Download Festival 2025: ultimate guide to line-up, stage times, tickets and dates
Festival season is back in full swing, baby! And this weekend Leicestershire is ready to welcome back thousands of moshing metalheads for the largest rock music festival in the UK – Download. With a (head)banging mix of both new and nostalgic bands ready to amp up the crowds, the rock extravaganza is about to kick off its 22nd edition.
We know that festival planning can get hectic, so we've got you covered on all the basics to make your prep easy peasy for a metal-heavy weekend.
When is Download Festival 2025?
No need for a calendar countdown as Download's gates are now open. The bands will strumming strum their first chords on Friday, June 13, with music continuing until Sunday, June 15.
Where is Download Festival 2025 and how do I get there?
Download returns to Leicestershire's Donington Park, with Derby and Nottingham being the nearest cities, both about a 30-minute drive from the festival.
Parking passes are sold out, so it's worth looking at public transport options like Big Green Coach, the festival's exclusive coach travel partner. It offers drives to and from 73 locations and new this year, Big Green Coach are offering day return coaches for Birmingham, Birmingham International/Solihull, Coventry, Leeds, Leicester, London Victoria, Manchester, Sheffield, Stockport, Stoke on Trent and Uttoxeter.
If driving is still your transit of choice, Download has multiple driving guides and routes to make your trip as convenient as possible. You can find them all here.
Who are the headliners for Download 2025?
Nineties and noughties pop-punk band Green Day leads the line-up for Friday at the Apex Stage, followed by the progressive metal of Sleep Tolken on Saturday, and the dread-headed freaks on leashes, Korn, will give the grand finale on Sunday.
What's the full Download lineup and set times?
Friday 13th June
Apex Stage
Green Day – 20:50 – 22:50
Weezer – 19:00 – 20:20
Jimmy Eat World – 17:30 – 18:40
Boston Manor – 16:00 – 16:45
CKY – 14:30 – 15:15
SiM – 13:00 – 13:45
Opus Stage
Within Temptation – 19:35 – 20:50
Myles Kennedy – 17:00 – 17:45
Starset – 15:30 – 16:15
Northlane – 14:00 – 14:45
Dirty Honey – 12:30 – 13:15
The Scratch – 11:00 – 11:45
Avalanche Stage
Rise Against – 18:00 – 18:45
Elliot Minor – 15:30 – 16:15
Crossfaith – 13:30 – 14:15
Trophy Eyes – 11:30 – 12:15
Dogtooth Stage
Apocalyptica – 21:50 – 22:50
Alcest – 18:30 – 19:15
Vola – 16:00 – 16:45
Svalbard – 13:30 – 14:15
Windhand – 11:00 – 11:45
Saturday 14 June 2025
Apex Stage
Sleep Token – 20:55 – 22:55
Shinedown – 18:20 – 19:35
Don Broco – 16:50 – 17:50
Palaye Royale – 15:20 – 16:05
Poppy – 13:50 – 14:35
Hatebreed – 12:20 – 13:05
Opus Stage
Sex Pistols feat. Frank Carter – 19:35 – 20:50
Eagles of Death Metal – 17:05 – 17:50
Loathe – 15:35 – 16:20
Static Dress – 14:05 – 14:50
The Darkness – 12:35 – 13:20
Eagles of Death Metal – 11:05 – 11:50
Avalanche Stage
Currents – 18:30 – 19:15
Kim Dracula – 17:00 – 17:45
Sophie Lloyd – 15:30 – 16:15
Dayseeker – 14:00 – 14:45
Mallory Knox – 12:30 – 13:15
Twin Atlantic – 11:00 – 11:45
Dogtooth Stage
Cradle of Filth – 20:30 – 21:30
Sylosis – 18:00 – 18:45
Kittie – 16:30 – 17:15
Anaal Nathrakh – 15:00 – 15:45
The Funeral Portrait – 13:30 – 14:15
Teen Mortgage – 12:00 – 12:45
Sunday 15 June 2025
Apex Stage
Korn – 21:25 – 22:55
Bullet For My Valentine – 19:00 – 20:15
Spiritbox – 17:00 – 17:45
Meshuggah – 15:00 – 15:45
Jinjer – 13:00 – 13:45
Power Trip – 11:00 – 11:45
Opus Stage
Airbourne – 17:35 – 18:20
Lorna Shore – 16:15 – 17:00
Jerry Cantrell – 14:45 – 15:30
Alien Ant Farm – 13:15 – 14:00
Municipal Waste – 11:45 – 12:30
The Ghost Inside – 10:15 – 11:00
Avalanche Stage
Nothing More – 16:00 – 16:45
Seven Hours After Violet – 14:30 – 15:15
The Southern River Band – 13:00 – 13:45
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – 11:30 – 12:15
Dogtooth Stage
Sikth – 22:05 – 23:05
Turbonegro – 20:35 – 21:35
Dead Poet Society – 19:05 – 19:50
House of Protection – 17:35 – 18:20
Spiritual Cramp – 16:05 – 16:50
Amira Elfeky – 14:35 – 15:20
You can also keep track of your favourite bands and where they're playing on the Download app, which you can find on the Google Play and Apple app stores.
What about the secret sets?
Earlier this year, the festival confirmed that it would be hosting 'multiple secret sets' across the weekend. Obviously, that sent the internet into a spiral of speculation. Names that have been thrown into the mix have included Motionless in White, Electric Callboy, Architects and Hot Milk.
Can I still buy tickets for Download Festival 2025?
Tickets are still available for general camping, five-night campervan camping, quiet camping and the Rock Retreat campsite at Melbourne Hall, all which are available to purchase on the Download website.
Full list of banned items
Like most festivals, any weapons including aerosol cans and glass bottles are prohibited at the campsite and arena. Tin openers, umbrellas and small hammers for pitching tents are permitted at the campsite, but not in the arena, and for the whole list of items, read over Download's official list here.
Weather forecast
There was originally a bit of light rain forecast for Friday and Saturday, but now it looks like the weekend will just be sun, sun and more sun. Temperatures on Friday are expected to reach 25C, Saturday will see highs of 23C and Sunday will be a bit cooler with max temperatures of 21C. All that said, we recommend you bring some waterproof clothing, just in case.
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Some voices have started questioning whether they really deserve to be called a hard rock band at all, among them – unexpectedly – TV presenter and author Richard Osman: 'It's not hard rock,' he protested. 'It's the least metal thing I've ever heard.' Indeed, so much criticism has flown Sleep Token's way that Doc Coyle, of US metal bands God Forbid, Trivium and Lamb of God among others, recently felt impelled to take to the internet in their defence, penning an article decrying 'pretentious gatekeeping' and 'a toxic heavy metal culture': it's perhaps worth noting that Sleep Token's fanbase skews young. For his part, Morton thinks their success is evidence that 'tribalism is a thing of the past': as he points out, elsewhere at this year's Download, McFly – a manufactured 00s pop band with a vaguely punk-ish lilt – are headlining a stage, which would have been unthinkable at the height of their fame. 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