Motionless In White are on the cover of Rock Sound. Celebrating their accomplishments while acknowledging the hardships and rough roads that led them here, Chris Motionless explains how the support of their devoted fan community helped drive the band towards the creation of new album ‘Decades’. 🇬🇧🌍: rocksound.lnk.to/hin2LGWO 🇺🇸: rocksound.lnk.to/UjTQ2j6W

Black Veil Brides' Andy Biersack chats new album 'Vindicate', collaborating with Machine Head's Rob Flynn and why 2026 was their best ever performance at Donington. WATCH: youtube.com/watch?v=ODVQ1aHc…

RØRY, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: “I want you to imagine the scene,” RØRY requests of the thousands gathered for their Apex Stage debut. “You’re 36 years old. You’ve tried and failed at music, but you decide to try one more time. You dye your hair blue, and now you’re on the main stage at Download Festival.” It’s a moment that the alt. powerhouse has been building towards as RØRY for just over five years, but for Rox Pink, it’s been a much longer journey, one that makes these 45 minutes feel almost transcendent. You’d need a heart made of stone not to feel something warm inside your chest as they cry out the defiant chorus of ‘BLOSSOM’, and the empowering spirit of ‘SORRY I’M LATE’ hits that much harder within the context. The spitting fury of ‘KIDS THESE DAYS’ and ‘ANTI-REPRESSANT’ feel utterly unstoppable, and there’s also time for a beautiful dedication to guitarist Miles Kent before ‘STRANGE’, emphasising the importance of fighting life’s battles to honour those no longer able to do so. As a sea of bodies stretches as far as the eye can see, watch as the 41-year-old belts out the words “I’m alive” throughout ‘DEAD GIRL WALKING’, it’s clear that this is RORY’s moment. It’s the kind of set you leave truly believing that you can conquer the world, and if RØRY’s story is anything to go by, you bloody well can. ✏️ Maddy Howell 📷 Carla Mundy

BABYMETAL, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: “We are so happy to be back in Download… with sunshine!” SU-METAL smiles as BABYMETAL takes to the Apex Stage. Donington Park looks a little different right now than it did last time the trio were here. Back in 2024, their main stage set was cut short due to rain of biblical proportions, but today they’re back, and with nothing more than a light breeze to distract from their explosive antics. There’s one question they have to ask before that happens, though: “Are you ready to headbang?” The answer is a resounding yes, with the movements being made across the fields during ‘BABYMETAL DEATH’ guaranteeing an influx of chiropractor visits come Monday morning. After that, ‘PA PA YA!!’ and ‘METALI!!’ gets even the sleepiest of festival goers to their feet, and as the carnage ensues in front of them, SU-METAL, MOAMETAL and MOMOMETAL feed off of every last drop of intensity. Each note is pitch-perfect, and every movement is precise, whether they’re at their most blisteringly heavy or their most sugary sweet; the trio’s towering momentum doesn’t dip for a second. By the time we reach the pulverising likes of ‘Gimme Chocolate!!’ and ‘Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!’, the sing-alongs are loud enough to trouble your eardrums and the vibes are at an all-time high. For this one hour of power, Download Festival undoubtedly belongs to BABYMETAL. ✏️ Maddy Howell 📷 Carla Mundy

Thornhill, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: It feels like everything that Thornhill have been working on, carving out, mastering and fine-tuning, has been leading towards moments like this. Their caustic, shimmering brand of noise has always felt like it would have homesteaded on platforms like this, and seeing such an assumption in action is as validating as it is exciting. A sign of the way things should be. The focus of the day is the latest album ‘BODIES’, a solidifying sign of just how in awe and adoration of their current concoction they are, and the result is a flow-state delivery of its most groove-riddled and gargantuan highlights. ‘Revolver’ is stunningly bludgeoning, and ‘Silver Swarm’ is silky smooth in scope and stature, whilst ‘Mercia’ allows vocalist Jacob Charlton to really let his caramel tones flood this famous field. As much as this is a momentous occasion for the band, the way they took it in their stride and drew even more hearts and souls into their gang is as impressive as it is inspiring. That’s all the evidence you should need to confirm that whatever is coming up next for them is going to very much live at this size. ✏️ Jack Rogers 📷 Carla Mundy

