SLEEP TOKEN Deliver Triumphant Headlining Set at ‘Download Festival’ 2025

When Sleep Token were announced as one of this year’s headliners for Download Festival, the choice stirred immediate debate. But after their set on June 14th, it’s safe to say the anonymous British alt-metal collective silenced the doubters in front of a packed Donington Park.

Sharing top billing with long-established heavyweights like Green Day and Korn, Sleep Token stood as the wildcard of the weekend — a bold booking move that even Download Festival founder Andy Copping defended publicly when the lineup was revealed last year:

“I think it’s important 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.

That’s what I felt this time with Sleep Token. It feels like we’re the first major festival that’s taken the bull by the horns and gone, ‘OK, it’s time. It’s Sleep Token’s moment’. I know it’s going to be amazing for them, amazing for the festival and amazing for the fans.”

Since then, Sleep Token have only gained momentum. Their surprise 2025 album Even In Arcadia shattered expectations, debuting at No. 1 in multiple countries and earning historic chart placements in the U.S. The band also sold out their first-ever U.S. headlining tour within days, and their new stage production has taken things to a level rarely seen from an act this early in their career.

Despite their success, backlash from some corners of the metal world has been unavoidable. Critics argue that Sleep Token‘s blend of ambient melodies, soaring choruses, and genre-blurring experimentation doesn’t align with traditional metal norms. That ongoing debate even prompted Doc Coyle (God Forbid, ex-Bad Wolves) to defend the band in a Metal Hammer op-ed earlier this month, calling out the metal scene’s “gatekeeping” culture.

But on Friday night, none of that mattered. Sleep Token owned the stage with a stunning, immersive performance that spanned fan favorites, deep cuts, and visual spectacle. Their setlist ran as follows:

“Look To Windward”
“The Offering”
“Vore”
“Emergence”
“Alkaline”
“Hypnosis”
“Rain”
“Caramel”
“The Summoning”
“Granite”
“The Love You Want”
“Higher”
“Damocles”
“Thread The Needle”
“Take Me Back To Eden”

Fan-filmed clips from the performance have already begun surfacing online — and judging by the crowd response, this was not only a win for Sleep Token, but a clear indicator of where modern rock and metal may be heading.

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