I can’t remember the last time I came home from Download with sunburn. But here I am, sore and red. Like an idiot, I didn’t heed the info being beamed onto the Download screens about using suncream. But that’s probably because I was trying to ignore the unending Live Nation adverts, going in a loop all day long between bands… We’re reaching peak commercialism here, and I don’t like it.
However, for the first time in recent memory, Download Festival unfolded under blazing sun rather than dark clouds and ankle-deep mud. This year feels like a rare anomaly — dry, hot, and almost entirely rain-free — and the shift in weather brought with it a change in atmosphere. Good and bad, with large swathes of the festival covered in camping chairs and picnic blankets — at times, it was more quintessential British beach holiday, than metal festival.
Nevertheless, the festival did have some real highlight moments, and on the main stage (Apex), those moments came in large part from the legacy acts. Green Day delivered a set jammed-full with classics, while the band members are still bursting with the energy they had last time I saw them on the American Idiot tour 20 years ago. Billie Joe Armstrong is still a master showman, and the band’s performance proved just how much the current rock landscape lacks bands with this kind of timeless songwriting and genuine connection.
Korn brought a thunderous intensity to Apex on Sunday night, which reminded everyone of just how primal and confrontational nu-metal can be when done right. They’re one of the few bands from that era that still sounds fresh and relevant today — Deftones, being the prime example. Another standout on that main stage came from Weezer, whose breezy, turbo-Californian set, filled with anthems, all grounded in nerd-rock nostalgia, landed far better than I expected. It was amazing to see the younger attendees among us watching on and singing along like they were in the presence of rock ‘n’ roll royalty — I felt the same way when I watched Black Sabbath at Ozzfest ‘98.
The real talking point this year, though, may well be Sleep Token. Whether you’re a fan or not (and many are not), their rise is undeniable. Their Saturday night set confirmed their status as the darlings of Download 2025 — they won the tshirt battle, too. Mysterious, genre-blurring, and theatrical, they’re a band pushing metal’s boundaries. While they may divide purists, they’re expanding what heavy music can be — and that’s exactly the sort of evolution the genre has always thrived on.
Still, as is often the case at Download, it was the smaller stages where perhaps the most memorable sets took place. UK newcomers Vower were brutal and crushing, and they had that LA harcore sound of the mid-90s (think Downset). And it didn’t feel faux; it felt real and deliberate. Anyone remember Senser? We’ve got a new, much heavier, version of those guys, I think. Vower are definitely ones to watch in the British metal scene. Over on the Dogtooth Stage, Battlesnake were a highlight, too. They brought a theatrical dose of Aussie absurdity, but with some serious musical chops. And the outfits were bang on.
Not everything landed, however. Some acts — like Mothica — delivered sets that felt more like Spotify background noise than main stage moments. But, to provide some balance, the music did seem to resonate with the people that were there, so who knows? It just felt a little empty and lacking. I think with a full live band behind her (bass being key), it could be far more engaging and memorable.
Perhaps the biggest gripe for me, though, is the increasing number of camping chairs parked up in front of stages. It’s killing the live experience. Not only is it like navigating a labyrinth to get anywhere near the stage to enjoy a half decent sound, people behave like they’ve paid and secured that corner of the field when they park their chair there. This is a rock festival. People move around and want to have fun. I get it, many need seating, and that’s why there’s a space for that. And I also get that it was hot. But, we’re talking vast swathes of the festival site covered in chairs. It kills it. A rock show should feel alive — not like a village fête with amplifiers.
Adding to the sense of disconnect was the endless loop of Live Nation adverts between sets. Instead of keeping spirits high with music, fans were bombarded with corporate promos on repeat. It sucked much of the life from the in-between moments — atmosphere-killers when energy should’ve been building.
That said, some practical elements were better than ever. Toilets were the cleanest I’ve ever seen at a major festival. They were plentiful and the queues were quick-moving. This made a noticeable difference over the course of three days — especially now I’m of middle age. Listen: if you’ve ever queued in mounds of mud for a questionable portaloo, you’ll know how rare this small mercy is.
