The hallowed grounds of Donnington Park were once again full of life as Download Festival returned once more with a star-studded lineup to get the party well and truly started! Whether it was the already hung-over 5-day campers or the fresh and lively 3-day and day ticket holders arriving, the energy around the infamous festival felt mesmerising.
Beers and ciders in hand, the hoards descended upon the arena and dispersed to the festival’s many stages. From the high-energy style of SiM or the more punky aesthetic of Karen Dio, right from the off, the festival’s diversity was in full force. Thousands of rock and metal purists filled the sacred turf with a feeling of togetherness and understanding, quickly taking hold at the festival.
The sun shone brightly over the Download town, which only breathed life into the festival. Mosh pits, crowd surfing and even some good old-fashioned headbanging could be seen from every angle of the festival. As it was the first full day of live music, energy levels were through the roof, and the offering on display was too good to pass up! For you, elder emos, Jimmy Eat World and Weezer would rock the Apex stage, delivering sets full of certified hits, while the more classic metal-aligned fans may have found themselves down at the Opus stage for the likes of Myles Kennedy or Opeth.
Right at the top of the arena hill lay the Dogtooth stage, and a highlight from the whole weekend came in the form of Svalbard’s possible last-ever appearance at the festival! With the band announcing their next tour would be their last, the tent quickly filled up as their set started. This performance didn’t feel like every other show the bands played prior; it felt like a true celebration of their career!
One of the bands that caught the most attention when the lineup was announced was McFly, not because “they aren’t heavy enough” but because they were in the same spot as Busted, where last year, which ended with a lot of fans being unable to get in. This was the same for McFly; however, a new screen had been installed outside the Avalanche stage. McFly would go on to prove that the early 2000s era of radio rock still hit fans in the feeling just as much in the year 2025.
Closing out the day was the emphatic Green Day, which made sure to set the tone from the get-go, blasting the crowd with American Idiot! The politically fueled punk rockers would go on to deliver a set full of hits with notable moments coming during Know Your Enemy where the band invited a fan on stage to sing the pre-chorus with them as well as a truly spectacular moment during Boulevard of Broken Dreams where Billie Joe Armstong sang the line “Here comes the rain again, Falling from the stars” and the heavens immediately opened up! Now their greatest hits compilation may have some Merritt behind it, as this may have proved that Green Day are indeed God’s Favourite Band!
As a whole Download always starts with high energy and high spirits, and this year was no exception. Green Day finally making their debut at the UK edition of Download was far too long overdue but fans made sure to make the moment count and ended up walking back to their tents with nothing but bliss and excitement for what would unfold the next day!