Don your best band shirts and pack your tents: Download returns to Donnington Park next weekend, for the UK’s biggest alternative music event. The fan-favourite, three-day celebration of rock and metal has been showcasing an impressive array of acts since 2003, and 2019 will not disappoint.
Friday will be dominated by Def Leppard, heading up the main stage, with their only British performance this year. The band will play Hysteria & More in its entirety, and should prove a hit with nostalgia-seekers. The first day will also feature Slash, Whitesnake, and southern rock staples Clutch. Meanwhile Rob Zombie, Opeth, Me First & the Gimme Gimmies, and At The Gates are just a few of the acts that will be lighting up the smaller stages.
Saturday sees Download regulars Slipknot return to subjugate an eager audience, with support from Die Antwoord, Trivium, and Skindred. Currently eight men (or monsters) strong, Slipknot are releasing their sixth studio album We Are Not Your Kind in August, so it seems likely that the group intends to debut some new material, as well as show off their new, even more scary, masks.
Meanwhile, second-day festival-goers will be able to catch the likes of Behemoth, Halestorm, Stone Temple Pilots, Three Days Grace, Simple Creatures, Carcass, and plenty more.
Rounding it all off, titans of unorthodox time-signatures, Tool, will be taking the headline slot for Sunday. The L.A.-based four-piece last played at Download in 2006, and given their reputation for visually compelling live performances, the crowd will be in for something truly spectacular.
Smashing Pumpkins, Lamb of God, and Amon Amarth will also be commandeering the main stage. Meanwhile, stalwarts of thrash metal, Slayer, will be performing their last ever UK gig, headlining the Zippo Encore stage. This will form a part of their farewell tour, and many fervent fans will be sad to see them go. They will be supported by Dream Theatre, and Anthrax, amongst many others.
Other highlights will include Enter Shikari, Municipal Waste, Whitechapel, and The Amity Affliction, ensuring that no one will want to beat the rush, and go home early. With bands this good, it’s no wonder that the Derbyshire-based holy grail of British rock festivals draws an estimated 120,000 music fans each year.
Want to be one of them? Limited tickets are still available. Grab your tickets here.
Get your clashfinder for the full weekend here.
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