Trivium's Matt Heafy takes us through his Donington memories, latest EP 'Struck Dead' and the 20th anniversary of 'The Crusade', backstage at Download Festival. WATCH: youtube.com/watch?v=qtronZ4I…

vianova, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: If you weren’t already aware, vianova are THAT band. Spending the last 12 months going from being a true hidden heavy music gem to one of the most celebrated future scene-stealers, this moment on the Dogtooth Stage, their biggest ever show, no less, feels as much like a cherry on top of their rise as it is their opportunity to invite even more into the frantic folds of their incredible universe. And from the soulful opening of ‘Squier Talk’ through to the sporadic battery of ‘Whatever Alright’, they deliver on all levels in ice-cool style. Alex Kerski is such a foreboding talent, dealing out gorgeous refrains and crushing gutturals without ever letting his furry crown slip, whilst the band are as tight as it is possible to be, throwing their weight around as losing themselves in the sauce; ‘Más Rápido’ packing both in It equates to the kind of display that will be referenced for years to come. A complex, tectonic, exhilarating affair, fulfilling every ounce of promise this remarkable outfit has before them and then some. Generational stuff. ✏️ Jack Rogers 📷 Carla Mundy

BABYMETAL chat Donington memories, their 15th anniversary as a band, working with Jordan Fish and Tatsuya Kitani and more, backstage at Download Festival. WATCH: youtube.com/watch?v=-VwEK5CC…

Die Spitz, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: When Kate Halter walks out onto the Avalanche Stage in a handstand, everyone inside the tent knows they’re about to witness the kind of set that’ll have people talking long after the weekend’s up and the festival gates have closed. Since the arrival of Die Spitz's debut album ‘Something To Consume’ last year, the Texan four-piece’s off-kilter, slightly manic blend of grunge, metal, post-hardcore, and more has captured the attention of everyone from Jack White to Olivia Rodrigo. And, as becomes evident as crowds form a good while before their set begins, Download Festival wants in on the action too. Powering through the gravelly snarls of ‘Pop Punk Anthem (Sorry For The Delay)’ and the venomous bite of frantic punk rager ‘Grip’ with the kind of confidence most musicians work a lifetime to master, they incite a kind of fuzzed-out mayhem that constantly teeters on the edge of destruction. Really, it’s the type of band you want to be a part of. The joy radiates through the packed-out tent, and the energy surges from front to back as they rip through the raucous punk of ‘RIDING WITH MY GIRLS’ and the blistering riffs of ‘Throw Yourself To The Sword’. Simply put, it’s a bloody good time. Half an hour of sheer passion, power and punch, the kids aren’t just alright, they’re absolutely killing the game right now. ✏️ Maddy Howell 📷 Carla Mundy

Pendulum, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: Pendulum have a longstanding, and fantastical, history when it comes to Download. From their early days, cartwheeling out of the drum and bass underground into the belly of the rock and metal beast, to their triumphant return as they re-approached full band duty earlier this decade, every experience up until now, once again taking over the Apex Stage, further cements just how special the relationship between electronic music and mosh culture is. It certainly helps trigger the carnage when so much of their latest album, ‘Inertia’, taking up a large chunk of today’s offering, is brimming with such heaviness. The playful bounce of ‘Napalm’ and the discomforting thrills of ‘Halo’ have pits forming in every corner, inhibitions thrown to the bleachers. But it’s when they really get in the rhythm that their genius shines through the brightest. A quick one-two of the iconic ‘Blood Sugar’ and their timeless edit of The Prodigy’s ‘Voodoo People’ rolls back the years beautifully, whilst a guest appearance from Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynolds, dealing out the pair’s energetic take on ‘Sorry, You’re Not A Winner’, is as unifying as it gets. As a brilliantly abrasive ‘Tarantula’ seals the deal, this time-honoured and powerful cultural crossover has yet another layer of concrete holding it together. And long may these boundaries keep on getting pushed. ✏️ Jack Rogers 📷 Carla Mundy

Black Veil Brides, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: If you want to see how a metal show in 2026 should be delivered, go and watch Black Veil Brides. They have seen and done it all over their many visits to Donington Park, but there is something about today that feels different. Something in the air that’s making the riffs sharper, the gutturals harsher, the solos slicker, and Andy Biersack’s smile bigger and heart even more appreciative. Perhaps it’s how clearly head over heels the band are with their recent output, representing new album ‘Vindicate’ with a euphoric ‘Bleeders’ and beautifully devastating ‘Certainty’, showcasing just how melodically soaring and densely heavy their intentions are these days. Perhaps it’s because some of their classics are causing pandemonium from front to back of this gigantic field, the metalcore battery of ‘The Legacy’ and timeless melodies of ‘Knives and Pens’ raising voices of fans old and new to deafening volumes. Or perhaps it is simply that, right now, they are more locked in and laser-focused than ever before, and that will always produce a genuinely unmissable performance. Black Veil Brides forever? Black Veil Brides forever. ✏️ Jack Rogers 📷 Carla Mundy

