Lzzy Hale has been here before. Halestorm headlined Download’s second stage back in 2019, a beacon of full-hearted rock 'n' roll wedged within the transgressive weirdo rap of Die Antwoord and the aggy millennial metal of Slipknot. This year they’re doing much the same, offering a classic rock alternative to Cypress Hill before headliners Limp Bizkit. Only, a lot has changed in seven years.
They’ve not had the kind of immediate blow-up that a crossover single or viral hit might have afforded, but the fact is Halestorm are now an established arena band, and have racked up stadium gigs with everyone from Metallica and Iron Maiden to Black Sabbath. That experience shows.
Opener Fallen Star is punctuated with blasts of flame, while the song’s solo sees Lzzy and Joe Hottinger trade licks in front of sparking jets. Confetti blasts up for I Miss The Misery and the flames keep coming; this is Halestorm going the whole nine yards and putting on a massive spectacle worthy of a stadium. They’re not just relying on production, though, Lzzy howling for a good 30 seconds by way of introduction. The set is punchy and amped up; Love Bites (So Do I), Bitch and Freak Like Me are tackled with all the ferocity and force of a starving great white let loose on a seal colony.
It sets the tone for the set to come, the wall of Marshall stacks hinting towards the old school rock style glow-up they give every song. Lzzy puts her voice through its paces with almighty renditions of I Get Off and I Gave You Everything, while a mid-set, rocked up rendition of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance proves to be a surprise highlight, the crowd singing along gleefully.
2026 marks a big turning point for Download, with its first ever frontwoman headliner in Linkin Park’s Emily Armstrong. But with such sheer star quality and on the best form of their lives, it feels like Halestorm are lining themselves up to ascend to headliner status down the line.
