Creepier than your average "Download Festival 2026"

 It is that time of year again once more we have been we have seen and we have left the hallowed fields of Donington Park and survived another Download Festival, left with the infamous festival cough which you don't get in Drownload years. Wait it wasn't a Drownload! But the weather looked terrible it was totally going to be a washout! 

Wednesday we rock up at around 9am as always join a queue and get ready to go in, as always the gates open at 12:00 so we all started walking through about 10:30/11am I have no actual time stamp on this we were queuing all the way back into the North Car Park. 

Searches going in was, yeah. Wand waved over me and my cart that was it. No questions nothing just straight through, now I know I am wearing this bandana, but they didn't even ask me if I had anything I shouldn't! They used to do that at least. I'll be honest not being searched and having everything on display saves time and keeps the queue moving but sometimes you might want to just double check things, I did see a lot of rule breaking BBQs with solid fuel and gas, as well as heard someone got injured on broken glass, but cannot actually verify this at all. 

Any how tent but slightly off position but all was good. Fairly quick walk in, it feels like forever but when you time check it it is really fast. It is like thew walk to the arena we time this in beers, and as said in previous posts, old camp site was 3 to 4 beer walk, new camp site is a 1 beer walk, we take 2 if going in early as you have time to kick around in the queue before they open the gates but usually it is a 1 beer run!

Okay so didn't do anything Wednesday, just camp and chat, we did wander down to the merch stand but that was about it. Thursday rained all day though not heavy just constant drizzle, did have a few leaks in the tent but might just not had it tight enough, am planning to give it a once over with the waterproofing in a couple of days. But generally Thursday was fine. We did wander into the Village in the evening for food and also to see Bat Sabbath (Cancer Bats) with their Black Sabbath Tribute act, was a good show. Enjoyed it and sang along with the rest of the crowd that was gathered. I did not hang around for Five really not my thing.

Friday went down for P.O.D did catch some of Scene Queen, still not sure what I make of her, slightly contradicting narrative. One moment it is Girl Power and Feminism, another breathe it is get you slut on to get what you want. Oddly mixed messages, but also probably not aimed at me. I think I have said this before, but can sing is entertaining can't fault the performance at all. 

P.O.D was of course great to see after so many years, for me this year was the fun of seeing bands i haven't seen in forever and new bands, and this is what Download always used to be to me and I am going to try and make it like that again. 

Hollywood Undead. Was fun, I am not a fan never have been I can remember the masked days. But they got the crowd going and nothing wrong with the set, I know reading this so far it looks like a why did you go if you don't like, but it isn't that I enjoy music, I found them entertaining, am I going to promote them? Nope am I going to bash them? Nope. They preformed they did their thing they entertained the crowd. They have catchy songs and people like them so no complaint just not my thing. If I want guys in masks I will watch Slipknot. 

So had to meet friends, as they came today and needed guiding to the camp, ended up missing Feeder. Which is a shame as the last time I saw Feeder they headlined the mainstage. An this time they were in a tent and I would have liked to have seen them but this one was a little outside my control. On my way down to Limp Biscuit though I did get chance to hear some of Halestorm, and they were playing as well as always, just a shame they always seem to end up on the 2nd Stage and not headlining the main Stage. Sorry I know this is controversial but I don't believe that Linkin Park as a Female Fronted Band, They have a female singer but Mike is their front now as he was with Hybrid Theory. I'll get to this on the Sunday section. 

I forgot I did catch the start of Creeper's set before having to wander, well I caught them on the wander really. This is the reason Sunday Happened. I'll let that wait. 

I guess we go to LimpBizkit. You know we are. So Limp, well I reviewed this set 2 years ago. It was the same set it was Limps usual festival set, start Break Stuff play things from 3 dollar bill and starfish, get people up to do Full Nelson end with Break Stuff. My Generation got cut short due to someone going down in the pit. Stretchered out did not see it was not shown on the screen, while Behind Blue Eyes was dedicated to Sam, and also the bands lorry Driver, see news reports on that as I do not have the details to hand. 

 

Saturday!
So this is an early start. Why? Simple answer. The Wildhearts are opening and as such I am not missing possibly one of the last times I get to see them. The Wildhearts hold a special place in my soul hence why their are so many videos on my channel of them. Seeing Ginger on stage was both a blessing and a curse as I know one day he will no longer be up there doing what he does. I'm just going to let the videos talk for themselves here I don't have the words, this is why we have The Wildhearts to speak for me.
 

