Download boss Andy Copping caught up with NME to discuss the bill for the 2025 festival, as well as the decision to give Sleep Token their first headline slot at a major festival and who he thinks could step up to top the bill in future.
Last night (November 12), Download announced the first wave of artists lined-up for 2025 at a launch party in London, with Sleep Token being joined by Green Day and KoRn as headliners.
In total, over 90 artists were confirmed for next year’s edition – which will be held in Donington Park between June 13 and 15 – including Weezer, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, Jimmy Eat World, Poppy, McFly,The Darkness, Spiritbox, Meshuggah, Steel Panther, Cradle Of Filth and Alien Ant Farm.
READ MORE: Download Festival 2024 review: despite all odds, a promising step in a new direction
“It was seeing their meteoric rise over the last two years that made me think, ‘This is a band that deserves to be elevated’,” Copping told NME, reflecting on the decision to have Sleep Token return to the site as a headline act. “They’ve got a sold-out arena tour in a couple of weeks which we already know will be a sight to behold.”
“I think it’s important for the festival to bring new bands through to headline. Back in the day, I did it with Slipknot. I did it with Avenged Sevenfold and Biffy Clyro. In 2023 we did it with Bring Me The Horizon. Now, every one of those bands across the world is perceived as a festival headliner,” he added.
“That’s what I felt this time with Sleep Token. It feels like we’re the first major festival that’s taken the bull by the horns and gone, ‘OK, it’s time. Its Sleep Token’s moment’. I know it’s going to be amazing for them, amazing for the festival and amazing for the fans.”
Fans at Donington Park for Download Festival. CREDIT: Jo Hale/Redferns/Getty Images
Check out the rest of the interview with Copping below, where he also discussed the pressures the festival faces, their dedication to creating a platform for new talent, and the female-fronted band he thinks will be a future headliner.
NME: Hi Andy. Last year you said that the line-up was one of the hardest ones to secure. What was it like for you this year?
Andy Copping: “It was pretty similar this year to be honest, because you can only book what acts are available to you! We started to put the feelers out pretty early to see who was around, who was available and if they even had a desire to play the festival. Once we got the headliners in place, we started to piece the rest of the bill together. Initially, I’d told the team we had to have 60 bands for the first announcement, so we were booking, booking, booking. In the end, we’ve announced 92 bands tonight!
“To top it off, we’ve still got a handful of acts still to confirm. We’ll probably announce that at the end of January or beginning of February. For now, I was just really pleased to be able to go out there with so many acts on our first announcement.”
Parkway Drive made a surprise appearance at Dogtooth Stage in 2024. Are there any twists you’re thinking of for next year?
“At the minute, we haven’t got any surprises lined up… but you just never know. There’s still time!”
Parkway Drive perform live at Download Festival. CREDIT: Kevin Nixon/Future via Getty Images
Is building on your platform for new talent an important factor for 2025?
“Absolutely. I’ve always wanted to do that, and you can see it in how we’ve been developing the other stages like the Dogtooth stage and the Avalanche. But it’s also there in the lower reaches of the Opus stage and the Apex stage. For us, it’s about giving bands the opportunity to grow. We’ve got the platform and we want to be sending a message to those guys like ‘Come and play. We believe in you and you’ve got a great opportunity here.’ Thankfully, for the most part, these bands do step up and they do deliver.”
The headliners this year are very male-dominated. Are there any female artists that you can see rising up the ranks at future instalments?
“No question about it, Spiritbox is that one for me. They’re going to be playing at Download this year and I see them as a headliner in the future.
“We’ve seen more and more diversity in the bands themselves, so now, as festival bookers and as an industry, there’s a lot of room to improve and bring these acts through. We’ll always aim to do that. The fact that these bands are becoming more diverse and we’re seeing more female members in them, that’s super important. We want to help grow the industry and we’ve got no restrictions at Download. If you’re good enough and if we feel you’re good enough, there’s a platform for you.”
Have you noticed that diversification spanning into the audience too?
“We’ve always made a conscious decision to make Download accessible to the general populace. That involves pushing the boundaries musically and giving the newer acts a chance. Because of that, we’ve seen the fans coming through getting younger too, year on year. There’ll always be a certain expectation of what people want to see at Download, so it’s about navigating that and delivering the best we can.”
General view of festival goers at Download festival. CREDIT: Joseph Okpako/WireImage/Getty Images
We’re in year 22 of Download now. What changes and adjustments have you made since the festival first launched?
“When we first launched Download in 2002, we just wanted to get through that year. After that, the plan became ways to make it go further and further. When we first started it was just two days and two stages, now we’re at four stages over three days. Beyond that, there is all the entertainment in the campsite – that we now call District X – as well as DJs, podcasts, acoustic sets and mini shows.
“We’ve got so much going on now, and we’ve found ways to carry on the entertainment from when the music finishes in the main area. Certainly over the last three or four years, we’ve really focused on what else can we give the fans to make it value for money. For year 22, we’ve got some amazing stuff coming up for District X, which we will announce in the new year.
“The festival has to evolve because people’s tastes and people’s expectations evolve all the time. The festival will die if we don’t move with the times, so we have to be innovative. We have to see what’s going on across social media and analyse the way people are consuming music in the TikTok age. All of that is super important. Luckily, we’ve put together a very wide and varied young team who are giving input into what they feel the festival should be. We also talk to the fans all the time and ask them what they want to see. We seek out feedback on what we’re doing right and what we’re doing wrong. From that, we’ve found a formula that’s been working for us.”
Andy Copping announces the line-up for Download Festival. CREDIT: Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images
Who is one artist that you’re personally really looking forward to seeing this year?
“Very tough question, but it’s going to be Sleep Token. To see them headlining a major festival for the first time is so exciting for me. We’re already on album number three and album number four should be out by the time Download comes around. It’s going to be a meteoric rise for them across the globe, not just the UK. I think that they’ll just do something super special there and smash it.”
Download Festival 2025 will return to Donington Park between June 13 and 15. Visit here for tickets and more information.
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