Download Festival is over for another year, with the very best in rock, metal and punk performing to an enthusiastic crowd at Donington Park over the course of the weekend.
Fans were treated to spectacular sets from a line-up boasting musical titans such as headliners Slipknot, Muse and Kiss - and the last ever UK festival performance from Mötley Crüe. Of course, the theatre of rock makes Download a music photographer's paradise - here's the weekend's picture highlights:
1. Judas Priest's Rob Halford on the Main Stage:
2. Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil during their Friday afternoon Main Stage set:
3. Black Stone Cherry headline the Encore stage on Friday night:
4. A's Jason Perry in full voice as his band headline Jake's Stage:
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5. Modestep have a cheeky message for festival-goers:
6. Download regulars Slipknot return to headline the Main Stage for the third time:
7. Slipknot fans enjoy the band's headlining set on Friday night:
8. Andrew WK gets the party started on Saturday afternoon with a colourful pizza-shaped guitar:
9. Ashley Costello of New Years Day, in the band's Download debut:
10. Funeral for a Friend reference a classic Offspring album during their set:
11. A Day To Remember take to the Main Stage on Saturday:
12. Rise Against's Tim McIlrath gets up close and personal with the crowd:
13. Faith No More bring some flower power to Download's main stage:
14. Marilyn Manson headlines the Encore stage on Saturday night:
15. Matt Bellamy from Muse as the band headline the main stage on Saturday:
16. Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme of Muse:
17. Eagles of Death Metal take a bow on Sunday at Download:
18. Jennifer Finch and L7 are back after a long hiatus from touring and recording:
19. Billy Idol plays the Main Stage on Sunday:
20. Yellowcard's Sean Mackin takes to the air:
21. Slash, backed by regular collaborators Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators on the Main Stage:
22. Mötley Crüe wave farewell to the UK festival scene with their Sunday evening set:
23. The inimitable Gene Simmons of Kiss, as his band close Sunday on the Main Stage:
24. Download 2015 comes to a close with a lot of fireworks:
Kate (they/she) is a freelance writer, editor, digital editorial trainer and data technician who first joined Digital Spy as an overnight freelance sub-editor in January 2011, after studying a postgraduate diploma in journalism at Salford University while working part-time as a social researcher.
In July 2013, Kate joined the DS staff team as chief sub-editor and following six years as the site's managing editor, their role expanded to incorporate Hearst UK's entertainment portfolio (including Digital Spy and its sibling titles Best and Inside Soap) between late 2024 and early 2026.
Kate has worked as a writer and editor since 2006, with bylines syndicated across the Hearst network and at organisations including Metro. They started their career as a TV production runner for the BBC and contributed to various music websites, blogs and zines while based in Manchester.
During her time at DS, Kate has previously been a freelance sub-editor and chief sub-editor.
Kate's team at Digital Spy were proudly nominated in the Best Subbing/Production Team category at the BSME Talent Awards 2022. Over the years, she has contributed to coverage of many, many Prime Days and Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and was part of the team that launched the DS weekly TV newsletter in November 2019 – followed by the Top of the Shops e-commerce newsletter in May 2024.
Kate's screen passions include Taskmaster (their biggest career regret remains turning down the opportunity to visit the house), nature documentaries, and live sport (up there with the greatest of all soap operas although if asked to choose, it's Corrie… every time).
Her highlights while working at DS have included interviewing Stevie Nicks on the red carpet for her documentary In Your Dreams, sitting at a press roundtable with Formula 1 commentary icon Murray Walker, watching a life-sized LEGO car being driven around Silverstone, writing an album-by-album retrospective of Lady Gaga's genre-defying career for Living Legends, and raising awareness of receiving and understanding a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis through the lens of Bianca and Freddie's EastEnders storyline.
Upon remembering to log off the internet, Kate enjoys live theatre, dance and comedy, appreciating nature, baking (badly), tending a recently-rented allotment (equally badly) and pampering one very spoiled rescue cat named Jolene.
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