Saturday, June 14 | Donington Park | Every Stage, Every Riff
Day two of Download 2025 takes the energy from Friday and dials it all the way up to 11! With genre-bending acts, punk legends, theatrical metal, and late-night madness, Saturday’s looking like a headbanger’s buffet. Here’s your full stage-by-stage guide:
🔱 Apex Stage – Arena Ready Mayhem
The main stage brings heavy hitters, alt-icons, and one of the most talked-about headliners of the decade.
- 11:00 – Static Dress – Chaotic post-hardcore with emotional undercurrents and explosive live energy.
- 12:00 – Loathe – British experimental metalcore with shoegaze twists. Brutal and beautiful.
- 13:05 – Hatebreed – Hardcore veterans guaranteed to ignite the pits. “Destroy Everything” anyone?
- 14:35 – Poppy – Genre-shifting alt-pop/metal icon—expect glitter, growls, and glitchy breakdowns.
- 16:05 – Palaye Royale – Glam rock revivalists bringing fashion, fire, and fierce hooks.
- 17:50 – Don Broco – Alt-rock party-starters known for bouncing beats and infectious choruses.
- 19:35 – Shinedown – Arena rock titans with powerhouse vocals and stadium-sized anthems.
- 20:55 – Sleep Token – Mysterious masked collective closing with cinematic, emotional, genre-defying glory. One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend.
🎭 Opus Stage – The Eclectic Playground
Eclectic energy, surprise throwbacks, and punk royalty await.
- 12:35 – The Darkness – Glam metal heroes known for tongue-in-cheek showmanship and skyscraping falsetto.
- 14:05 – Static Dress (Again!) – Missed them on Apex? Catch the chaos here.
- 15:35 – Loathe (Again!) – Second chance to experience their immersive live show.
- 17:05 – Eagles of Death Metal – Bluesy, swagger-laden garage rock from the desert.
- 19:35 – Sex Pistols (feat. Frank Carter) – YES. You read that right. Punk legends return with Gallows/Wildhearts frontman Frank Carter taking on Rotten’s legacy. Expect spit, sweat, and absolute carnage.
⚡ Avalanche Stage – Underground Gems & Rising Stars
Kerrang! Radio curates a killer stage of melodic mayhem, pop-punk comebacks, and genre-crossing upstarts.
- 11:00 – Twin Atlantic – Scottish alt-rockers with a back-catalogue of festival anthems.
- 12:30 – Mallory Knox – Beloved Brit rockers return for a nostalgia-fuelled set.
- 14:00 – Dayseeker – US post-hardcore packed with emotion and grit.
- 15:30 – Sophie Lloyd – Guitar virtuoso and YouTube sensation, now commanding full crowds with shredding solo work.
- 17:00 – Kim Dracula – One of the most unique voices in alt-metal today. Expect chaos, costumes, and a wild mix of styles.
- 18:30 – Currents – Brutal Connecticut metalcore with deep grooves and thunderous breakdowns.
🦷 Dogtooth Stage – Brutality, Blackness, Beauty
Dark, dirty, and drenched in riff-heavy excellence. The Dogtooth Stage is where the true heavies dwell.
- 12:00 – Teen Mortgage – Scuzzy punk duo with garage grit and distortion to spare.
- 13:30 – The Funeral Portrait – Emo-theatrical rock that’s equal parts drama and drive.
- 15:00 – Anaal Nathrakh – Blackened grindcore fury unleashed. Not for the faint of heart.
- 16:30 – Kittie – Canadian metal queens return to reclaim their throne.
- 18:00 – Sylosis – Tech thrash masters bringing blistering precision and melodic devastation.
- 20:30 – Cradle of Filth – Gothic extreme metal legends. Expect corpse paint, orchestral horror, and Dani Filth’s unholy screech echoing over the fields.
🎤 The Doghouse, 🕸️ The Den, 🌲 The Outpost – Late Night & Rising Vibes
These stages keep the energy flowing well into the night. You’ll find:
- Smash Into Pieces – Swedish alt-electro-rockers
- Mothica – Emo-pop siren
- LØLØ – Catchy, edgy pop-punk newcomer
- Split Chain, Venus Grrrls, BEX, and many more…
Expect big energy from fresh faces and future headliners.
🎯 Festival Survival Hacks for Saturday
- Cradle or Sleep Token? – Tough call. Sleep Token will be a spiritual experience on the Apex. But Cradle of Filth’s Dogtooth slot will be infernal theatre. Choose your poison wisely.
- Hydration Reminder: Post-Poppy and Palaye Royale might leave you spinning—stay hydrated and hit the shade when needed.
- Punk History Buffs: Frank Carter fronting the Sex Pistols could be a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
🤘 Final Thoughts:
Saturday is a genre-hopping odyssey—from theatrical black metal to post-hardcore heartbreak and back again. Whether you’re shredding in a circle pit, headbanging in corpse paint, or singing along in your glitter boots, Saturday at Download 2025 is where legends are made.
⚡ Sleep Token. Cradle. The Sex Pistols. Shinedown. Loathe. The Darkness.
This is not a drill.
