Download Festival: That's A Huge Fest

[@DrVagax]

Hey Wyatt just a tip, the audio for this video seems really low. Not sure if you can still edit that after you have uploaded it but it is much lower in volume then other videos

[@boltywolty123]

It was near 30 degree heat every day! Not a drop of raine! We’ve named it ‘dustload 2023’ 🤣🇬🇧 love you man!!

[@ct5625]

Still better than Drownload, or Brownload. Both of which I was unfortunate enough to attend lol

[@smejkal1992]

Went this year. Was my first time from DL as I was coming from Ohio. It was the best 5 days of my life. It is the greatest festival. 5 days with friends camping and having so much fun. BMTH headline set left Metallica in the dust.

[@mitchellrobins7482]

Have only just found your channel recently as I have been looking into hellfest! I grew up 10 minutes away from download and have attended 11 of the festivals since I was 10 years old! Download has a magic that not many festivals can keep up with but sadly this year (2024) made download feel more like a soft rock festival than any other year!

[@valroxen9547]

I went to Download this year, it was me and my buddies first festival and oh my god what a fantastic experience. Was between Bloodstock or Download (we will hopefully be doing Bloodstock next year we'll see) but once we saw Metallica on the setlist our decision was pretty clear, Metallica is my second favourite band after DragonForce so it was a massive no brainer especially with two nights. The bands themselves were immense, I'm known to listen to entire libraries of certain bands rather than a wide variety of bands so there's a lot of bands I didn't know going into the festival and wow they blew my socks off. Day 1s bands were a massive highlight: Halestorm was the first we saw and WOW they were so much fun, Skindred followed and they were absolutely for me the best performance of the festival, crowd interaction and vibes beyond imaginable so having to leave it early was quite a shame but was worth the trade off. I LOVE Metallica so their first set was a must see, to see them for the first time made me so emotional and I really went for it when they kicked things off (our view was quite good but not as close as we could have) and while it was honestly absolutely epic to see them for the first time, there was problems with Kirk's guitar so something like the Blackened solo was a bit disappointing but honestly I could hardly be disappointed. Day 2 was a lot of fun too. I opted more so to stay with some people I met there further back in the area for a lot of it that day, but still enjoyed a lot on offer. Pendulum was great to chill and vibe too, Architects was also a really enjoyable performance that I somehow just randomly ended up getting dragged to the mosh area for by a couple of mates who I lost in the pit and ended up just chilling on my own and vibing to their stuff. We did get to the arena quite late that day so those were the only two bands I listened to properly (think I remember Hot Milk and the Nova Twins being enjoyable?), unfortunately missed Evanescence to go with a friend to pick up their friend and while I can tell that BMTH had a fantastic set that everyone enjoyed, me and the couple people I was with didn't really enjoy it and left to get our merch and have an early sit down instead might be my regret of the festival not staying for the whole thing. I'd say Day 3 is my top top highlight probably. Again went quite late with people (at that point the heat was starting to get to people) so unfortunately missed a couple of bands I was excited to see like Ice Nine Kills and Municipal Waste. Three Days Grace were surprisingly really enjoyable for me (not sure why I wouldn't have enjoyed it but idk) so it was a lovely start to the day but the oh my god did the big guns fire. Me and my best mate had a simple plan, get into the mosh area for Disturbed and Metallica. Disturbed was really really enjoyable, they were the band I was second most excited to see so they delivered very much. I wouldn't say they were at their best but I was genuinely reduced to tears when the lead single was crying during an emotional song and then killed off by the speech that followed about addiction and depression, for me the best individual moment of the whole festival. Metallica set 2 deserve its own paragraph, we had to wait a bit for them after Disturbed but holy hell it was so worth it. Being much closer meant I could hear it incredibly well across all instruments, which completely blew me away. After kicking it off with Whiplash they immediately jumped into the individual moment that I was most excited for across the entire festival, hearing For Whom The Bell Tolls live. ACTUAL. GOOSEBUMPS. Once again ended up reduced to tears, never felt so happy in my life honestly, which THEN they played the Call of Ktulu not long after which AGAIN made me just sob with happiness. Never had more fun that day than in my entire life before, which was topped off by my decision to crowd surf during Enter Sandman at the end of the show, which I did and was absolutely INCREDIBLE and made me feel so alive after. I was so blown away after it all that I genuinely had to go to bed immediately and missed the one massive piss up the whole crew I was with had xD. Oh and also met some random girl after who looking back on was definitely hitting on me (my campmates all let me know after how badly I had fucked up...) Day 4 was also great fun. Parkway Drive were incredibly fun, I Prevail I didn't really enjoy but it was alright, missed Ghost because I needed a jumper from my tent and a shit lmao and whilst we did have issues getting into the pit area for Slipknot because the security were being tight, I had a great time listening to them although. Was quite tired by then so I can't really say much else. For me though the vibes with all the people I met was the best part, we did so many different things together and it made memories I will never ever forget, I still get post festival depression looking at the polaroid of us all together. Would do it again in a heartbeat (except maybe the whole drinking a 3L bag of red wine part...). Food was really nice, drinks were good, facilities were great, staff were friendly all be it a bit clueless. Downside for me were: Traffic - Honestly it took me and my mate 8 hours to get from Birmingham to Donington on the coach and even then the whole coach decided to get out early and walk for another good hour just to avoid waiting for another few hours so we could get in before it became dark. Was a disgrace and the organisation was appauling. Lack of shade - There was basically nowhere to hide from the sun so it became very exhausting at times. Water - I believe they were really struggling with water amounts at the end of the festival which is bad. Stewards - We didn't get searched going into the festival and the same multiple times when we entered the arena, also had to go on a hike to three different infomation booths to find my access wrist band. Shower lines - Having to wait 1 hour and 30 mins for a shower was pretty criminal but eh it was my first time. Overall had a smashing time, would go again tomorrow if possible and definitely buying next years tickets. WOW that spiralled out of control, sorry the Autism meant once I started I couldnt stop...

