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