The rain clouds that had threatened Donington throughout the week finally gave way to sunshine as Download Festival XXIII burst into life. With expanded stages, one of the festival’s biggest crowds in years and a Friday bill built around celebration, nostalgia and outright chaos, the opening day delivered everything from rap-rock anthems and progressive metal masterclasses to dancefloor mayhem and a long-awaited headline triumph.
Download Festival XXIII
15:00: Hollywood Undead Ignite Friday’s Early Celebrations on the Apex Stage
Friday afternoon belonged to Hollywood Undead as the Los Angeles rap-rock veterans turned the Apex Stage into a giant party. Opening with the unmistakable punch of Undead, they wasted no time getting Download moving, firing through favourites including 1×1, Riot and Comin’ In Hot.
Newer material such as SAVIOR sat comfortably alongside older fan favourites, while a surprise rendition of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline transformed Donington into a mass singalong before seamlessly rolling into Bullet. By the time Everywhere I Go closed the set, the crowd was fully warmed up for the marathon day ahead.
15:50: Creeper’s Dark Carnival Captivates the Opus Stage
Few bands understand theatricality quite like Creeper, and their Opus Stage appearance brought a welcome dose of gothic grandeur to Friday afternoon. Against the increasingly packed second stage, the Southampton outfit delivered a performance filled with drama, atmosphere and the larger-than-life charisma that has become their trademark.
With the crowd hanging on every word, Creeper once again proved why they remain one of Britain’s most compelling live acts.
17:00: Periphery Push Boundaries with a Fearless Opus Stage Performance
Progressive metal met technical perfection as Periphery delivered one of the most musicianship-driven performances of the day on the Opus Stage.
The Washington D.C. outfit treated Download to no fewer than three live debuts, opening with Mr. God before unveiling Everyone Dies Alone and later Heaven On High. Between the new material came fan favourites Wildfire, Atropos, Facepalm Mute and Letter Experiment, all performed with staggering precision.
Closing with the crushing Blood Eagle, Periphery’s set was a reminder that technicality and heaviness can still command huge festival crowds.
17:30: Electric Callboy Lead Donington’s Most Joyous Friday Party on the Apex Stage
If Download’s Friday had a defining party soundtrack, it came courtesy of Electric Callboy. Already greeted by a packed field, the Germans transformed the Apex Stage into what felt less like a festival performance and more like a giant open-air rave. Their trademark mix of metalcore, eurodance absurdity, costume changes and visual spectacle had Donington bouncing from the opening moments of TANZNEID.
Still Waiting, Tekkno Train, Hypa Hypa and Pump It landed like festival-sized anthems, while the band’s infamous medley of Hurrikan, All The Small Things and Bodies generated one of the day’s loudest reactions.
The set briefly paused during Mindreader after a crowd emergency, with the band ensuring fans received assistance before continuing—a moment that demonstrated the care behind the chaos. Once things resumed, RATATATA, Spaceman and the closing We Got The Moves sent the entire arena into celebration mode.
18:15: Daughtry Deliver Big Choruses and Bigger Emotions on the Opus Stage
Chris Daughtry and company brought soaring melodies and arena-rock confidence to the Opus Stage as the evening crowds continued to swell.
Opening with Divided, Daughtry leaned heavily into their newer material while still giving fans the songs that helped define their career. It’s Not Over, Pieces and Over You prompted huge singalongs, while tracks including Artificial, Heavy Is The Crown and The Dam showcased the band’s heavier modern edge.
It was a polished and assured performance from a band that knows exactly how to connect with a festival audience.
19:00: Cypress Hill Bring West Coast Swagger to the Apex Stage
As the sun began to dip behind Donington’s famous skyline, Cypress Hill delivered one of Friday’s most unexpected highlights.
The hip-hop legends turned the Apex Stage into a giant celebration of crossover culture, proving once again why they fit so naturally within Download’s diverse line-up. From How I Could Just Kill A Man and When The Shit Goes Down through to Hits From The Bong, Dr. Greenthumb and Insane In The Brain, the response was relentless.
A surprise blast through Rage Against The Machine’s Bombtrack only intensified the atmosphere before (Rock) Superstar and House Of Pain’s Jump Around brought thousands of fans together in a sea of bouncing bodies ahead of the night’s headliner.
19:35: Halestorm Command the Opus Stage with Headliner-Level Confidence
Returning to Download as one of the festival’s most established modern rock bands, Halestorm delivered a performance that felt every bit worthy of future headline consideration. Flames, confetti, huge choruses and Lzzy Hale’s commanding presence combined to create one of Friday’s most complete festival sets.
Fallen Star, I Miss The Misery and Love Bites (So Do I) arrived with enormous energy, while the UK debuts of can u see me in the dark? and their cover of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance provided memorable talking points.
Backed by a set packed with favourites including Freak Like Me, I Get Off, Back From The Dead, Mz. Hyde, I Am The Fire and newest LP title track Everest, Halestorm demonstrated exactly why they continue to climb towards the very top of festival bills. Their emotional finale, Here’s To Us, provided a fitting send-off before the crowds migrated towards Apex.
20:50: Limp Bizkit’s Long-Awaited Download Coronation Closes Friday in Style
Twenty-three years after originally being scheduled to headline the very first Download Festival, Limp Bizkit finally claimed their place at the top of the bill. Rather than a nostalgia exercise, Friday night’s headline performance felt like a genuine celebration of a band whose influence and popularity have endured across generations.
Launching from a Thieves intro tease straight into Break Stuff, Fred Durst and company immediately had Donington in the palm of their hand. My Generation, Livin’ It Up, Hot Dog and Nookie generated enormous reactions, while Full Nelson saw four fans invited on stage to join the fun.
There were moments of surprise throughout. Lauren Sanderson joined the band for Hot Dog, Faith paid tribute to George Michael, and Behind Blue Eyes provided one of the evening’s more reflective moments. During My Way, Durst temporarily halted proceedings to assist a fan in the crowd, another reminder of the increasing emphasis artists have placed on crowd safety throughout the weekend.
The final run of Rollin’, Take A Look Around, My Way and a returning Break Stuff reprise transformed the Apex field into a giant mass of movement and noise. For a headline set years in the making, Limp Bizkit delivered exactly what Download wanted: huge songs, huge smiles and absolute mayhem.
With the first day complete, Download Festival XXIII had already delivered enough unforgettable moments for an entire weekend. Yet with Guns N’ Roses and Linkin Park still waiting in the wings, Friday felt less like a finale and more like the opening chapter of another memorable year at Donington.
Photography of Download Festival XXIII on 12th June 2026 by Neil Lupin / neillupin.com.
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