Day two starts off with a mad rush into the Dogtooth stage to catch Lastelle. The Oxford post-hardcore band showcase their passionate brand of emotionally stirring music in an impressionable 20 or so minutes. Set closer, ‘Breathe Me In’, epitomises the quintet’s cinematic and dynamic sound with frontman Adam Rigozzi’s aggressive barks being countered by drumming vocalist Mike Hayden’s soaring melodies.
Back outside in the rising heat, Loathe‘s main stage debut is hit by a slight timing issue. Nevertheless, the Liverpudlians make the most of their time, with towering heaviness creating circle pits that result in the first of many dust storms of the day. Kadeem France commands the stage, both in size and in his versatile voice, as his bandmates execute sonic flourishes that twist and turn with delight. Venturing over to the Avalanche stage, Leeds goth-tinged grunge rockers Venus Grrrls supply explosive melodies. With alluring synth-led shoegaze, and the enchanting presence of vocalist GK, the quintet represent the UK’s independent side strongly. Similarly, Bristol’s Split Chain continue their rapid rise with a mid-afternoon set. While Bert Martínez-Cowles’ vocals get somewhat lost in the mix early on, singles from their upcoming debut album, ‘motionblur,’ manage to leave an impression. New cuts ‘I’m Not Dying To Be Here’ and ‘bored. tired. torn.’ are welcomed by a wealth of crowd-surfing bodies, in what is merely a stepping stone on their never-ending ascension.
It might be down to curiosity or her wide appeal, but Poppy pulls in one of the biggest Apex stage crowds of the day. Joined by her balaclava-wearing bandmates, her 10-song outing showcased the genre-blending songstress’s style to a tee. Dominated by last year’s metal-leaning ‘Negative Spaces’ record, her presence maintains a mystique aura, meaning whenever she does speak, it means something. Her collaboration with Bad Omens, ‘V.A.N,’ gets a big response early on, as her bandmates repeatedly deliver breakdowns. The one-two industrious metal punch of ‘they’re all around us’ and ‘new way out’ rounds out a strong Download debut for Poppy.
Aussie metalcore mob Polaris continue the trend of forming dust clouds with a technically proficient set over in the Opus stage. Throughout, frontman Jamie Hails beams with a smile as dedicated moshers throw down to ‘Hypermania’ and ‘Lucid.’ Although not their first Download outing, on this showing, it’s likely Polaris will be visiting Donington again sooner rather than later. Crushing and memorable.
After a slight break and a quick chat with Teen Mortage, it was back to the Opus stage to catch the final moments of The Darkness. The Lowestoft rockers are as fun as ever, even treating fans to ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)’. Yes, it might be the middle of June, but surely a great Christmas song can be heard all year round, right? Following it up with ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ and a new raucous cut in ‘I Hate Myself,’ and you’re left with a joyous rock n’ roll Saturday evening.
Over in the Avalanche stage, Mallory Knox‘s comeback trail is in full swing. Sounding reinvigorated, their assured brand of melodic Brit rock sounds as big as ever with underrated banger ‘Better Off Without You’ and longtime standout ‘Lighthouse’ closing out a triumphant outing.
For Dayseeker, the prospect of closing the Avalanche stage might seem like a big task, especially when UK pop-rockers McFly packed out the tent 24 hours earlier. Nevertheless, from the moment they launch with their recent single, ‘Pale Moonlight,’ there’s a captivating quality about the Californian quartet. Throughout, Rory Rodriguez’s vocals stun with versatility. Whether that be on the emotional soars of ‘Burial Plot,’ and ‘Dreamstate,’ or ‘Crooked Soul’s destructive breakdown, his voice has a magnetic quality. An emotional cover of Evanescence‘s ‘My Immortal’ seamlessly fits into the sentimental tone, alongside the neon hue of ‘Crying While You’re Dancing,’ ‘Paper Heart,’ and ‘Neon Grave.’ Dayseeker‘s long-awaited sixth album is sure to arrive with a weight of expectation, yet it can’t come soon enough.
Walking around Donington during the day, it’s clear that any doubts about Sleep Token are firmly written off. By the evening, as a black curtain gets raised, and atmospheric wind and chimes sound effects blow over Donington, anticipation is at a fever pitch. Donington has become ‘Arcadia’. As the curtain drops as ‘Look To Windward’s explodes, and a sea of pink confetti petals billows, Sleep Token are here to leave their mark.
Aided by an elaborate stage set, with a working waterfall, the enigmatic group’s 15-track set stretches across their four albums (and a long-forgotten EP gem, ‘Thread The Needle’). ‘Sundowning’s ‘The Offering’ is as muscular as ever, sung back to Vessel in unison, before ‘Vore’ delivers a guttural onslaught. New track, ‘Emergence,’ already feels like a longtime favourite.
Vessel, II, III, IV, and the backing vocal trio, Espera, ultimately step up, providing a genre-bending array of fan favourites. Unsurprisingly, ‘The Summoning’ penetrates with its razor-sharp guitars and elevating harmonies, before drummer II delivers one of several riveting displays. ‘Damocles’ anchors down with its piano-led emotional tone, bringing a sense of intimacy to the scale on show.
For those who have yet to buy into the band’s cult-like following, the lack of interaction from Vessel and company, along with the absence of truly festival-made anthems, means Sleep Token‘s headline outing isn’t quite all-conquering. Nevertheless, it’s a spot that is more than deserved. There is an unquestionable pull about Sleep Token. With a heavy use of performance art and theatrics, they’re not quite traditional Download headliners. Yet, like the festival itself, the headline spot has evolved, and Sleep Token grabbed the mantel with assured confidence, delivering an impressionable but polarising set.
Read our review of Day 1 (Friday) of Download Festival 2025 here.
Read our review of Day 3 (Sunday) of Download Festival 2025 here.
All photographs supplied by Download Festival.
Download Festival 2026 takes place at Donington Park, Leicestershire from Wednesday, June 10th to Sunday, June 14th, 2026
Tickets are available here.
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