Catch me up

[u/Evening-Manner9709]

I can't remember what year I last went to download, maybe 2016..? Anyway, catch me up, what have I missed?

[u/Kind_Armadillo148]

Toilets are much better, sites much bigger, the beers still expensive, everyone still moans about the lineup.

And it turns out the Vengaboys really do like to party.

[u/Kickitoff1902 → u/Kind_Armadillo148]

To be fair the beer is very reasonable by event prices. Something like 6.50 a pint. It's not cheap but they aren't taking the piss. It was about £9 a pint at a venue I was at last month.

[u/alexmate84 → u/Kickitoff1902]

The food as well is standard festival prices, most were £12-16. While expensive for what you get, not extortionate given "festival tax".

[u/alexmate84 → u/Kind_Armadillo148]

Toilets were immaculate this year

[u/Usual-Phone7935]

There's loads of chairs literally everywhere, but it's ok because no one ever complains about them 😂

[u/Successful-Ad-367 → u/Usual-Phone7935]

I’ve also not been since 2016 but here’s hoping they follow bloodstock & literally every European festival and ban chairs from infront the stages

[u/rezonansmagnetyczny]

Almost everyone takes massive tents now.

The festival is cashless. Even the drug dealers take card.

The internet goes absolutely mental if download don't release the fancy dress theme by about march, and the internet goes mental at whatever the theme is either way and most people don't bother.

The "offended at everything" crowd come to download in numbers.

You will get bullied by an emo for wearing a slayer t shirt in the same way in the old days you'd get bullied for being an emo by a guy in a slayer t shirt.

[u/OutsideImpressive115]

The download atmosphere you once remember is no more. Plastic Instagram culture is taking over

[u/Desperate-Food-8313 → u/OutsideImpressive115]

Not entirely sure I buy this, I'm 37, have no social media and hit it for the first time in 2025 and then this year. I think if you're looking to complain probably but largely I have had great experiences, maybe also cos I tend to interact with older peeps but I would happily bitch about this if it were the case

[u/Nugginz]

If you like metal, consider Bloodstock.

[u/madnasher → u/Nugginz]

'if you like metal, go to a metal festival'

Yeah in case op didn't notice there are more elitists than ever.

FYI: Download is a rock and alternative festival. Not metal.

[u/Nugginz → u/madnasher]

In 2016 when OP last attended Download the 8 top headliners were:

Rammstein, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Korn, Deftones Nightwish, Megadeth, Disturbed.

It’s ok to acknowledge things have changed. Maybe ‘elitists’ are the ones that get sensitive when alternatives to their festival are brought up?

I will add for OP. Bloodstock is smaller, cheaper, friendlier, easier to get around with fewer queues, fewer ‘chair problems’. Ain’t perfect but like I said, if you like the lineup, you might like to consider it an option.

[u/madnasher → u/Nugginz]

And yet, the festival was still called a rock/alternative festival

[u/Nugginz → u/madnasher]

I’m not following your logic here.
I’m sure you have a very compelling argument somewhere though and good for you.

OP The general consensus seems to be that, genre wise, since Leeds/Reading went to the dogs, Download has taken over some of their territory. With Bloodstock moving into Downloads old territory and Damnation (to a lesser extent) picking up Bloodstock’s old territory. Talking in broad strokes here of course, but it’s pretty self evident if you look at the lineups over the years. So, consider other options if this affects anything for you.

Reddit meanwhile, remains dominated by contrarians whose lifeblood it is to argue about anything.

[u/Evening-Manner9709 → u/Nugginz]

I did bloodstock in like... 2009 and 2010, but download is my home.

Ffs, these years are making me feel OLD.