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

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/from-metallica-to-linkin-park-the-13-greatest-sets-in-download-festival-history/
- Published: 2026-11-13T09:32:45+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T10:24:28+00:00
- Original publisher: Louder
- Original article: https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/music-festivals/from-bring-me-the-horizon-stepping-up-to-linkin-parks-triumphant-return-these-are-the-13-best-download-festival-sets-ever
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Download’s history includes 13 standout sets.
- Metallica surprised fans at the first festival.
- Trivium and Slipknot had defining Download performances.

## Summary

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.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.