Ranked: The 10 bands to see at Download Festival

Returning with killer lineup, Download XXII promises to be louder and more energetic than ever before, with over 80 bands performing across the three-day festival this June. Alongside headliners Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn, here are 10 bands you don’t want to miss!

Jimmy Eat World

Everyone’s favourite emo uncles, hailing from Arizona, are sure to provide the nostalgia, bringing crowd favourites like ‘Sweetness’, ‘Bleed American’ and ‘The Middle’, alongside beloved album tracks like ‘Let It Happen’ and ‘Big Casino’.

The Darkness

Fresh off the release of their eighth studio album “Dreams On Toast”, The Darkness will bring their ridiculously electrifying mix of rock n roll anthems and crowd pleasers to the fields of Download, with lead singer Justin Hawkins no doubt showing us all that thought it might be over 20 years since we first heard ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’, even the heaviest music fan knows all of the lyrics and will be singing and air guitar-ing along! Listen out for the wonderfully self-deprecating ‘I Hate Myself’ – we guarantee it will get the crowd moving!

Alien Ant Farm

Another good old nostalgia band, Alien Ant Farm, who released their sixth studio album “~mAntras~” last year, will bring the favourites ‘Smooth Criminal’ and ‘Movies’ and hopefully their Wham cover of ‘Everything She Wants’, but either way, lead singer Dryden Mitchell will set the scene for a high-powered performance.

Mallory Knox

Having returned to the scene in 2023 after calling it quits in 2019, Mallory Knox is back, and better than ever. No doubt they will dominate the Avalanche stage, smashing out classics ‘Lighthouse’, ‘Ghost in the Mirror’ and their beloved sad anthem ‘Better Off Without You’, with vocalist Mikey Chapman’s powerful tones making us all wish for a new album.

Kids In Glass Houses

Honestly, it would be easy to leave KIGH off this list for fear of it becoming ‘10 Bands from your teen years you should watch at Download whilst complaining about the heat/cold/rain’, but they are just too good to be missed. Flying back into the UK Top 100 charts (and our hearts) with their fifth album “Pink Flamingo”, the band are back at Download after 12 years, with old school favourites ‘Matters at All’, ‘Give Me What I Want’ and ‘Saturday’ for sure making the set list for their return.

Artio

Following their storming support slot for fellow Download attendee Mothica and gracing the Dogtooth stage for their Download debut are rising Leeds powerhouse Artio. With vocalist Rae’s powerful, raging tones, backed by electronica fused guitars, heavy tracks like ‘Product of My Own Design’ and new single ‘Split Soul’ will show the Download crowd the unapologetic and escapism that Artio’s music grants their legion of fans.

Survive Said the Prophet

High energy, Japanese rock band, Survive Said the Prophet will be storming the stage with their eclectic mix of rock, electro and hip hop, with bilingual lead singer Yosh bringing his dynamic vocals. Their newest single ‘State of Mind’ featuring Matt Good from US band From First to Last along with their hit 2019 single ‘Mukanjyo’ will no doubt make an appearance.

Split Chain

With their unique blend of nu metal and shoegaze, and the self-coined genre of ‘dreamo’, Bristol band Split Chain, are another band not to miss, as they take the stage, bringing their incredible cover of Type O Negative's ‘I Don't Wanna Be Me’, and for sure introducing some songs from their debut album “motionblur” which is out in July. Listen out for songs ‘bored.tired.torn’ and ‘Subside’, for a sure-fire show of raw energy and unforgiving riffs.

LØLØ

Canadian vocalist LØLØ with her pop-punk and alternative rock sound, featured on Kerrang!'s "The Sound of 2024" list of ‘new artists redefining alternative music’, with her album “Falling for Robots and Wishing I Was One” being released the same year. New song ‘Nervous System’ with Taylor Acorn is none not to miss!

President

‘At Download Festival, the inauguration begins’, according to the new mysterious, masked metal band. Debut single ‘In the Name of The Father’ features vocals that are almost certainly Charlie Simpson from Busted/Fightstar fame, but others think the band could be a Sleep Token spin-off. We have no idea ourselves, but we are loving the dark but cathartic introduction to their sound.

Words: Lou Viner