So who is next on this list for Saturday?
SNOT. Okay so this was more I am standing inline for the merch store at 2nd stage (I will never use the names for these stages they will always be numbered). Was nice to see them been a while any way and with the new singer as well was well SNOT. 

So was really kicking my heals waiting for Drowning Pool as its been FOREVER since i saw them last but they are still in Texas. So swapping bands around and they are playing now on the 4th stage at some time that clashes with something else so I didn't get to see Drowning Pool. They were replaced with As Everything Unfolds who seemed to be rather good, but I was enjoying them but I had other places to be and people to see so off I travel.
(I had a gap I took my merch back to the tent checked on friends who were unwell and had a couple of beers) I am though heading back in for Bush, Black Veil Brides, Baby Metal, Self Deception and The All American Rejects as well as Guns and Ro.... Yeah we will talk about that too maybe. 

I'll do this in this order though this might not be the order I saw them in but was the order I remember them in. 

Bush, I like Bush have been a fan of them since the 90's was great to see them played a blinder and here is a random song and video for you off their set as I forgot to film a lot this year. (Phone is getting old battery does not last)

Black Veil Brides, still amaze me that I enjoy them live, I think this is a coming with age thing still as I have said before never used to be interested now a days they make me go Oh and I do enjoy watching them. 

Baby Metal, so my plan was here watch some of Baby Metal, then go catch Self Deception but I got so lost in the set and it is amazing to watch them, the story the design the choreography and timing everything is just a phenomenal thing to watch. Would I buy their albums? Probably not, would I go watch them at a festival? Every time.
But as I was lost in that and dancing away I missed the clock and so yeah.

Right TAAR. (The All American Rejects) I managed to catch some of Hot Milk, who are on my list of must find out more about them later though I did only catch the back end of the set from outside the tent on the video wall but sounds interesting and I will try and look into them more when I have time.
Rejects though was a great fun set, really enjoyed it even the engagement announcement in the middle from some random downloaders was well it all worked. Though stick! if you were there you will know what I am on about. Right does that end Saturday? Oh no wait I got to yeah okay I have. 

Wandered round via the back and Architects, still meh not my thing really don't get them. 

On to Guns and Roses....

So I managed to Turn up at the end of Knocking On Havens Door, my brain is going well Axel sounds a little high (tune wise) but you know I can let this go it is GnR this is the band that made me find my love of Alternative music, this is where I became a Metalhead. An then they decide to do Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and it is like listening to Mikey Mouse on Helium. An I am GONE. I let my last time watching Ozzy spoil my memories of Sabbath and Ozzy and I was not letting this happen again. So I bailed back to camp and an evening of drinking and conversation. 

Sunday:
Okay manic day but starting late and when I say manic it is one song here move. Really was, and this is where I remembered why I do this, where I remembered why I started once all the way back in 2004.
The ability to wander alone through different tents different stages find new music listen to bands see their shows and enjoy my time and finding new and interesting acts and bands so we are going to do this rapid fire style!

Firstly in passing on the way to 3rd stage I caught some of Rory. Might rub some people the wrong way but not a fan of the music. Understanding of their message with the tiktok/youtube/facebook stuff, but music does nothing for me. Not bad mouthing here have nothing against what she does on stage just not my thing. 

I was actually heading towards The Pretty Wild. These and Hot Milk where my honest discoveries of the weekend well there was also the last band of the day for me but we will get to that. 
Here is some rather shaky footage of The Pretty Wild. 

Hung about to catch some of TX2 but I'll be honest did not enjoy them. Once more they got up there and played their hearts out but just not for me.

Stayed where I was for Dinosaur Pile up, Awesome set, never seen them before loved it would highly recommend checking them out. I know I said earlier about it being Hot Milk and Pretty Wild when writting that I honestly forgot about Dinosaur Pile up. 

Ash. That was a walk down memory lane and a worthwhile one loved every second of the set, missed the start as was else where but from about 1/3 in was just a great set loved it.

Tom Morello, was a partial watch as so much overlapping going on and not enough time, enjoyed what I saw would have watched more but was moving around between acts to try and see as many people as I could. 

Mastodon, I always forget how much I enjoy watching these guys after I see them and mean to go and buy their back catalogue and always forget, maybe this year that will change?