In many ways, Download is at a crossroads: The line-up was a bit hit-and-miss, but the festival still knows how to deliver moments that remind us why we fell in love with heavy music in the first place. That said, the creeping commercialism, chair fest, and uneven line-up point to deeper questions about where it goes from here. Still, with bands like Sleep Token keeping things moving forward, and the smaller stages keeping the underground fires burning, there’s reason to believe that the festival will be around for quite some time yet.
When Lady Gaga steps onto the stage at The O2, towering above the crowd on the wide skirt of a deep red crinoline dress, it’s immediately obvious that this won’t be an ordinary Tuesday night. Known for never holding anything back, the theatrical pop visionary dives straight into world-building, transforming the arena into a surreal, camp horror setting. She faces off against another version of herself, surrounded at different moments by skeletons, witches and plague doctors.
“I must sing and build the walls to cradle my own space, and my own sound will grow the fortress of a home erased,” the two Gagas declare in unison before the grand entrance. What follows feels like a powerful reflection on the refuge and sense of belonging she has carved out with her music since her breakout moment with ‘Just Dance’ in 2008.
Aside from her newest release ‘Mayhem’, it’s the songs from her early records ‘The Fame’ (and its reissue ‘The Fame Monster’) and ‘Born This Way’ that take center stage. Although Gaga has reinvented herself many times over the years, it was those early projects and eras that built the groundwork for her artistic journey and gave her the freedom to experiment however she wished.
Lady Gaga credit: Samir Hussein/Getty Images for Live Nation
Her imagination and creative drive are fully on display tonight. One moment she’s sinking into the folds of her massive skirt, bursting out from a cage as ‘Abracadabra’ echoes around the venue. The next, she’s locked in a fierce duel with her chessboard “white queen” double during a striking performance of ‘Poker Face’. When she sings ‘Perfect Celebrity’, she moves into a sandpit, using it to show the complicated push and pull between love and resentment, gently holding and then violently gripping the skeleton lying beside her.
A breathtaking rendition of ‘Paparazzi’ keeps that feeling alive, as Gaga stumbles down the runway dressed in a white lace look partially covered with metal plates and crutches, like a knight stripped of its armor. The night is filled with imagery and layers of meaning, but she never loses sight of making it pure entertainment.
She also uses the moment to acknowledge the people who have supported her along the way. A triumphant ‘Born This Way’ becomes a tribute to the queer community. Gaga speaks from the heart, saying they have “inspired me for my whole career” and tells them, “You are so precious to me and to the world.” Sitting at the piano during the acoustic segment, she is clearly touched by the audience’s overwhelming love and takes a quiet moment to express her emotions.
Lady Gaga credit: Samir Hussein/Getty Images for Live Nation
“I feel very, very lucky to be here tonight,” she says, looking back at the first time she performed in the UK twenty years earlier. “I feel so humbled that, almost 20 years later, I’m still here.” After emotional versions of ‘Dance In The Dark’ and ‘The Edge Of Glory’, she asks the crowd, “If I come back 20 years from now – I’ll come back sooner – but will you come and see the show?”
There’s hardly a soul in the room who wouldn’t say yes, especially after a night this imaginative and flawlessly executed. Returning to full theatrical energy, Gaga leans into the absurd for ‘Bad Romance’, telling the crowd to “put your paws up” and showing off her hands with ridiculously long, sausage-like fingers, as if she’s stepped into a gothic version of a scene from Everything Everywhere All At Once.
As flames appear on top of the opera house behind her, she walks offstage and reemerges for the encore without makeup, wearing a plain black outfit and a beanie over the hair hidden beneath countless wigs throughout the show. It’s a quiet nod to the person behind all the spectacle, but still part of the performance. Like everything she’s done tonight, it’s executed with complete precision and heart.