[@ct5625]

I've been going to Download for the full weekend since 2005 and the community I have found there is the best part about it for me. Most other people just go for the music, but me and my friends have met amazing people there and we meet up with them again every year. I occasionally might catch up with one or two at another gig some time, but mostly we meet up at DL, camp together and party for 5 days, then say bye until next summer.

[@cookiesontoast9981]

Download this year was my first festival and I had a great time, a lot of the bands there aren't really for me but I loved seeing Behemoth, Carcass, Undeath, Lorna Shore and Pupil Slicer, missed Ingested since I already saw them a month before and was intrigued by a smaller rock band I heard. Did see a few others and enjoyed pretty much all of it. But the heat along with the constant walking up and down hills and lack of water access? can piss off. Probably going to come back to Download future years depending on the lineups, but can't wait to go to Bloodstock and a handful of Black metal only festivals I've got booked.

[@Bobendingo]

I did Bloodstock last year swell as DL and it was class. Its a bit smaller so cues are smaller, a lot heavier bands and... BIN JOUSTING. If you know, you know

[@unholyphish]

@cookiesontoast9981 I'm gonna book my bloodstock tickets tomorrow hopefully too. What other black metal festivals are there in the UK? I'm out of the loop outside of the big two metal fests sadly.

[@cookiesontoast9981]

@@unholyphish There's quite a handful of illusive Black metal festivals that pop up that sometimes I miss them. The ones I'm going to are Cosmic Void in September in London which is a 3 day fest, the biggest names on that one are probably Darkspace, Borknagar and Naglefar. A 1 day fest in Manchester in August before Bloodstock which has Winterfylleth, Saor, Stormkeep and a few others. And there's one called Fortress Festival which is in Scarborough that I was SO pissed off that I only just heard about a few weeks after it happened because I live very close. I'm not missing that one next year or any year from now on. I missed Panopticon and Havukruunu. ☹ These Fortress guys are the same ones who are putting on that Manchester Winterfylleth 1 day fest so keep an eye on them as they do a few different ones. Then there's more in London too which I haven't been to, one called "Incineration" which had some huge names like Enslaved, Marduk and Rotting Christ this year but I missed it because I didn't know it existed. I'd like to go to that one but London is a distance from me and is very expensive to stay in, so I'm going to have to pick 1 Black metal festival a year in London haha. Guess it depends on the lineups and how busy I am. I'm going to a few Black and Doom metal smaller gigs throughout the year too which can usually be found on Ticketmaster or the bands official websites. I'm still searching around for any and all Black metal festival organisers to write down and follow on Facebook or whatever so I can keep up to date on all this stuff. I wonder if there is a page somewhere with all these possible events listed.. I was sad before that Download and Bloodstock would be my only place to see bands but once I realised just HOW many Black metal fests there actually were just right under my nose? I'm going to as many as I can.

