If anticipation levels for Linkin Park's first Download show in over a decade weren't already at fever pitch, the introduction of a countdown 10 full minutes before their set begins does the job nicely. Unlike the relatively sparse crowd that gathered for Guns N' Roses last night, there's an army forming around the Apex stage, Gen Z moshers rubbing shoulders with OG nu metal kids - many of whom have brought their own nu metal kids-in-waiting along for the occasion.
It feels like there's a lot riding on tonight. It's not just LP's first appearance at Donington in twelve years, but their first festival show on these shores since the shocking loss of Chester Bennington in 2017. Throw in the surprising fact that his replacement Emily Armstrong is about to become the first frontwoman to ever headline this festival and you have all the makings of an historic occasion.
