Download Festival: Your ultimate guide to the 2025 event - tickets, line-up, rumours, travel and glamping

• While we wait for the next line-up announcement for Download Festival 2025, let’s undertake some admin.
• Like how to get there and what the closest train station to the festival site is, and what not to pack with you.
• Here’s our guide to almost everything you need to know heading to Download Festival, but might have been afraid to ask.

So you’ve decided to take the plunge and, of the many festivals the UK has to offer in 2025, decided to pick Download Festival 2025 - what next?

While you might be idling down the days until we get another line-up announcement, complete with possibly some of those rumoured names maybe being included in the next roll call, but you have a couple of questions in mind, be it as a newbie festivalgoer or someone that might not be aware of changes this year.

From the great debate whether to travel by car, by train or enjoy being amongst fellow revellers on a coach, through to the surprising question we’ve seen online - “are there sniffer dogs at the festival?”

We’ve taken a look at (almost) everything you might want to ask but were too afraid to, including alternative accommodation on offer, if there’s a quiet camping area again and at the risk of jinxing it - a look at what the weather might be like this year.

When is Download Festival 2025 taking place?

Download Festival 2025 is scheduled to take place from June 13 to June 15 2025 at Donnington Park, Leicestershire, England.

Who has already been confirmed to be performing at Download Festival 2025?

Quite a few acts already - this year’s headliners are Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn, while other acts performing this year include Weezer, Bullet For My Valentine, Jimmy Eat World, The Darkness and many more.

What are some of the more common rumours who could play at Download Festival 2025?

We did an entire video and photo gallery on this, which you can take a look at in your own time, but four of the most prevalent rumours are Architects, Skindred, Nine Inch Nails and Slipknot - though take the last two with a huge pinch of salt.

Where can I get tickets for Download Festival 2025?

Weekend camping tickets, including a choice if you want to camp in the quiet area or among the racket with everyone else, day tickets and an assortment of festival add-ons, including a Car Parking pass, are available from today through Ticketmaster in the UK.

What can I and can’t I bring with me to Download Festival 2025?

So you’ve checked out our essential festival packing guide we made for Leeds and Reading Festival in 2024, and some of those rules still apply for Download Festival 2025.

As a rule of thumb though, those of you looking to bring the following items in, don’t - and yes, there will be sniffer dogs on site as well if you think you’ve pulled a fast one.

Banned across the entire festival site

• Aerosols over 250ml
• Airhorns and megaphones
• Animals (other than assistance dogs)
• Any alcohol in possession of anyone under 18
• Any goods for unauthorized trading
• Any goods with unauthorized festival logos
• Any items which may cause danger, offence, or disruption to others
• Any items which may reasonably be considered for use as a weapon
• Bad attitudes
• Bicycles / scooters / roller-skates / skateboards
• Blowtorches
• Drones or other unmanned aerial vehicles
• Excessive amounts of cigarettes (beyond personal use)
• Excessive amounts of food (beyond personal use)
• Firewood
• Fireworks/pyrotechnics
• Flares/distress flares/smoke bombs
• Glass (of any kind)
• Hexamine / Hexi tablets
• Illegal substances
• Individual camping gas canisters (except those built into campervans)
• Leatherman multi-tools
• Legal highs
• New psychoactive substances (NPS)
• Nitrous oxide and any associated equipment (balloons, CO2 dispensers, cream chargers)
• Paper lanterns or sky lanterns
• Petrol burners
• Portable laser equipment and pens
• Sound systems
• Unidentifiable substances
• Unofficial tabards or reflective jackets

Restricted to the campsite only

• Alcohol (for over 18s only, not in glass bottles) – Limit: 1x24 can/plastic crate of beer/cider OR 1L of spirit or wine in a plastic bottle per person
• Audio recorders
• Camping equipment
• Cans
• Cutlery
• Disposable BBQs & permitted cooking stoves – (Fuel limit: 1L per stove)
• Drinks bottles – (Non-glass only)
• Flags with poles – (Exclusion zones apply)
• Food hampers / cool boxes
• Gazebos – (Must be reasonable size)
• Golf umbrellas
• Rooftop tents – (Campervan site only)
• Small hammers (for pitching tents)
• Tin openers
• Umbrellas

Allowed across the festival site

• Cameras, film, or video equipment – (Lens must be under 6 inches)
• Chairs
• Deodorant roll-on
• Flags without poles
• Medication – (Must be recognizable or accompanied by a prescription)
• Perfume (in small bottles)

What travel options do I have to get to Download Festival 2025?

Trains

The nearest mainline railway stations to Download Festival are East Midlands Parkway and Derby. Both stations have regular festival transfer buses running to and from the festival's Transport Hub, with journey times varying depending on traffic.

Travel from East Midlands Parkway to Download Festival usually takes around 20 minutes, while the journey from Derby Station takes approximately 30 minutes. The timetable will be released closer to the event.

You can book your tickets or take a look at your travel options by visiting either Trainline or the National Rail’s journey planner in advance.

Driving

If you’re planning on bringing your car with you to Download Festival, once again - remember to pick up a car parking pass when you get your tickets.

More information will be released closer to the festival on the best car parks for you based on your ticket type and location, however for those who want a rough idea where to go, you can enter the postcode for Donnington Park on your SatNav - DE74 2BN.

There will be signposts around the Donnington Park area, so follow those when you start to make your approach to the festival site.

For those dropping festivalgoers off, the designated drop-off and pick-up area at Download Festival is located inside the Transport Hub, with road signs directing drivers to the correct location.

Conveniently situated next to the East Entrance, the hub provides access for both weekend and day ticket holders. Our transport team will be available to assist with directions and schedules, ensuring a smooth arrival and departure.

To ensure safety and avoid enforcement action, please instruct drivers to use the Transport Hub for drop-offs and pick-ups rather than stopping on nearby roads.

The same goes for those who are getting a taxi to the festival site as the last part of your trip; your driver should follow the signage for ‘Pick Up & Drop Off’ to ensure smooth access. A designated taxi rank will be located inside the Transport Hub at Download Festival for convenient drop-offs and pick-ups.

Buses

A coach service across many areas of the United Kingdom travelling to Download Festival 2025 will also be provided by Big Green Coach, with 73 pick up locations on offer for those a little bit more conscious about their carbon footprint.

You can take a look at the areas the coaches cover and pick up tickets by visiting the Big Green Coach website.

I don’t want to camp - what other accommodation options are there?

If the thought of laying on the cold, possibly muddy ground is not your idea of a fun festival outing, then there are other options.

The festival has an assortment of packages for those who want to eschew bringing a tent with them to Download Festival; for example the RIP packages offer comfortable options including cabins and yurts, while there are also options for RIP hotels, complete with shuttle access between the hotels and festival site.

But for those who fancy a little bit of camping without the noise, the organiser are once again offering The Rock Retreat Camping at Melbourne Hall: it has everything you need from luxury toilets, warm showers and a pamper area, through to a dedicated bar with craft beer and a tea room to get your freshly prepared full English breakfast to recharge for the day ahead.

What’s the weather going to be like for Download Festival 2025?

Though we can’t predict the actual forecast, there is some information out there to suggest what the weather will be like at Donnington Park this year.

According to Accuweather, historically the temperatures during the run of Download Festival can reach a high of 18 degrees and drop to a low of 9 degrees. No suggestions yet though if it’s going to be a mud pit or a dry experience this year - for now.

Looking for advice if you’re one of the lucky ones heading to Glastonbury Festival in 2025? Then our ultimate guide may be one to take a look over before heading to Worthy Farm.