums, mainly being the hits which included ‘Crawling’, ‘In the End’ and, of course ‘Numb’. They did not play any songs from ‘One More Light’ which was very much understandable, it also would’ve ruined me. Regardless Emily really delivered with the vocals and she has such a strong stage presence. When it was announced that she was joining the band I was skeptical, but she also had to put on shoes that were impossible to fill. She may not be Chester, but she does bring a new flare to the band and is incredibly talented within her own right.
Armstrong was also the first woman to headline Download Festival which is an incredible feat to acknowledge as well. I do find that fact to be equally absurd considering the festival had been going since 2003 and in that time we didn’t have a woman headline in that timeline at all. This milestone is incredibly important and I do hope that we do get to see some strong female-led bands taking over the main stage in the future to deliver to such a crowd, especially in a space where heavier genres are male dominated.
I felt a strange emptiness leaving the arena for the last time, the energy had been replaced with a solemn undertone with acceptance that the weekend had finally come to a close. The trek to camp after a long day was something I certainly wouldn’t miss though. I will admit it was bittersweet hearing ‘camping to the left, transport to the right’ upon leaving, knowing that I won’t be hearing that for another year.
Camp was quiet, many getting tucked in for an early start to get home in the morning. That was my plan, but I did end up getting summoned to the village to say goodbye to my friends though. I had to make this trip very quick, I know that I would’ve cried if I didn’t keep the goodbye short and sweet. The weekend had certainly been an emotional one for me. I did make it back up to camp though and ready for bed- not that I could get to sleep because whoever was in the tent next to mine was snoring heavily.
Monday morning, home time. Packing up followed by quick goodbyes so I could make it up to the transport hub to get my coach home. I didn’t do the best job at packing and half of my tent was shoved in my backpack but I had to make do. Exhaustion had finally caught up to me as a souvenir for such an incredible weekend.
I am glad that I took the leap of faith and bought my Download ticket, with it being my first festival I came in with a lot of anxiety and felt very overwhelmed. I came out feeling much more confident and sure of myself with a hunger for new experiences. I am grateful for the friends I had made online prior to attending and those I met at the festival, many of them have become family and excited to see where the future takes us. Bring on Download Fest 2027!
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