[@Smoggie98]

I went and it was genuinely one of the best weeks ive had, went on my own and camped in the area for those who go alone, met some of the best people and saw some of my favourite bands performing some of the best sets. It was that good by the time I had gotten home on the Monday I had already bought my ticket for next year. The only criticism is there was not enough shaded area's, I know there was issue with accessibility stuff but I didnt use any of that so I cant comment

[@unholyphish]

Yeah the accessibility stuff was... subpar this year. We only got confirmation of our camper van ticket 4 days before the festival (our van-neighbour got theirs the day before the festival!) and we had applied on the first day of applications in February for those. They were massively understaffed, the site we were on was on the opposite side of the arena to the Village with the convenience store, and they had no method of getting us there. At least we had our own toilets and water point in our disabled camper van site, but they had no grasp on logistics this year which was a shame. Still totally worth it though. Had a fucking blast of a weekend, and the dogtooth stage was fire this year.

[@ct5625]

DL has a bad habit of only getting things right for one year before forgetting it for the next year. So, next year there will be loads of shaded areas, no one will have reason to complain, so 2025 they won't have them. Same with the toilets. One year it'll be terrible, they'll get loads of complaints so the next year it will be absolutely perfect, then they don't get complaints so the next year it will be terrible again. They're reactive and not proactive. If people yell at them about something it will get fixed for the next year but quickly abandoned again.

[@allisondeckert604]

I know you just did MKE Metal fest, but Madison, WI is hosting a smaller festival called Mad With Power. It's gonna be pretty epic this year

[@chrisKoonce-yp2xl]

I was there in 2010 and it was my first Download Festival! I was also in the Napalm Death crowd. I also did 2011-2012 which were both awesome as well. I went back in 2018 and was disappointed because it seemed to be less about music and more about wrestling, circus acts and other stuff.

[@zuzanna.k2]

Another amazing video! I wait for every single video and as a new metalhead, they're very informative. I am wondering whether I should go to Download myself so this is perfect timing:) The best metal KZbinr!

[@wyattsmetal]

Thank you so much!

[@Jimbo-wx9pu]

Went to download for the first time in 2022 and is was such an experience. It was boiling hot, full of awesome people and just makes me miss being there every year it comes around. I had never crowd surfed before and got to do it to Megadeth which was awesome thanks to a really nice and massive guy in the pit. If I didn’t have ankle problems I would’ve stayed out all night. If you do go however I recommend warm clothing for night time because it drops low. Plus a few of us got blinded in the pit by something (probably dust) I got a sick eye patch from a second hand shop however so not all bad 😂

[@boltywolty123]

3:17 this speed shot of the grounds is epic!!

[@papabillydeth4723]

I saw Pantera at welcome to Rockville this year and I had to move back to stop getting crushed like your AC/DC show

[@OutSmoked420]

Dude it was amazing I'm so sad you missed it but on the other hand I'm glad you did, it was another heatwave year and water sold out a fair bit

[@jackfarr3133]

Been to DL in 2015, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23 alternating between going as a customer and working behind the bars, I worked the bars 15, 16, and 18. This festival holds a very special place in my heart and is very much my yearly pilgrimage for me and my mates. Really enjoyed this years and there's plenty of bands that impressed me this year - a lot of bands brought their A-game to their sets! Stand outs were Bring Me, Nova Twins, Clutch, Pupil Slicer, Enola Gay, Skindred for me. They definitely seem to be getting things gradually more organised and for these last couple of years they haven't made you walk around the e n t i r e race track to get to the campsites which is a big plus but you always expect some kind of a mooch at Download. Pro Tip for the drivers, leave as early as possible, we left at 6:30am and were in and camped up by 10:30am while it took friends who left like 6/7 hours to get there. I'd also recommend buying the Refresh Retreat for the decent toilets and showers which make you feel a little more human afterwards, bought them the last two years and they were a good choice. By Saturday/Sunday though the queues for the showers can get quite long so make sure you go first thing in the morning. Otherwise yeah as a DL veteran at this point I'd also add pack for rain and shine, bring a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated and expect to spend a lot on food and drink, so save up lmao. Otherwise yeah, love Download. Will always recommend going, it's got it's quirks as it can be a bit slow to update things which other festivals did years ago but by and large it's getting it together slowly.

