Download Festival, acknowledged as the UK’s Premier Rock Festival, has dropped an incredible lineup for 2025. Amongst those in the latest release is Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn. The festival showcases the best of rock and metal music at Donnington Park in Leicestershire, England, and will be held this year from the 13th to the 15th of June.
There is a large contingent of Australian acts being represented, ranging from Airbourne, who have appeared many times before, to the likes of Battlesnake who will be making their Download debut.
Let’s take a run-through of the Aussie acts that will be lighting up the stages.
Airbourne
Currently touring Europe throughout the first quarter of 2025, the quartet who hail from Warrnambool in Victoria have been delivering hard-hitting rock since 2003. Founded by brothers Joel and Ryan O’Keeffe, they’re known for hits such as “Runnin’ Wild”, “Back in the Game” and “Burnout The Nitro”. They have been festival favourites at Download, having played many times since 2008. This is a festival they feel very much at home.
Scheduled: Sunday at the Opus Stage
Battlesnake
This 7-piece metal band released their debut album back in 2023. Noteworthy for their theatrical performances, they recently supported KISS and The Smashing Pumpkins on their respective tours. Yes, they are attention-grabbing for their outfits, and they back it up with their riff-heavy anthems and dynamic songwriting. Battlesnake are relentlessly energetic. Don’t miss them.
Scheduled: Friday at the Dogtooth Stage
Kim Dracula
Kim Dracula released their debut album, A Gradual Decline in Morale, back in 2023. They have found their niche – nu-metal and trap-metal as well as covering songs on TikTok which has brought in a massive fan base. Their clip for “Paparazzi” has had over 35 million views and over 150 million streams on Spotify, just for starters.
Scheduled: Saturday at the Opus Stage
Northlane
Originating from Blacktown, NSW, this metal band has amassed popularity as well as critical acclaim, including multiple ARIA Awards for Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Albums. While they plan to spend more time creating music this year, they will still perform in multiple festivals, including Download.
Scheduled: Friday at the Opus Stage
Polaris
Sydney’s metalcore kings, Polaris have been rocking audiences with their passionate shows since 2012. They are a band that wear their heart on their sleeve, and their live shows are renowned for their brilliant energey. Their latest album, Fatalism is out now. It was described by our reviewer Dylan Oxley as “Blistering performances from each member and refreshingly provocative lyrics shine a light as to why they are one of the biggest bands in Australia right now.”
Scheduled: Saturday at the Opus Stage
The Southern River Band
Shortened as SRB, The Southern River Band is no stranger to live performances, having played at multiple events including The Great Escape in 2024. They released the album D.I.Y last year, including the single “Stan Qualen”. Make no mistake, these lads are old school rock’n’roll. Expect blistering guitar solos, and everything turned up to eleven.
Scheduled: Sunday at the Opus Stage
Trophy Eyes
The Newcastle-formed quartet toured Australia last year, and their Melbourne performance was given a solid 5 stars out of 5 from our reviewer Sarah Duggan – “This was a phenomenal show. “
With anthemic hooks, and their latest album, Suicide and Sunshine reaching new highs, don’t miss Trophy Eyes.
Scheduled: Friday at the Avalanche Stage
Vowws
Based in LA, the “Death-pop” duo has creativity transcending art forms, finding inspiration from horror scores and collaborating with fashion houses such as Givenchy. Their third album is set to be released this year.
Scheduled: Sunday at the Dogtooth Stage
Download Festival takes place at Donington Park, Derby, next to East Midlands Airport. Head to the official website for all the ticketing options. It is possible to camp at the festival.
Header photo credit: The Southern River Band – Bruce Baker
Additional text from Bruce Baker