Sleep Theory, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: There’s just about enough room for everyone to have a little boogie to Miley Cyrus’ ‘Party In The USA’ just before Sleep Theory take to the Avalanche Stage for their Download debut. But what little space there is seems to disappear as soon as the crushing breakdown of ‘Fallout’ takes hold. And once they’ve got the crowd firmly in the palm of their hand, it’s obvious the Tennessee bunch aren’t planning to loosen their grip for one second. With vocalist Cullen Moore taking every opportunity to hype up those stood before him, hands are waving from side to side for ‘Stuck In My Head’, bodies clambering onto the shoulders of friends during ‘Words Are Worthless’, and sing-alongs aplenty for R&B-infused ‘Gravity’ and the euphoric ‘Numb’. What’s truly mindblowing, though, is the sheer number of people that belting out every single word of the band’s set. Once you notice it, it becomes abundantly clear that something very special is happening here, and it's even clearer that this is the lowest Sleep Theory will ever feature on a Download lineup. If for some reason you didn’t believe the hype before, good luck denying it now. ✏️ Maddy Howell 📷 Carla Mundy

Black Veil Brides and As It Is , your Rock Sound cover stars, backstage at Download Festival. Grab your magazines now, alongside some world exclusive merch, at SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV 📷 Mark Forrer

The Red Arrows, making their way across the sky above Donington Park. As iconic as it gets. 📷 Carla Mundy

South Arcade, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: There is nothing like watching a band reach stratospheric levels in real time, and with every appearance that South Arcade make, they are getting closer and closer to the stars. Rather than simply taking this main stage appearance in their stride, they are going above and beyond. Firing on all cylinders, literally, with plenty of lunchtime pyro and CO2 cannons bolstering their sugary sweet and quietly punishing bangers, they instantly make this space their playground. Take recent epic ‘SUPERMAN’, which is absolutely spellbinding in a live setting, whilst ‘stone cold summer’ feels even more fun-filled and playful than usual. Though it is in Harmony Cavelle’s pinpoint control of this endlessly expanding crowd that stands out the most. Between demanding pits on both sides of the site as well as getting the masses surfing over the barricade in their droves, she is a superstar through and through. And with some massive shows booked in around the UK early next year, delivering such powerful and preppy excellence with such ease on a proving ground of this calibre is about as perfect a brand of preparation you can possibly get. It’s South Arcade’s world for the taking, basically. So, are you or in the way? ✏️ Jack Rogers 📷 Carla Mundy

Halestorm, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: There are few things lovelier than seeing a band have the time of their lives onstage. Really, that’s what every Halestorm show is like, but there’s something even more special about that feeling when it’s radiating through somewhere steeped in as much metal history as Donington Park. From the minute she steps onstage, Lzzy Hale performs with the energy of someone who has just won a competition to sing with their favourite band, and the more you watch her, the more you realise that’s precisely what she’s doing. Lzzy and her bandmates aren’t the only ones having a ball, either, as every person packed tightly in front of the Opus Stage laps up each drop of the rock ‘n’ roll magic that songs like ‘Freak Like Me’ and ‘I Am The Fire’ deal out in copious measure. Whether they’re channelling it into the earth-shattering emotional release of ‘I Gave You Everything’ or the badass snarl of ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’, every note exudes an indescribable energy that serves to remind you that this is a band doing what they do purely because they love to do it. Because they love the people they get to do it with, and the family they’ve built whilst doing it. Boasting some of the biggest riffs and finest musicianship you’ll find in these fields this weekend, there’s a good reason why the crowds seem to double every time Halestorm take on Download, and long may those glorious confetti-soaked final sing-alongs of ‘Here’s To Us’ continue. ✏️ Maddy Howell 📷 Jack Rogers

Limp Bizkit, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: Two years on from the last time that they completely levelled Donington Park, a moment that was so intense, vital and absolutely undeniable that it not only instantly wrote itself in folklore but cemented their intention to headline the whole festival now, there is a real sense as you look across these famous fields why Limp Bizkit continue to be such a cornerstone of the scene. As far as the eye can see, there are red caps turned backwards, jeans worn low and even a couple making moves in a handmade Bentley Azure. Rollin’ in style to say the least. Despite defining a completely different generation, it’s clear just how visceral the hunger for the chaos the band bring is still wonderfully prevalent all these years later. And as the motley crew saunter on stage, dedicating the set to their recently departed brothers, bassist Sam Rivers and close friend Dougie Miller, they waste no time in sending turn-of-the-millennium shockwaves through this field. ‘Break Stuff’ and ‘Nookie’ are still hard as nails in scope, whilst every beat of ‘Livin’ It Up’ is hit to sheer perfection. ‘Dad Vibes’ continues to shimmer with effortless cool, whilst ‘Bring It Back’, representing 2011’s ‘Gold Cobra’, now feels incredibly welcome and sharp to the touch, amongst so many classics. There's even a guest appearance from Lauren Sanderson on a devastating 'Hot Dog'. The reaction throughout is one of utter euphoria. Feet are off the floor, arms held aloft, and voices are cracking with the level of power and passion that sit behind such aggressive words. It’s nothing short of a masterclass in control of chaos. Still as furious and fun as they were 30 years ago, and clearly still all absolutely loving being able to orchestrate such scenes, it’s the sort of energy, electricity and exuberance that is so necessary in these wild times. Rocking the set never felt so good. ✏️ Jack Rogers 📷 Carla Mundy