[@CylonModel2]

Bring Me The Horizon played the best ever headline set I have seen there this year. Been to quite a few and it is a class festival.

[@djsweatshirtx]

It was incredible, so glad I went. The memories alone . Although my first Download hopefully not my last

[@Ms666slayer]

Speaking of festivals have you tried to visit some of the Festivals we have here in Mexico, mostly 2 that are the Mexico Metal Fest which has become the best Festival and then there's Candelabrum whihc bring underground bands like Devil Master, Hulder, Unanimated and that kind of stuff, Mexico Metal Fest is more varied ands the past year we had the Big 4 of German Thrash in the lineup whihc was awesome, then there's anothor big festival named Hell&Heaven but that one has a really bad reputation with organization and don't paying bands, one of their Headliners Emperor just canceled their appearance and decided to go to Mexico Metal Fest instead, also i'm sure that even with the flight going to a festival in Mexico is cheaper than going to an American one, btw good content. P.D. Also thos festivals in Mexico are big but small enough tha there isn't problems with overcrowds or, big lines for stuff like bathrooms or merch, also listening to Triumph of Death while eating some authentic Mexican tacos is something you cant get elswhere.

[@helendominguez7183]

Very warm this year! But just showered with bottles of water while walking around!! Hahah! BMTH surprised me, the HU very cool!!! Slipknot's sound was not great but still very happy to see them. We did camp but not onsite. Very recommended

[@the_teymur_]

This year was not only my first ever Download but also my first European festival. After I was finished flying for 8 hours and sitting in traffic for another 8, Download took my expectations for a fancy dinner and proceeded to make love to them for 4 days straight. Despite the heat and getting sick towards the end, I loved every moment. My highlights were the Architects' moshpits, The Rumbling of SiM, Bring Me The Horizon's entire headline show, and meeting so many amazing people!

[@lhamodenys3268]

Didn't go to download and never have been haha it looks amazing. I did go to my first festival last weekend, called Jera on Air in the Netherlands which was INSANE. You should go sometime or do a review of it like this on :DD Stay metal have a great day 🤘

[@frankunodostres473]

download is on the very top of my list of festivals I wanted to attend but I didn't have the chance yet... hopefully next year

[@kalebdrums3683]

Hey man you should look into the Upheaval Festival up here in Michigan. It’s a smaller 2 day festival based in Grand Rapids that’s rapidly gaining popularity. Upheaval 2023 is taking place in mid-July. It’s only been around for 3 years, but it has been very successful and has lineups that can compete with some of the biggest festivals in the US. However it is a VERY underrated festival that flys under the radar a lot because it’s on the same weekend as Rock Fest and Inkarceration, so I think it would greatly benefit if someone like you gave em a shoutout! 🤘🔥🤘🔥🤘

[@lewisjenkins1114]

I live in Burton-upon-Trent which is very close to download, I've been 9 times in a row but this uear I didn't go... But I could still hear it stood in my garden 😅

[@denise-cv7nl]

My son went, it was a heatwave. He looked like a lobster lol. Hey, I'm going to RADAR festival in Manchester uk in July to see the headliner periphery. Pleeease cover radar ❤

[@benmitton2401]

I went this year, apparently some of the campers were waiting in traffic for literally 8 hours to get in, i got a hotel so separate parking. would highly recommend going whenever you can, I've been going since 2018 and haven't missed any apart from the pilot as I was underage then and it was 18+ due to covid restrictions. think you can get early bird tickets for about 250 atm as well

[@unpotat7672]

Heck yeah! I went to Download 2010 as well as 2023! I can say that it was way busier overall this year compared to back then. Traffic was insane and I ended up walking like 5 miles as I was getting a lift and didn't want them to wait. That said I got to be on the front barrier for Metallica and got a pick for it too so it was worth it! A new thing(at least to me) they started doing is having barriers to get to the part in-front of the main stage and counting how many people get in there which helps with not getting crushed. Still pretty hectic though and a lot of fun! Also I swear its quieter now at the front of the main stage compared to the past, I feel like they comply more with regulations there, where as on the smaller stages you can be Infront of a speaker stack and its literally crazy loud :P

[@kierenbuckley370]

I was at Download and while I had a great time but the weather was too much for me most of the days, I don't do well with the heat especially at a sold out music festival and in the UK most of the time it's raining and cold at these music festivals

[@starscreamthecruel8026]

Mate of mine went to Download this year, he said Metallica were epic but got sunburnt thinking that he'd just reacted to the sunscreen badly and spent a lot of time passed out on one of the days. This year sounds like it was definitely for salamandars and fire immune reptiles only heh

[@cookiesontoast9981]

Yeah I really struggle with heat all the time anyway whenever it's warm, let along in a crowded festival with tons of walking and hills. I did use sunscreen though, which I think helped me.

