HOW DONINGTON BECAME THE HOME OF ROCK

If rock and metal are a religious experience – as we all believe – then Donington is our Mecca, our Jerusalem, our cathedral, our… well, you get the point. This is our home. The first place anyone thinks about whenever the subject of iconic locations and venues is raised.

"When people think about rock festivals, Donington is one of the first places they think of, if not the first," says Download Promoter Andy Copping. And he talks from a vast experience, not only of being involved so closely with Download, but from going to its predecessor The Monsters Of Rock Festival in the 1980s – actually, he was there at the very first one. In 1980.

"I've still got the ticket, the programme and even a special edition of the local 'Brum Beat' magazine about the event!"

Throughout the festival’s illustrious history, there were just so many highlights. AC/DC's arrival as a mega name by headlining in 1981. ZZ Top flying the famous 'Eliminator' car over the masses in '85. The emotional return of drummer Rick Allen when Def Leppard played in 1986 – his first UK show after losing an arm. The enormous gathering for Iron Maiden in 1988, at the same festival that really kickstarted the momentum which was to make Guns n' Roses the biggest band in the world.

After a gap of seven years – and, boy, had we missed Donington – Monsters Of Rock was reborn. As the Download Festival. A new name, a fresh era, now expanded to two days, but very much the son of MOR, with the same high principles and lofty quality of bands.

In 2009, there were 128 bands on the bill, across four stages – something for everyone.

The ghosts of 1980 are still there at Donington. In fact, you can feel the resonance from every one of the hundreds of the bands who've played there down the years. Why? Because when you are home that's where you want to stay. And, as we said at the start, this is our home.

Discover the history of Donington’s rock heritage, and find out about the bands that will be writing the history books at Download 2010…

DOWNLOAD AWARDS

The Download Festival has received the following awards:
2003 – “Event of the Year” - Kerrang! Awards
2004 – “Best Event or Performance Site” - BT Digital Music Awards
2004 – “The Best Festival” - UK Festival Awards
2005 – “Best Official Website” - BT Digital Music Awards
2007 – “Best Music Community” - BT Digital Music Awards
2007 – “Top Festival” - Billboard Touring Awards
2008 – “Best Music Community” - BT Digital Music Awards
2009 – “Event of Year” - Metal Hammer Golden Gods
2009 – “Event of Year” - Classic Rock Awards

SEND US YOUR STUFF!

We want your Download and Monsters of Rock memorabilia for this section of the Download website.

We know that there are thousands of you out there with all sorts of souvenirs, ticket stubs, wristbands, programs, pictures and loads more cool stuff that you’ve collected from your trips to Donington over the past 30 years.

If you’ve got anything like this that you’d like to share with the world, then scan it in or take a picture of it and simply email it to us at downloadfestival@livenation.co.uk.

If it’s suitable then we’ll add it on to this very page!

Don’t forget to tell us your name, where you’re from, and what year your memorabilia is from and we’ll include it on here too.

We look forward to seeing what you can dig out of your scrap book!

THE SMALL PRINT
You agree that by sending us images of any memorabilia that you consent to us using your name and/or Photograph in our publicity as we see fit whether now or in the future, anywhere in the world. We will be the owner of the intellectual property rights in your Photograph and to this end you will assign to us, with full title guarantee, all intellectual property rights in your Photograph; You consent to the exploitation by us (or any third parties we authorise) of your Photograph in any way we see fit and in any media, including for the purposes of the Prize; You agree that you will not be entitled to any payment for such use.