Last year, Download Festival passed a monumental milestone. The 20th Anniversary saw the festival break new ground, boasting an extra day of music, dual Metallica sets and even embracing the future of metal in the form of Friday headliners Bring Me The Horizon.
While Download’s 21st year is returning to the normal 3 day format, that doesn’t make it any less special. With headline sets from Fall Out Boy, Avenged Sevenfold and Queens of the Stone Age on the cards, the weekend is set to be a knock out.
With less than two months to go, the Download buzz is starting to kick in. Fans can’t wait to re-acquaint themselves with the Donington Park festival grounds – because Download isn’t just a ‘festival’, it’s a community.
At a recent press conference, the Download team laid down their plans for this year’s jamboree. So, here are some things you can expect from Download 2024.
Music To Represent Everyone
It doesn’t matter if you’re a metalhead, an emo or a punk – Download Festival will have something for you. Even if you’re not acquainted with a certain genre, the festival is the perfect opportunity to try out a new alt flavour.
“We love variety, and we love seeing fans mixing with one another,” Andy Copping, Live Nation’s Executive President of Touring, says. “It’s great seeing somebody wearing a Whitesnake t-shirt stood watching a band like Korn!”
The line-up is fit to burst with iconic bands from every corner of rock. There’s nu-metallers Limp Bizkit, heavy metallers Machine Head returning to Download after 12 years, and even a chance to wave off pop-punk royalty Sum 41 during their final ever UK festival set.
On the other end of the spectrum, this year also has a bunch of fresh, young talent on offer. Norwegian metalcore star Storm will be opening the Avalanche stage on Friday, and he’s only 15 years old. On Sunday over at the Dogtooth stage, America’s Got Talent star Harper will make history as Download’s youngest EVER performer – so head along if you want to hear a 12 year old absolutely roar the house down.
Mini Moshers Welcome!
Download is a safe space for people of all ages – who decided that 3 year olds weren’t allowed to boogie on down to prog metal, eh? With more children attending each year, the festival is making every effort to make Download fun for every generation. The family-friendly Mini Moshers campsite will be returning for 2024. Families of up to 6 can apply if they’ve got at least one child of 15 or younger.
And if you’ve ever wanted to hear a metal cover of Baby Shark, you’re in luck – kid-friendly heavy metallers Slay Duggee will provide early morning entertainment in District X so the youngsters can mosh together safely.
“Last year they even had a wall of death… well, it was ‘a wall of cuddles,’” Touring Rep Manager and Festival Executive, Dannika Webber, laughs.
Distict X – Back And Bigger Than Ever
District X’s line-up has just been announced, and it’s killer. We’ve got DJ sets from Busted’s Charlie Simpson, Sullivan King and Those Damn Crows, as well as performances from Old Dirty Brasstards and Number Of The Beef. There’ll also be an acoustic performance from Bowling For Soup, which is sure to be a fabulous pop-punk party.
HE. SHE. THEY. and Mønster Queen will also be collaborating for a magnificent industrial, goth, rave and drag performance. This year will also have a Silent Disco, which will see DJs Rhinestone Rodeo, Y’Allternative, Fat Lip, and more, battling it out for your attention.
“Our mission is to make sure that those five days are very entertaining, basically, right up to 3am,” Jenny Cotter, Senior UK Touring Festival Executive at Live Nation, explains.
There will also be a diverse range of non-musical programming, from stand-up comedy, podcasts, and even fitness classes! The food is also going to be more diverse this year, with loads of exciting new stands and even a farmers market packed with goodies from local businesses.
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For Secret Sets
While Bowling For Soup’s acoustic set has already been announced, there’s a bunch of secret sets yet to be revealed. Last year we saw secret sets from Boston Manor, Holding Absence and even an incredibly chaotic set from Bob Vylan… who’s to say what surprises Download 2024 has in store!
To stay in the loop, make sure you’ve got the Download Festival App installed. Secret sets will be revealed over the weekend, so make sure to check every morning.
Mocktails, anyone?
With Liquid Death as their main sponsor, Download have a mission to keep people hydrated. The team are ensuring that every bar has an alcohol free option, so sober moshers can still have their thirst quenched.
“Last year we launched our low and no alcohol free bar, and that’s back this year with an even bigger range of alcohol free drinks,” David Hetherington, Customer Experience Director at Live Nation, reveals. “We’re going to make sure we’re gonna get alcohol free options across all of our bars to make sure that we’re being inclusive.”
Increased Accessibility
This year Download have partnered with Nimbus Disability to ensure it can make the festival experience as smooth as possible for its disabled fans. To apply for accessible facilities, fans will need a Nimbus Access Card (or they can register for a free Nimbus Download Digital Access Pass). Once that is sorted, they just need to fill in Downloads’ Accessible Facilities Application Form.
Coming By Car? No Problem!
Let’s face it – last year was a bit of a nightmare for traffic. But Jess Shields, Director of Far & Beyond Events and Download’s Head of Production this year, promises that will not be an issue this year.
“For the 20th Anniversary, we had four days of music with one arrival day – going back to two arrival days is already going to make a HUGE difference,” Shield explains. “Last year was also bit unprecedented with the higher capacity – there will be less people this year.”
But the team are still being hands-on with traffic management this year, discussing plans with local police and the Highways Agency. As they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Day Tickets Available Now
If you can’t get yourself along for the whole weekend, luckily Day Tickets are now available for £124. If you do fancy the whole shebang, there’s still some 3 or 5 Day Camping tickets available too.