[@unholyphish]

Also used sunscreen and survived barely this year. The real issue for me was getting water, there were massive queues for the water to the point that they stopped checking your bottles for vodka at the arena gates lol

[@lukemiles04]

I went to download this year and had no problem with traffic but the size of it for me was the biggest problem but I'm glad I saw metallica twice, within temptation, jinger, municipal waste, carcass and slipknot

[@unholyphish]

Jinjer were fucking brutal this year. I'm glad someone got in with no problems, I had a 5 hour wait that got us on our campsite at 1am oof.

[@lukemiles04]

@@unholyphish oh jesus 5 hours

[@barrycarter7274]

It's nice that you focused on the positives but yeah there is unfortunately quite a lot wrong with the festival if you start comparing it to Hellfest or wacken for example. Fantastic starter festival for teenagers and 20 somethings but once you start going to other big festivals you start noticing organisation problems 😅 I've been 5 times the main festival plus the 2021 pilot festival. 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and this year. This year was the first year it sold out since the acdc year I think. Since I've been going the following things have improved: - food. So much better selection that there used to be with cold pizza and awful burgers - paved area for the village. This definitely helps with mud for the years it does rain and is just a better experience all around - more selection at the bars and slightly better beer on offer (unfortunately all big festivals tend to have shit beer on tap because of sponsorships) Things that have changed but don't think it's actually improved anything: - camp layout is different with different camp sites moving since I last went. Didn't seem to make a difference - there's a new coop on site to buy extra things on site but doesn't really make that much of a difference in my opinion especially when compared to what's on offer at other festivals. Le clerc at Hellfest comes to mind Things that I really didn't like this year: - stage arena layouts. It's so difficult to get between stages at download compared to other festivals. 2nd stage really should be where the acdc stage was and have main stage 1/2 setup like most European festivals. Move stages 3 and 4 to where second stage is now and have a giant tent setup like temple/altar at Hellfest - 3rd stage was next to the food places so really difficult to get to the tent never mind inside it. Some of the artists were way too big for the tent - 4th stage is uphill so unless you're really tall or at the front can't see shit - there's only 4 stages.. For that many people to only have 4 stages is just mind blowing to me. - car parks were a disaster this year and caused 6+ hours of delays - the extra day of bands meant that they should have opened the festival grounds a day early to get everyone in - eco camping and camping plus didn't have enough space for people to camp inside those areas. I was turned away from camping plus because there wasn't space. That was after a 40 minute walk from one end to the other due to the car park situation. I could have just camped with friends if I had known - camping plus was poorly signposted so hard to find - there was great sunny weather this year but UK festivals are so unprepared for hot weather. - not enough water areas - water sold out at the bar and ran out at the water areas - no shade

[@seanuproject]

“We’ll maintained bathrooms”?? Guess I missed that this year at Download 😂 the bathrooms at the camp sites were absolutely disgusting after day 2. The ones in the village seemed to be cleaned every morning, but by 9am were in a state of disarray. There were girls crying outside the bathrooms as they were so filthy, it became impossible to use.

[@antonycharnock2993]

You have to camp in RIP for decent bathrooms. Some have their own valet but you have to pay the money unfortunately.

[@TheMcLaughlincrew]

Download was great this year, there was some issues that they need to sort out but for my first time, I bloody loved it

[@Woznizak]

i was meant to go to downlaod, but i sold my tickets so i could funnel more money into my power trip holiday, this year seeemed more dead than previous years according to friends that went, but im defo gonna go next year. (side note the pollen count was insane this year so i probably wouldve just spent the whole time wheezing in the corner)

[@starscreamthecruel8026]

They spread it out over a week to make up for missing years during the pandemic so it probably was the same number of people but just spaced out more.

