Two days ago, the lineup for the popular rock event, Download Festival, was officially announced. For months now, fans have been speculating on the festival’s subreddit which bands will be in attendance and the order of their performances, so, naturally, there was much excitement to be had once they finally had answers.

 

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Many beloved rock groups are on this year’s schedule, from Weezer to Jimmy Eat World to Sex Pistols. However, there were some eyebrows raised upon seeing who the three headlining acts were, those being Green Day, Korn and, most surprising of all, the relative newcomers Sleep Token. Numerous long-time Download attendees bemoaned the lack of any classic rock bands, seeing this batch of headliners as a sign that the festival planners were catering more towards millennials and the gen-z crowd.

Particular offense was taken at the inclusion of Sleep Token as one of the headliners. While the band has plenty of widespread appeal, with their latest tour regularly selling out shows, they don’t yet have the instant notoriety that the other headlining acts, or even most of the sub-headlining acts, have. The general consensus upon the announcement of the lineup seemed to be that while they might be great headliners a few years from now, they aren’t quite ready for the task just yet.

The backlash was prominent enough that the festival’s founder, Andy Copping, felt the need to speak up on the issue. According to Loudwire, the choice to have Sleep Token headline was made so that Download, in years to come, could be the one to boast that they were one of the first big-time festivals to treat them with the respect they’ll undoubtedly be regarded with in the future.

“I think it’s important,” Copping explained, “for the festival to bring new bands through to headline. Back in the day, I did it with Slipknot. I did it with Avenged Sevenfold and Biffy Clyro. In 2023 we did it with Bring Me The Horizon. Now, every one of those bands across the world is perceived as a festival headliner.”

As of now, it’s hard to say whether this risky maneuver will pay off. Whatever the case, it’s an amazing opportunity for Sleep Token, considering that just the festival’s announcement has brought considerable attention to them and their music.