Electric Callboy, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: There are things happening right now on the Apex Stage that have definitely never occurred at Donington Park before. The first time a German Schlager song has been performed. The first time a hardstyle remix of blink-182’s ‘All The Small Things’ has been dropped. And, probably most prominently, the first time that a band has changed into gym gear in under a minute. The thing is that Electric Callboy have always been about pushing the ante in this manner. The fact that they are now able to do it in front of literally thousands is just testament to not letting anyone dull your sparkle. Their rise to the top is all the proof you should ever need that being yourself makes diamonds and this is a well-earned display on Download’s biggest stage. And whilst they are here, they're making sure that every boundary is pushed to breaking point. The deafening bass that accompanies opening bruiser ‘TANZNEID’ is stunningly belligerent, whilst the glorious positivity of new belter ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ is impossible not to shimmy to. Every delivery, from the continuously iconic ‘Hypa Hypa’ to the sterling silliness of ‘Elevator Operator’ is brilliant and bold, and the humongous crowd before them gobble up every last bit. It’s a firm and always welcome reminder that this community is at its absolute best when it lets loose a little bit. And when Electric Callboy are the ones striking the match, it really does wonders. ✏️ Jack Rogers 📷 Carla Mundy

Hollywood Undead, Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: There’s something about Hollywood Undead playing on Download’s biggest stage just as the sun finally breaks out from behind the clouds that feels so gloriously right. It’s been over 15 years since the Californian band made their Donington debut, but whenever you hear Johnny 3 Tears scream those rallying opening cries of ‘Undead’, you know you’re in for a good time. Today is no exception, and there’s not one pair of feet still planted firmly on the floor as Charlie Scene and J-Dog take turns spitting bars over the song’s synthesiser-led take on the iconic ‘Crazy Train’ riff. From there, the party is in full swing. Recent single ‘1x1’ boasts a pulse-racing sample of Slayer’s ‘Raining Blood’, ‘Riot’ and ‘Another Way Out’ hit like the soundtrack to the messiest of college parties, and the heavy-handed synths of ‘Comin’ In Hot’ deal out the sweetest nostalgia in generous doses. With every pair of hands in the sky for a World Cup-ready sing-along of ‘Sweet Caroline’ and a joyous rendition of the deceivingly upbeat ‘Bullet’, by the time party anthem ‘Everywhere I Go’ is blaring through the stage monitors, Donington Park is boasting a mighty sea of very happy metal fans. This is what Download is all about. ✏️ Maddy Howell 📷 Carla Mundy

P.O.D., Download Festival 2026 LIVE REVIEW: Gratitude. It’s been a big part of everything that P.O.D. have done over the last 30 years, but it is flowing in abundance throughout this Apex Stage showing. The smile on Sonny Sandoval’s face doesn’t disappear throughout their half an hour in the sun, showing off the best of what defined them yesteryear as well as what is driving them today. Newer slaps ‘Drop’ and ‘I Got That’ are as infectious as they are intense, whilst ‘Youth Of The Nation’ and ‘Southtown’ bristle with plenty of turn of the century vibrancy. Though it is with the final crescendo of ‘Alive’ where the sentiment of the set hits fever pitch. It’s a moment that is particularly pertinent for guitarist Marcos Curial, who dedicates the track to his daughter Scarlett Rose, who was born literally yesterday. Matched with the timelessness of the song’s message, of appreciating the air that’s coursing through your lungs, it’s as emotional as it gets. A reminder of the beauty that this life is capable of delivering, and that sticking around to experience it is one of the most special things you can do. And hearing tens of thousands of voices unified crooning along to it feels like pure healing in action. “You are so powerful, Download,” Sonny barks, and the feeling is sensationally mutual. ✏️ Jack Rogers 📷 Carla Mundy