Download XXII – BEYOND THE BANDS WITH LESS THAN TWO MONTHS TO GO UNTIL DLXXII, IT’S TIME TO REVEAL MORE OF WHAT’S IN STORE. A DOWNLOAD TICKET GIVES FESTIVALGOERS ACCESS TO OVER 100 BANDS, BUT THAT’S JUST THE BEGINNING. WHAT LIES BEYOND THE BANDS?   Brand new for this year, In District X: Mercian Axe brewery bar with local beers, Hair Of The Dog pub complete with roof terrace and beer garden, live blacksmithing workshops and more.In the arena: Brand new bar The Iron Harp, immersive experience Darkfield Séance, Raven Records pop up, Heavy Metal Sports Day, post-festival shawarma at the Kebab Kartel and late night pudding at Custard &…

Where has the time gone since last year’s Download festival epic four day event to celebrate its 20 year anniversary? Festival managing director Andy Copping revealed late last year that the Download team had to approach 21 bands to find suitable headliners. Issues were further compounded when a number of bands pulled out of the Download festival bill in protest against Barclaycard’s role as official payment partner. The high-profile pushback was related to allegations made regarding Barclays’ links to companies supplying Israel. Subsequently Barclays have stepped back as sponsors of all Live Nation festivals. On top of all this, an ominous weather forecast for the week looms large as the…