The final day of Download often sees sore heads and tired limbs, and 2025 was no different. Nonetheless, excitement was still very much hanging in the air for KoRn’s first headline set, the return of Spiritbox and much, much more. If you haven’t yet had the chance to check out our in-depth review of the Friday of Download 2025 and extensive review of the Saturday of Donington’s events then you can do so on the links provided.
Right, let us dive into Sunday’s action….
Following Bleed From Within’s thunderous set was never going to be easy, but Power Trip (8) make it look like the most natural thing in the world. Opening with Soul Sacrifice and encouraging multiple circle pits for Firing Squad, Seth Gilmore looks and sounds like he’s been fronting the band since day one, which is great when the rest of the band have all been there to build the band up from the earliest days. Power Trip’s thrash metal style could sit happily alongside bands like Exodus and Annihilator and there’s no doubt they belong here on the main stage, despite only releasing two studio albums. A face melting Manifest Decimation closes the set out with no doubt on anyone’s minds they’ll be back bigger and better (GL)
A rare sight at Castle Donington, Californian hardcore quintet, The Ghost Inside (8) generally never fail to get a crowd on their feet. With the bands comeback performance in 2022 having become something of an ‘if you know, you know’ moment in the festivals more recent history.
They get off to a great start in their newfound home on the substantially larger Opus stage here today too. Announcing their arrival with the familiar distorted guitar riff of Avalanche. Sounding impeccably tight as always. There’s little to fault in their performance as they plough through some other old favourites like The Great Unknown and Death Grip. Somehow though, something just feels a little less powerful than usual in the open air, despite their practiced ease.
We aren’t sure if perhaps vocalist Jonathan Vigil is struggling a little to pull the same energy he’s used to from a crowd that’s content to sit and eat their ice creams and cheesy chips in the sun. Or, maybe it’s just the change of surroundings. Follow up track, Wash it Away, taken from the band’s latest album, sounds every bit as good as its predecessors. As well as every bit as potent as it did on the bands UK headline tour late last year. Yet, somehow that magic spark that transforms a great show into the kind of spellbinding performances we’re used to from The Ghost Inside just isn’t there. That is, until the finale of Engine 45 rolls around and the band finally seem to really drop the hammer. Unfortunately though, by that point there’s no time left to capitalise on the momentum. (JL)
Presumably travel issues have bumped Seven Hours After Violet (7), from midday on The Opus Stage, to 3.30 on The Dogtooth Stage, making it the smallest stage SOAD’s Shavo has played on these shores in…. well possibly ever. Despite some clear nervousness on the part of frontman and resident growler Taylor Barber during the first couple of songs, it’s hard to imagine the band being able to do much wrong in this short set with a crowd this excited and he soon gets in the pocket leading the assembled mass through a short setlist of soon to be favourites including set highlight Cry and Abandon. Alejandro Aranda of American Idol fame handles all the clean vocal duties and it creates a fantastic dynamic on stage of the two different styles. SHAV are definitely a band to keep an eye on going forward, especially now Shavo is no longer the only interesting member of the band he’s in. (GL)
Masked mystery men seem to be something of a running theme at this year’s festival. Even Sleep Token would be left jealous by the hype train behind PRESIDENT’s (8.5) inaugural address at the Dogtooth stage today though. With thousands of bodies clamouring around the tents periphery trying to listen in. For all of the build up behind the bands debut. We do have to chuckle as their crew suddenly realise they’ve bought out a banner that’s way too big for one of Downloads more modest stages though. Probably should’ve double checked those dimensions before you left IKEA there boys.
Once PRESIDENT do finally make their way to the stage however, all is immediately forgiven. They sound immense as they plough into Fearless, with Vice calmly pacing from left to right in a tailcoat and mask, leading an impressive sing-a-long. Especially considering the bands two singles have only been out for a couple of weeks.