[@boltywolty123]

I still have heyfever from this years download 😂 all worth it

[@starscreamthecruel8026]

@@boltywolty123 eat some local honey, might help your body deal with the symptoms :)

[@ct5625]

@@starscreamthecruel8026 The extra day was added because it was the 20th anniversary of the first Download fest in 2003. But you're right that this was a little misleading because there weren't actually many more bands to justify the extra day, they just spread them more thinly over 4 days instead of 3. The arena was the same size as it has been for several years, and this year was the first time they sold out since AC/DC. I think it was far busier this year than it has been in previous years.

[@sainty18666]

I went, it was sick & way better than my first… saw too many to list but all the bigger names aaaand I managed to crowd surf. So yeah, can’t complain really😅

[@NothingButElliot]

my second home haha see you all this year

[@AlanPerrinTheEmoPunkGuy]

I went to download festival 2024 and it was awesome and the best weekend of my life seeing bands like Black Stone Cherry, enter shikari, Fall Out Boy, the offspring, frank carter and the rattlesnake plus many other bands and I so want to be back there like now even if there was a ton of mud and rain to the point babymetal got pulled off stage lol but still a great weekend

[@Lord_Saulocias]

6 months late to it but the lineup in 20 was amazing for my first festival . i will be doing next year not because of the headliners but because the cowboys from hell are in town

[@1980extremeG]

Been to Download twice; 2006 and 2010. Best times ever. Probably wouldn't go again though, the newer bands dont really do it for me....

[@fisharecats]

Hi Wyatt. Have you ever been to BloodStock in the UK? Or will you be making a video on it?

[@wyattsmetal]

I've been once in 2012! But will definitely make a video on it

[@fisharecats]

​@@wyattsmetalI'm going on the Sunday this year, as my first time at any festival. And if I enjoy it, I've got to convince my mate to come Hellfest....

[@burdyyyyyyyyyy6047]

I love your Videos i hope everyhing thinh eent good with the Metal days problem

[@iicundyzz]

The traffic is usually no where near as bad as it was this year!

[@photobearcmh]

Download looks crazy, that might be too much of a good thing.

[@ct5625]

Bear in mind that crazy footage is mostly down the front, there are thousands of people further up the main stage hill enjoying picnics lol

[@fnaf3d83]

I was in this year download and it was insane

[@jackhook5166]

Bmths set was out of this world

[@treykoyawena4443]

Wish I could have gone this year motionless in white we’re playing here

[@slashismyhommie8182]

Dark Insanity sounds like some high school band from 2008.

[@wyattsmetal]

👍

[@alyssalambeth7561]

Ahhhh a festival set it off preformed at yay

[@Tacom4ster]

Lol I would have liked to gone to a concert than my own graduation

[@jonthenamelessproject99]

Download sounds like a really fun time and it's a festival I really want to go to but the main thing that puts me off is the pricing for it, it's VERY steep in terms of price, it was £345 for Adults across 5 nights which is a huge investment in of itself, throw in the tent you'll need, all the food and stuff, the merch you'll inevitably buy and you're looking about about £600+ spent at a festival. I know it's probably worth the price given how much is available at the festival but goddamn it's still expensive, as a university student I don't think I'm going to be getting there for a while, I reckon the debt from after Uni will stop be going till I'm in my late 30s and by that point I'll probably be a miserable old bastard who won't want to go out to festivals and interact with "the young" Obviously it will vary depending on what year you went and what bands tickled your fancy and stuff but for anyone who has been to Download though, would you say the price paid at the festival is good for what you're getting out of going to Download?

[@catatonicsloth]

You need to consider the usual inconveniences when you try to weigh the price of it: queuing, expensive food, lots of walking, you can only sleep between 1am and 5am because the airstrip is just 4km away from the campsites you will constantly hear planes taking off or landing, and that's the only time period when they pause the air traffic. Hell this year was insane for those campers who wanted to camp in purple/blue, because the traffic filled up the roads, the event coordinators had to switch the traffic between the north and west car parks, and the unlucky ones had to walk 40 minutes with their gear to their campsite. (I was volunteering this year) Also I think you are wrong on the "30 year old feels to old" part: there are plenty people who just chill in the arena on the camping chairs in the back. In overall I would say it well worth the price, because you will see incredible things for sure. E.g. ritual execution of a huge crowd surfing plushee panda, after it's owner did the surfing for the fourth time and they annoyed some people, and said people tore it out from their hands, and chucked it on the ground and they sat on it... Or the singer of parkway drive jumps in the crowd and starts shouting at people that they have to make a bigger circle for the mosh pit.

