Festpod - The Unofficial Rock Festival Guide

Welcome back to Festpod, the unofficial rock festival guide! In Episode 84, Neill and Rich are diving deep into the massive Download Festival 2026 lineup. We’re talking the return of Linkin Park (with Emily Armstrong), the "lengthy" Guns N' Roses sets, and why on earth Scooter is on the main billing! We’re also breaking down the latest Bloodstock Open Air news from their recent Q&A, including the end of the funfair (RIP 🎡) and some massive site upgrades to the Sophie Lancaster and EMP stages. Plus, we’ve got Gig Picks, "Nine Inch Kills" (oops!), and a look at the Sanctum Modern Metal Festival line-up. In this episode:• Download 2026: Are the headliners fresh enough? • Keanu Reeves at Download: Can Dogstar actually play? • Festival Accessibility: A look inside the Diverse Sensory Calm Space. • Bloodstock Upgrades: Why we're getting "extra length" on the EMP stage. • Gig Picks: The Hara, Deadbolt Festival, and Survivalist. 🔗 CONNECT WITH US👕 Festpod Merch & Patreon: https://festpod.co.uk📱 Follow us on Socials: Search "Festpod" on the decent platforms.📧 Bands/PR: Send your tracks to info@festpod.co.ukSponsor: Huge thanks to Fat Frank’s Camping Shop for sponsoring the show. Get your festival essentials at https://fatfrankscampingshop.com #DownloadFestival #BloodstockFestival #LinkinPark #LimpBizkit #RockFestival #Metalhead #FestPod #KeanuReeves #Dogstar #UKMetal

In episode 83 of Festpod, hosts Neill Wilkinson, Rich Holmes, and Arran Prime meet:-  @allearsavowband  -  @CollapseTheSky  -  @changepersonaband  -  @DACARAUK  -  @TWOYEARBREAK  -  @ExistImmortal  and Hevs, the organiser of the Takeover at Download.with our sponsor:Fat Frank's Camping Shop  @fatfrankscamping1991  https://fatfrankscampingshop.comFind all our video podcast episodes in this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlfyhNTZm6HBHjHm4kSORo_HykWXf0KGu&si=_5FbNi1-Rfe0sU1t Please support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/festpodIf you'd like to buy our merch, visit our merch store here: https://etsy.com/uk/shop/FestpodAll our links here: https://festpod.co.ukTimestamps ⏱: 0:00 - Pre Titles0:31 - Fat Frank's Camping Shop - 1st sponsor spot01:10 - Title sequence01:31 - Welcome03:04 - All Ears Avow09:04 - Collapse The Sky17:21 - Change Persona-- Ad Break --25:37 - Greysight break bumper25:47 - Frank's Camping Shop - 2nd sponsor spot--- Part 2 --26:31 - Welcome back26:50 - Dacara37:06 - Two Year Break47:01 - Exist Immortal55:33 - Heather Gibb (Hevs) - Organiser-- Outro --1:03:11 - Wrap-up1:04:09 - Goodbye

In episode 82 of Festpod - the Unofficial Rock Festival Guide, with hosts Neill Wilkinson & Rich Holmes:We discuss ‪Mediterranea Metal Cruise‬: The value for money compared to other festsVaried activities onboardPassengers were from varied backgrounds around the world.with our sponsor:Fat Frank's Camping Shophttps://fatfrankscampingshop.comVideo playlist:    • Festpod - The Unofficial Rock Festival Guide   Please support us on Patreon!   / festpod  https://festpod.co.ukTimestamps ⏱: 0:00 - Pre Titles0:15 - Fat Frank's Camping Shop - 1st sponsor spot0:57 - Title sequence01:18 - Welcome02:21 - Life aboard08:22 - Mixing with passengers13:15 - Comparison to Download and Bloodstock 21:57 - A lot to offer26:18 - Legion Of The Damned band27:11 - Broken By The Scream band-- Outro --28:14 - Thank you28:44 - Goodbye

In episode 81 of Festpod - the Unofficial Rock Festival Guide, with hosts Neill Wilkinson & Rich Holmes:As heavy metal music fans, we've been going to rock festivals for a long time - but never outside of the UK, and certainly not on a cruise ship! That's exactly what Mediterranea Metal Cruise is! And we're talking LUXURY. Amazing food, beautiful views of Greece and incredible metal acts make a festival far beyond the ones we're used to in the fields and parks of the UK.Join us aboard the Celestyal Discovery as we talk about our first impressions of cruise life and the Mediterranea Metal Cruise festival so far. with our sponsor:Fat Frank's Camping Shophttps://fatfrankscampingshop.comFind all our video podcast episodes in this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlfyhNTZm6HBHjHm4kSORo_HykWXf0KGu&si=_5FbNi1-Rfe0sU1t Please support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/festpodIf you'd like to buy our merch, visit our merch store here: https://etsy.com/uk/shop/FestpodAll our links here: https://festpod.co.ukTimestamps ⏱: 0:00 - Pre Titles0:16 - Fat Frank's Camping Shop - 1st sponsor spot0:57 - Title sequence01:18 - Welcome01:59 - First Impressions04:05 - The cabin05:46 - Food onboard06:21 - Fun on The Pool Deck07:25 - Kuşadası excursion 09:21 - Turkish Carpets12:37 - The bands14:26 - The atmosphere15:53 - Mykonos walking tour17:10 - Stray dogs and cats18:08 - Still to come18:50 - Santorini drinking contest20:19 - Everyone together-- Outro --21:37 - Thank you22:13 - Goodbye

