From Metallica to Linkin Park, the 13 greatest sets in Download festival history

Download Festival has built its reputation through landmark performances and major reunions, and a newly announced 2027 line-up prompted a look back at 13 of its greatest sets. The article presents the festival as a defining stage for rock and metal, where surprise appearances and career-making performances have helped shape its history.

Examples include Metallica’s unannounced appearance in a tent at the first Download, Trivium drawing thousands as they opened the 2005 main stage, and The Prodigy turning a tent opposite Guns N’ Roses into a mass of mosh pits and crowd surfers. Machine Head delivered a seven-song set in 2007 that ended with “Davidian”, while Slipknot’s 2009 headline performance quickly became legendary; the supplied article text cuts off before the full list is shown.