Top 10 #DL20 Moments

1. Bring Me The Horizon Team Up With Evanescence’s Amy Lee

Bring Me The Horizon proved they were more than worthy of their headline spot with a truly explosive show. Powering through hits old (‘Shadow Moses’, ‘House Of Wolves’) and new (‘DiE4u’, ‘LosT’), the setlist was a real treat for fans. One of the highlights was Amy Lee of Evanescence joining the band on duet ‘One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest’ for the first time ever, as well as providing guest vocals on ‘Nihilist Blues’. Unforgettable.

2. Get Your Rocks Off Opening Night Party

Wednesday night saw the official Download opening night party, courtesy of Get Your Rocks Off. Downloaders were taken on an exhilarating journey of rock, from the 1970s until present day. From Led Zeppelin to Enter Shikari, the show was a celebration of the greatest rock anthems ever, complete with video screens and live performers.

Wanna see it again? Tickets on sale now.

3. Electric Callboy’s Rave-tastic Avalanche Headline

A packed out tent greeted Electric Callboy for their Avalanche headline slot on Sunday night. The band pulled out all the stops for their metal rave, including lasers, screens and confetti cannons. Whether it was pulling out their huge viral hit ‘Hypa Hypa’ mid way through the set, or dropping in covers of Backstreet Boys and Darude’s ‘Sandstorm’, the show was unpredictable from start to finish, just like the band themselves.

4. Golden Hour With Halestorm

Sunshine was the order of the day on Thursday, and the perfect backdrop for Halestorm’s dazzling set. Vocalist Lzzy Hale sounded better than ever, and so did the massive Apex Stage crowd. Is there anything better than gathering at golden hour with thousands of your fellow Downloaders, singing along to hits like ‘I Miss The Misery’ and ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’? Should qualify as a religious experience, we reckon.

5. The Most Download Merch Ever!

We wanted to go all out on merch for the 20th anniversary: so we built an on site Megastore complete with photo ops, a crane game machine, and even a coffee bar. Plus, it was packed with every type of Download merch you could think of. Gaming chairs, Download Dog garden gnomes, bedding, candles, Download branded hot sauce… it could all be found in the Megastore.

Shop for what’s left over in our merch store!

6. Two Unique Metallica Sets

Download 20 was the ultimate treat for Metallica superfans. The legendary band played not just one, but TWO headline slots across the weekend – with ZERO repeats. We rocked out to the likes of ‘Nothing Else Matters’, ‘Fuel’, and ‘Master Of Puppets’ on Thursday, and ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’, ‘One’, and ‘Enter Sandman’ on Saturday. Can we relive both all over again?

7. Nova Twins’ Electrifying Apex Stage Show

One of the most exciting new bands of the moment, Nova Twins blew us all away with their killer Apex Stage performance. From the groovy riffs of ‘Puzzles’ to the thumping ‘Choose Your Fighter’, there was never a dull moment when these girls were on the stage. And let’s not forget their special guest appearance during Bring Me The Horizon’s set to perform ‘1×1’. Do believe the hype.

8. Meeting The NExt Generation Of Rock In Mini Moshers

This year, we launched the brand new Mini Moshers campsite, specifically for those of you with little rockers in tow! We love seeing Downloaders of all ages, and we wanted to do something special for those experiencing their very first time in Donington. The kids are alright 🤘

9. Slipknot’s Incredible Pyro

You can count on Slipknot to heat things up, and that’s just what they did on Sunday night. It may have been getting a bit chilly as the sun went down, but all you needed to do was head over to the Apex Stage, as the band’s headline set had more fire than you could shake a stick at. Plus, with the exercise we got moshing to the likes of ‘Psychosocial’ and ‘Wait and Bleed’, we were feeling positively toasty by the end.

10. Reuniting With Downloaders For The 20th year Running

The best part of Download every year is reuniting with the family, and as this was the 20th anniversary, it felt extra special. Downloaders old, new, and from all walks of life headed to Donington to make this our biggest year yet. That’s why we wanted to celebrate you all with our Humans of Download photo series. Check out some of the pics below – there’s even more over on our Instagram.

Let’s do it all again next summer! Download 2024 takes place on 14th-16th June in Donington Park. Early Bird tickets on sale now.