With such a titanic line-up of bands set to hit Europe’s biggest rock and metal music festival this year it’s easy to forget that Download is also the home of some of the most varied, exhilarating, weird, wonderful and outrageous on site entertainment in the festival world.
This year’s dress-up theme is Pro-Wrestling so it is highly appropriate that additions to the programme this year include the country’s finest independent wrestlers, the mighty PROGRESS Wrestling, and the continuation of the beef between Champion Jimmy Havoc and our very own figurehead, Download Dog.
Other new on-site features include the Dog’s Bed Stage – the fully equipped open mic experience that allows YOU to follow in the footsteps of rocks pantheon by performing at Donnington, a Pop-Up Art Gallery, LASER TAG – no explanation needed, the Hair of the Dog beer and real ale house, heavy metal mask making and circus skills Workshops, KISS face painting (bring your own tongue) and speed dating hosted by Heavy Metal Dating.
And if all works out with the Heavy Metal Dating, you can practise tying the knot in Download’s Chapel of Love at the Inflatable Church. Alongside those wishing to get married (sadly not legally) there will be a host of other activities in the chapel – from the Morning Glory Rock Spandex Workout to Air Guitar Competitions and much more.
If that doesn’t get your motor revving then bear in mind that all of this insane entertainment comes to you in addition to Download favourites, The Doghouse – featuring such iconic rock club nights as Uprawr, Voodoo Rocks, Alpha, Face Down & Ultimate Power, as well as internet sensations and fast food-themedBlack Sabbath covers band Mac Sabbath – the big top Cinema, comedy and silent disco in the Side Splitter, medieval carnage courtesy of Demolition Download, and the instantly iconic Download Totem.
Away from the delirious awesomeness of the live music and the on-site entertainment Download continues to expand its amazing gastronomic offering with the likes of Goodness Gracious, Texas Smoker and Kwacker making mouths water this year, while the Seat of Luxury pass offers the cleanest, most refreshing high-tech festival toilet experience in the history of music festival toilets.
Remember that time Lord Somersby rocked Download? Well Lord Somersby has made his mark in many places, but never has he rocked out at Donington Park. This year, we are bringing his literal home, the Manor, including bar and DJ, to the spiritual home of rock. See you at the bar for a Somersby cider?
Some of rock’s biggest bands will grace the Zippo Encore stage, and the festival experience continues at the Zippo area where festival-goers can get their hands on the infamous limited edition Download Festival lighter, design their own Zippo lighters and take part in competitions to win side-of-stage experiences.
And then there’s the music…Download 2015 will be headlined by Slipknot, Muse and Kiss, with main support coming from Judas Priest, Faith No Moreand Motley Crue, with other musical beasts unleashed on the Donington faithful including Marilyn Manson, Slash, Enter Shikari, Black Veil Brides andBlack Stone Cherry.