The three; as yet unreleased tracks, that follow, Dionysus, Rage and Destroy Me don’t get quite the same reaction. Namely because nobody knows the lyrics yet. The same combination of agonisingly heavy riffs, backed with a little tasteful electronica and some seriously powerful vocal work from our as yet unnamed new head of state has the audience voting with their feet instead though. Leaping onto one another to crowd surf their way to the barrier. Hands raised to the unseen sky in adulation.
With the entire tent now firmly in the palm of his gloved hand. Vice and his mysterious congressmen finish off their debut performance with In The Name of The Father. Which drops like a lit match in gasoline. Propelling even more bodies into the sky and towards the stage. Followed by a hearty ovation from everyone in attendance after PRESIDENT strike their final chord. We don’t know who they are, but they definitely get our vote!
Is there a better intro tape than the theme from Terminator? It’s OK, I’ll wait… No? Right, as the last of *that* drum beat closes out, Airbourne (9) bound onto the stage like it’s their first time playing and launch immediately into Ready to Rock and Back in the Game – yes gents you certainly are. Either physically prohibited from or threatened with very serious implications from doing so Joel O’Keeffe no longer climbs the stage, which although partly disappointing is greatly relieving that we definitely won’t see anyone fall to their death during the band’s early evening slot, instead the lunatic frontman climbs aboard a roadie’s shoulders to venture into the crowd whereupon he proceeds to smash cans of beer against his head until they spray their contents over those within range. It’s completely pointless and stupid, yet simultaneously a highlight of what is already one of the most fun sets of the entire weekend. New song Gutsy is fantastic, Live it Up is perhaps Airbourne’s best track and before they close with Runnin’ Wild Joel takes the time to give a shout out to all the road crew and staff, resulting in a huge cheer from the crowd. Thank you indeed. (GL)
Spiritbox (8) amass an absolutely gigantic crowd for their main stage Download debut, and their first performance here since their UK live debut in 2022 (if you want a refresher of that perfect set, you can grab a reminder here). Opening with Fata Morgana, it is clear that in the three years since their last appearance here, Courtney Laplante’s stage presence has grown even more powerful than what it was before. She owns the stage in an effortlessly cool way, while the first part of the set is molded around tracks like Jaded and Perfect Soul, showing Spiritbox do the melodic just as well as the heavier end of their material. Throwing in Secret Garden is a nice touch too in a performance where their breakthrough album Eternal Blue is limited to just three songs out of the thirteen.
It’s a great experience, but Spiritbox feel a tiny bit underpowered at times, the mix occasionally not doing them any favours. Courtney also looked to be using some throat spray after every song so whether she was a little under the weather, that is possible too. Ailments or not, dodgy sound or not, there’s no mistaking the impact of throwing out Circle With Me, Holy Roller and Soft Spine as part of a four track run. To be able to do this mid-set feels both incredible and borderline ridiculous, and is given the reception it absolutely deserves. Finishing on a mix of Ride The Wave and Cellar Door, Spiritbox have done more than enough here to suggest that they could be the ones to break the Download Festival glass ceiling for female singers to headline. (They then went on to be even better supporting the band who will probably get that nod, Linkin Park, a couple of weeks later). (JG)
Who would have thought Lorna Shore (9) would rocket up the Download line up like they have? Probably a lot of people to be fair, but the expectation hung in the air regardless. Opening with Sun//Eater and Cursed to Die, frontman Will Ramos is a slender chap with some very male model-esque hair and sunglasses as he seemingly summons demons from the depths of Hell with vocals so on point it’s unlikely any other bands were watching from the side of the stage out of sheer jealousy. Adam DeMicco, meanwhile, just casually stands to his left peeling out the heaviest riffs your bowels have ever heard before melting a multitude of faces with unfathomable solo work from a guitar seemingly inspired by the Nevermind the Bollocks colour scheme, whilst not breaking a sweat and competing for the Most Stoic Facial Expression award of the weekend.