The Pretty Reckless, once more another amazing set, lots of classic tracks in their really enjoyed seeing them again, seen them 3 times 2 hits 1 miss and this was not a miss.

Ice Nine Kills. Amazingly intricate stage show and as always perfection through and through, want to give them more time but as said too much over lapping. Stage show should come with a horror warning for none fans but so so worth watching it with many interesting elements to their performance. 

Bad Omens, can't fault them it is odd that I do and don't enjoy them it is a weird mix of I should like them but they seem to just not quiet press the right buttons for me while also being really good as a band. Yeah I know I don't understand it either. 

Creeper: Yeah they replaced Static X on 4th Stage and pulled a whole 60 minute set (Maybe a couple of minutes over) Just yeah this was a great performance, I have never seen them before had no idea what they were but I just seemed to be incredibly interested in them, I am going to try and back catalogue them for sure, the entire concept of a Vampire band singing is very much an interesting design concept, the aesthetic and the presentation was great the lyrics and the music was so well put together I need to know more. (There 2025 blood stock set is on YouTube go find it) Over all I really enjoyed discovering Creeper. 

So that is the music covered, shall we now look at the changes to the site?

Well the moving of the 3rd Stage was a great reposition, the bleed from mainstage and second stage appeared to be gone, where they placed the stage just lost the over lap from the other stages and allowed for a lot cleaner sound. While there is still some bleed from 2nd to main if you are far enough back and from main to 4th (this needs to be addressed next) it made for a nice change and was a little odd knowing that GnR were on main stage playing and I Was standing at 3rd and could not heat them. 

Food choices all over the arena were great so many different things for so many different people, in the camps was a bit of a trek, Purple at the bottom had nothing more than a Smoothie bar, and to get food we had to wander up to the cross roads, while the other points had actual food. the toilet situation as well within purple was a bit of a trek all in the back corner, now they were clean they were maintained but the walk was a bit meh for us all. 

Walk in lack of searches, wrist band checks seemed non excitants. No Dog Squad wandering the camp site, no one seeming to be manning the watch towers, the security that was covering the camp site did not appear to speak much English at all. Every one from Security to Dog squad generally found between Arena and Camp site just yeah was not interested the amount of times I saw them just scrolling their phones and being as unhelpful as possible! Thankfully ShowSec in the arena they are always good. But the new company hired for everything else was a waste of money time and effort. 

This brings us to parking. Got into my car at 8:45am, got to the gate at 3pm. Who ever was meant ot be running the parking told us we should sort it ourselves instead of doing their job. Had no interest in trying to workout how to get the cars out and I am quoting here from the security that talked to me at 12. "I want to go home too if you guys dont leave me don't leave so get back in your car and wait we have too many people here." From what I understand someone lower down eventually took over and managed to get us moving, after we had been told not to. Someone said a car had broken down and instead of rerouting us just left them their blocking the main route our while letting all the side routes out. Never been so unimpressed in my life, in the 23 years of going to Download I have never been more than 45 minutes getting out the car park and this years it was nearly 7 hours. I got home just after 5pm. My Scottish friends arrived home just after midnight we left together they got out the car park about 15 minutes before I did. 

I know Download Festival Organisers aren't going to read this, but I will say this if they do, you had the right companies doing this for years, you cranked up the parking cost to unholy levels and yet you managed to give us the worst parking experience in 2 decades. It wasn't even wet! An yes they can blame it on the increased people due to no Glastonbury but having EXIT signs in the car park directing people to the edges and not trying to force everyone down the middle would have made sense, there used to be EXIT signage in the car park what every happened to that? 

Any way that's my rant I will stop there, this didn't ruin my enjoyment or seeing my friends or reminding myself why I do this that I do it for the music to discover new bands and to find new ideas. But it did mean this is late being posted. Here are a few photos, hopefully next year I will have a new phone or a better battery and I will get more videos... Wait no I might not be there next year as it is starting to price me out of being able to go I will be honest, I know cost of living is rising and so festivals cost more but wages are not keeping up and I am not 100% if I can honestly afford to go in general camping for 5 days,  let alone the price of the parking tickets or food, I don't drink in the arena and as the walk is now fairly short I can head back to camp to drink if I want too between bands and get them steps in to counter the weight gain. So money allowing, and health allowing I might see you next year, but at the moment it is looking like a maybe not moment.

This is me signing off for 2026. Dave.