Sleep Token Founder Explains the Band's 'Download Festival' 2025 Headlining Slot

Sleep Token have continued their rapid ascent through the ranks of British metal in recent months, notably being announced as one of the three headliners for this year’s edition of Download Festival.

The masked alternative metal collective first formed back in 2016, but it was the initial run of singles launched ahead of their third studio album, 2023’s Take Me Back To Eden, that brought them mainstream attention. Those tracks went viral on social media, quickly elevating the group to headliner status.

Since then, they’ve managed to sell out sizable venues in both their homeland and abroad, and more recently landed their first gold record in the United States.

Still, the revelation that the group would be serving as one of the three headliners booked for Download 2024 alongside Green Day and Korn ruffled a few feathers.

While some argued that the headlining spot should go to a more tenured and proven artist, others claimed that Sleep Token are merely a flash in the pan. The conversation surrounding that booking led Download founder Andy Copping to publicly jump to the group’s defense.

In a new op-ed shared by Copping via Kerrang!, the festival boss has now further explained his faith in Sleep Token and how the festival came about the decision to give them such a coveted spot. An excerpt of what he had to say can be read below:

“When Wembley went on sale and sold out in 10 minutes I was like, ‘This is beyond anything that anyone could have thought in terms of their popularity explosion.’ And not just in the UK – I’m seeing it in America, Australia and Europe as well. Suddenly, something is happening. I saw the Wembley show, it was amazing, and obviously Vessel had that wobble, but I thought it was great that he was still onstage while the crowd were singing the songs.

We then started talking to them about Download 2025. The arena tour had gone on sale and blown out two O2s, and it sold out everywhere. This is their moment, this is their time. We, as a festival, have to be bringing bands through and believe in what we’re doing, but we don’t do it in a haphazard way.

It’s very measured, it’s calculated, and I think it’s Sleep Token’s time. We spoke with them and they agreed to do it. It’ll be massive for them and for the festival, and I think that any detractors, when they see it, will get it. They’ll understand what it’s all about. It’s a lightning-in-a-bottle moment for our scene where a band has come in and done that.

I think they’ll win over non-fans at Download with how dynamic the show is. Out of curiosity people will watch, and mark my words, they’ll say after they play, ‘I was not familiar, but they’re now my new favourite band.’ They have something about them that’s going to win people over. People will become part of the gathering, part of the Worship.

A lot of people go, ‘It’s a new band,’ but they’ve had three albums. If you want to take it back, Guns N’ Roses exploded on album number one, Nirvana exploded on album number two, and here we are with a band on album three. I think that our scene is really lucky to have a band like Sleep Token come through and rise to the top.

We’re going to see a lot of festivals across the world making them a headline act. We were first and we love being the innovators. What we did with Slipknot, what we did with Avenged Sevenfold, and most recently with Bring Me The Horizon, all those bands deserved to headline Download and we were the first to give them that opportunity.

And we’ve been absolutely proved right. Sleep Token are going to be the next great festival headliner across the world, and how great it is that they’re British, too. It’s part of the new British Invasion. That’s how we came to the decision.”

You can find more from Copping over at Kerrang!. Should Sleep Token manage to fully cement themselves as a bankable headliner going forward, it will certainly be a welcome development, as there has been much discussion regarding the lack of apparent metal and hard rock headliners positioned to keep the scene financially viable in the coming decades.