When Fall Out Boy were first revealed as the Saturday night headliners for this year’s Download festival, some fans were quick to air their disapproval over the idea of an emo band topping the bill at an event historically reserved for the biggest legacy acts in heavy metal. But as the Metallicas and Iron Maidens of the world head ever further into their twilight years, the question of who will follow in their footsteps as the next generation of headliners becomes an increasingly pressing problem to solve.
In 2023, Bring Me The Horizon cemented themselves as the perfect replacements, producing a groundbreaking set that served as a weekend highlight for many. Whether Fall Out Boy could follow suit, however - especially as an outfit far lighter than their metal festival predecessors - was a prospect of considerable doubt, and one not lost on the band themselves, with Pete Wentz revealing during the set that he believes Metallica’s 2006 legendary performance was everything that a headliner at Donington Park should be.