Having put in a fantastic first half set, Will then announces they will now finish on Pain Remains I-III and so it’s such a shame that such a absolutely blinding performance from start to finish gets marred by the sound suddenly dropping out without warning. Fortunately, it’s less than 2 mins before everything is back on track and the band are able to get through all of the third part of the trilogy to complete their set, but as someone else said earlier in the weekend – it’s not what happens on stage, it’s how you handle it and, despite the clear disappointment on some of Lorna Shore’s faces, they couldn’t have been any calmer or gracious and that’s what everyone will remember. Well, that and how fucking good they were (GL)
Despite comments to the contrary, Bullet For My Valentine (8) did in fact play The Poison in full at Download 2025. Reviewers confession time – the first two thirds of BFMV’s performance was enjoyed courtesy of one of the gigantic sound towers being positioned exactly in the right place while two of Team Rock Sins spent an ungodly amount of time in the queue for The Roaming Rotisserie (10). And while it was frustrating not being able to see Bullet’s full stage show, it was exactly the same as from The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour earlier in the year which Rock Sins team attended en-masse. And for those not of a vegetarian or vegan persuasion, The Roaming Rotisserie is the BEST food stand at the whole festival, so it was time well spent. Well furnished with chicken, a good viewing spot for the remainder of Bullet’s set was quickly gained and it was just as enjoyable as on the tour earlier this year.
Matt Tuck’s inevitable proclamations about maybe getting to headline the festival one day are overly predictable as he does this every time (if you don’t count The Pilot in canon – and seemingly Matt acknowledges this with his remarks), but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable . The set ends with a pyro emblazened Knives and a pulverising Waking The Demon – and if Bullet can somehow recapture the magic of their first couple of albums, maybe Mr Tuck’s dreams of headlining Download might come true one day. (JG)
Being the final headliner on a 3 day festival could be considered a death spot. It’s the end of a long weekend, everyone is tired and for the most part ready to go home. If this genuinely was the case someone forgot to tell KoRn (10) & the 80,000 ish people who came to see them close out Download this year. It’s not a controversial take to say this has been a long time coming and we should have had this moment at least a decade ago.
Korn are arguably one of the most infuential and beloved bands of the last 3 decades. They always deliver when the stage is the biggest and the lights are on brightest and tonight is no exception. From the opening seconds of Blind “ARE YOU READY….” Mr Davis & co got their answer very resoundingly as Donington Park became a mass of bodies bouncing everywhere and for the next 90 minutes it was well and truly on. I’ve seen Korn live more than any other band, this might very well be the best time I’ve ever seen them… Playing with a hunger and viciousness that most bands half their age would love to have. There is certainly no messing about tonight. The setlist is sublime with all of their biggest touchstones rolled out.
This is as much of celebration of Korn as a whole as it is their ascension to festival headliner status. The onstage chatter is kept to a minimum, the band preferring to let the performance speak for itself, but when you are able to peel off such timeless classics as Clown, Somebody, Someone, A.D.I.D.A.S, Shoots & Ladders, Got the Life, Falling Away From Me, Here to Stay and the slightly deeper cut of Did My Time with such effortless ease, then you don’t really need to say anything else. With their peers in Linkin Park & Slipknot putting in some of the most memorable and iconic headline performances in the lineage of Download Festival, KoRn have now cemented their place in the history books with a life affirming, euphoric and undeniable show that will live forever in the hearts and memories of those lucky enough to witness it. (SC)
And so KoRn bring to an end yet another wonderfully successful and enjoyable Download Festival. One where we stayed dry the majority of the time (a huge win before we cover a note of music), and Green Day made it well worth the very long wait for their Donington debut. Sleep Token proved their headliner credentials, and KoRn made everyone say “why did it take so long to give them the headline slot”. That, in conjunction with many stand out performances across the three days made this one of our favourite Downloads to date. Bring on next year!
Words by Jamie Giberti (JG), John Layland (JL), Simon Crampton (SC) and Greg Latham (GL). All photos by Jemma Dodd except header image, by Carolina Faruolo.
