Burton Mail

Anniversar­y sees an extra night at festival

DOWNLOAD MARKING 20TH BIRTHDAY WITH HEADLINERS METALLICA, SLIPKNOT AND BRING ME THE HORIZON

- By MAIL REPORTER editorial@burtonmail.co.uk

ROCK and metal music titans Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon and Metallica will headline the 20th anniversar­y Download festival, organisers have announced.

The 2023 festival will feature four headline sets for the first time ever, when it returns to Donington Park in June.

Metallica will deliver two “no-repeat” performanc­es on Thursday and Saturday, with Bring Me The Horizon taking the headline slot on Friday and Slipknot on Sunday.

The three bands will be joined by over 60 other UK and internatio­nal heavyweigh­ts including Evanescenc­e, Parkway Drive, Disturbed, Pendulum, Asking Alexandria and many more.

Metallica will be returning to the festival after more than a decade away and said they were “next level honoured” to be invited back to the “hallowed grounds” of Donington Park for the anniversar­y festival, which will run from Thursday, June 8 to Sunday, June 11.

Bring Me The Horizon are one of the UK’S biggest metal bands, and frontman Oli Sykes, pictured above, said it was mind-blowing to headline an event he had once attended as a fan.

“Download Festival was one of the

first festivals I ever attended as a punter,” he said. “It was also our first amazing festival experience to play as a band, and now the fact that we are headlining such a prestigiou­s event blows my mind.

“We can’t wait to bring a whole new sound and show for the Download audience.”

Download Festival’s Andy Copping said: “This year marks a huge milestone for Download, celebratin­g the incredible 20 years of the festival is no small feat.

“We really wanted to up the ante for this special anniversar­y, adding an extra day for the fans to experience the unforgetta­ble line-up, that once again brings together unparallel­ed talent from the rock music world back to Donington Park.”

General tickets for Download Festival will go on sale online today.

 ?? ??
 ?? ALEX MOSS / GETTY ?? James Hetfield, of Metallica, during the last time they played the Download Festival in June 2012
ALEX MOSS / GETTY James Hetfield, of Metallica, during the last time they played the Download Festival in June 2012
 ?? ?? MATTHEW BAKER/ GETTY IMAGES
MATTHEW BAKER/ GETTY IMAGES

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom