How has it been a decade since Within Temptation actually headlined a UK festival? The symphonic metal giants have only gone from strength to strength in recent years, undertaking two massive arena runs – including a co-headline run with Evanescence – and continued to push boundaries and use their platform to fight the good fight and rally behind worthy causes.
But, gratifying as it is seeing them jump up to second stage headliner here at Download – they subbed to Evanescence last time around in 2023 – you can’t help but feel like they’ve been done dirty, if only a bit. The crowd amassed at the Opus Stage is respectable, but with Weezer hammering out the greatest hits of 90s alt rock just down the hill, the crowd doesn’t swell to its full force until later in the Dutch band’s set. Which is a shame, because they’re phenomenal. Decorating the stage like some ancient amphitheatre, there’s a touch of former tourmates Iron Maiden to the scale of what Within Temptation do, and even if it’s not quite matched up to some of the more dazzling visuals of their headline gigs, it still feels colossal.
