In the latest issue of Music Week, you can read all about the incredible rise of Sleep Token and how a wave of other rock and metal acts are offering proof that a new generation of listeners are coming onboard to alternative music.
Well, here is some more proof.
The iconic Download Festival needs no introduction, of course. Next month it returns with Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn as headliners – all three topping the festival’s bill for the first time. What’s interesting this year, however, is a new stat being put forward from Ticketmaster.
According to the ticketing giant’s data, approximately 44% of Download Festival ticket buyers this year are first time attendees, in turn meaning an almost 50/50 split between new and returning fans.
It is offers a compelling, and indeed quite stark, counterpoint to increasingly outdated arguments that Download’s – and, yes, even rock and metal’s – audience is only getting older. This year alone, we’ve seen recent chart success stories with Those Damn Crows, Spiritbox, The Darkness, Architects and Ghost.
Taking place on 11-15 June 2025 at Donington Park, the Download 2025 line-up includes Weezer, Spiritbox, Bullet For My Valentine, Poppy, Sex Pistols With Frank Carter as well as some surprises in the form of McFly and – no, really – the Vengaboys.
This year, Download has also expanded its Beyond The Bands initiative.
With a huge focus on wellness this year, there will be heavy metal talking therapy, secular addiction support, meditation, yoga sessions, quiet spaces for anyone experiencing sensory overload, alcohol-free bars, coffee shops, vinyl stores, live blacksmithing workshops, skate ramps and much more.