[@ct5625]

I've been going for the weekend since 2005. I'm by no means a wealthy guy. It is expensive, but I would say it's worth it. It's a bigger experience than just the bands. The DL community is one of the friendliest you'll ever find. Within moments of setting up your tent you'll have friends, and some of them will probably be friends you'll want to meet up and camp with the following year too. I'm still camping with friends I met there ten years ago. The Wed and Thurs are the days when most people just socialize and party. Going to the pubs nearby in Donington village is usually an annual tradition. Prices inside are bad, that's true, but we do have the co-op in the village which does well for selling beer and food at normal prices, so it's not actually that expensive outside of the arena itself. The walking is something you can't really avoid at a festival. Unless you're only going to really small indy fests you're always going to have a distance to travel. We complain about it all the time, but when you're there it's actually fine, there's no rush, just plan for the bands you want to see. We walk to the arena and back once every day, none of this "popping back to the tent" nonsense lol This year I calculated we walked 1.3 miles from tent to arena, twice a day, for 4 days. Then you have the walking to the toilets in camp, between stages in the arena etc. It is tiring, but as long as you pace yourself and know when to take breaks it's actually easy. And I say that as someone who has knee and back problems, and a heart condition. Even if you only see 20 bands over the entire weekend (which is a reasonable estimate for most people), that's £17 a band. You'd be paying a hell of a lot more to see all those bands on their own, with travel expenses, hotels, food and drink on top. There is an installment plan for tickets, so maybe you could look into that if it makes it easier? I would definitely recommend doing it, but I should warn that once you've been you'll want to go back. I think next year will probably be another sell out due to the sheer numbers of people who had such a good time for the first time this year.

[@ct5625]

@@catatonicsloth I actually thought the planes weren't an issue this year, but maybe I just got so used to it every summer I barely notice? lol I also took earplugs, only used them for 2 nights. I think this might have been the quietest year so far, generally. There was very little partying going on late at night until we got to Sunday. I think everyone just went into party mode when they knew it was the last chance.

[@metal_kid9682]

Where be the discord?

[@sumosprojects]

Nah smaller festivals are better especially when it’s all METAL 🤘🤘🤘

[@antonycharnock2993]

Bloodstock is where its at🤘

[@franciscogalvan4375]

why is your mic whispering to me

[@doomerzoomer]

I wish download australia was like download UK, sadly its just a nostalgia money grab, tho i dont think they're even coming back, no updates since they had to cancel bc of covid.

[@ct5625]

I had a little insider knowledge in the past and I can assure you they've wanted to start Download fests all over the place but they have to start it small to limit the risks of a flop. They can't just kick off in a new location with a 100K people event. If you support the smaller events they will get bigger, that's the nature of the business. When this DL started way back in 2003 it was a 2 day event, 2 stages, and I think capacity was 50K.

[@SpicyDisco]

the audio is super quiet on this video

[@wyattsmetal]

Sorry about that, looking into fixing it for the next one

[@artrock101]

What?

[@thechubbman]

Download has unfortunately gone downhill as of late, this year was really poorly organised and was honestly difficult to enjoy. Oversold/overcrowded, lack of basic amenities (no shade and an hour que for water!), the staff were uninformed and generally unhelpful. I’ve been 6 times since 2009 and my interest in returning is basically zero.

[@ct5625]

Where on earth did you queue an hour for water? I never had to wait more than 2 minutes to fill up my water bottle.

[@anjizetland-von-kiesel3346]

I really must get my arse to DL. I used to go to Monsters of Rock in the 80s and 90s and seen some amazing bands there. Still go to concerts but never been to DL for some strange reason? Let's see face it though, any festival is good if you have the right company.

[@BallJoinedWing]

discord link busted

[@wyattsmetal]

Just fixed it, not sure why this keeps happening. I keep telling the link to not expire

[@SamcroSon]

Download looks like a lot of fun but their lineups have been complete shit for the past 10 years

[@ejl1000]

The last good line-up was 2019. This year they doubled down on the Kerrang-core. Thanks God we still have Bloodstock!

[@boltywolty123]

yessss 🇬🇧🫶❤️🤘 Download this year was epic seeing Metallica! Doing RIP next year