In episode 80 of Festpod, hosts Neill Wilkinson, Rich Holmes, and Arran Prime discuss:- Download Festival lineup teased and a commemorative coin is available.- Bloodstock lineup additions.- Live Nation is investigated over monopoly fears.- Reading Rising creators are interviewed about this year's event.with our sponsor:Fat Frank's Camping Shop https://fatfrankscampingshop.comFind all our video podcast episodes in this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlfyhNTZm6HBHjHm4kSORo_HykWXf0KGu&si=_5FbNi1-Rfe0sU1tPlease support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/festpodIf you'd like to buy our merch, visit our merch store here: https://etsy.com/uk/shop/FestpodAll our links here: https://festpod.co.ukTimestamps ⏱:0:00 - Pre Titles0:28 - Fat Frank's Camping Shop - 1st sponsor spot01:09 - Title sequence01:35 - Welcome-- Festival News --03:53 - Download lineup tease07:18 - Download Collector's Coin09:33 - Download 2026 teaser video11:05 - 5ive to headline13:55 - Should Live Nation be broken up?39:58 - Bloodstock adds 27 bands to lineup45:46 - Bloodstock '26 site additions49:08 - Camping at Bloodstock56:12 - Slaughter To Prevail controversy is their own fault1:10:24 - Sheffield Independent Venues Alliance1:13:46 - Takedown Festival lineup1:19:59 - Birmingham to change airport name to Ozzy?1:22:50 - Heavy Music Awards winners-- Ad Break --1:26:58 -  @godethband  break bumper1:27:14 -  @fatfrankscamping1991  Frank's Camping Shop - 2nd sponsor spot--- Part 2 --1:28:05 - Reading Rising Interview-- Gig Guide --1:43:56 - Bloodstock Winter Gathering1:45:00 - Reading Rising1:46:05 - Mediterranea Metal Cruise-- Festpod Favourites --1:52:43 - https://metalforgood.org1:54:37 - https://www.bowlingforsoup.com1:57:12 - Pop-up stool https://www.fatfrankscampingshop.com/product/summit-pop-up-stool-with-carry-handle/-- Outro --1:59:57 - Host plugs2:04:49 - Goodbye

In episode 79 of Festpod, hosts Neill Wilkinson and Rich Holmes discuss:- The branding and merchandise updates from Download Festival;- Bloodstock announces that a 4th headliner will appear on Thursday night;- Mediterranea Metal Cruise is sold out for this year - we take a deeper look at what to expect onboard.with our sponsor:Fat Frank's Camping Shophttps://fatfrankscampingshop.comFind all our video podcast episodes in this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlfyhNTZm6HBHjHm4kSORo_HykWXf0KGu&si=_5FbNi1-Rfe0sU1t Please support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/festpodIf you'd like to buy our merch, visit our merch store here: https://etsy.com/uk/shop/FestpodAll our links here: https://festpod.co.ukTimestamps ⏱:0:00 - Pre Titles0:27 - Fat Frank's Camping Shop - 1st sponsor spot01:08 - Title sequence01:35 - Welcome-- Festival News --03:03 - Download Festival new branding - DLXXIII04:04 - Download's new merch08:24 - Download lineup expectations12:52 - Bloodstock's lineup and 4th headliner?18:56 - Mediterranea Metal Cruise-- Ad Break --27:00 - All Ears Avowbreak bumper27:10 - Frank's Camping Shop - 2nd sponsor spot-- Festpod's Download Stage Show --28:02 - Explanation30:07 - Steph starts the theme tune35:29 - Q&A52:53 - RIP vs General Camping1:06:00 - Festival Hacks1:28:09 - Time to end1:28:57 - Our analysis1:33:22 - Outro

in Episode 78, Neill, Rich, and Arran take a walk around the main arena for a guided tour of Bloodstock Festival 2025, discovering what's on offer at the stages and stalls, and meeting many happy people along the way.with Fat Frank's Camping Shophttps://fatfrankscampingshop.comFind all our video podcast episodes in this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlfyhNTZm6HBHjHm4kSORo_HykWXf0KGu&si=_5FbNi1-Rfe0sU1t Please support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/festpodIf you'd like to buy our merch, visit our merch store here: https://etsy.com/uk/shop/FestpodAll our links here: https://festpod.co.ukTimestamps ⏱:-- Part 1 --00:00 - Titles00:23 - Welcome to Serpent's Lair02:29 - Rupert the Bear04:20 - Man with belly shirt05:39 - Ram Gallery06:23 - Market stalls07:00 - EMP Stage09:39 - Sophie Stage10:58 - Bradley the Barman14:51 - Lobsters17:28 - Battle Arena18:36 - Pink Man21:52 - Red Bull Gaming Sphere & Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 & 424:42 - Camel Sheesha25:13 - 'Axe Heads' Axe Throwing26:02 - Old Sarum Tattoos27:21 - Kitty de Vyne and Jam-- Ad Break --30:50 -  @TheFiveHundred  break bumper31:01 - https://fatfrankscampingshop.com - sponsor spot-- Part 2 --32:09 - Firehound Forge Blacksmith38:11 - Spud Man39:36 - Gaming Arena43:26 - Campsite Entrance with Stan head44:40 - Man vs Food45:54 - Spin the Wheel46:21 - Peek inside the Sophie Tent at Eihwar47:49 - Chodepod48:36 - New Blood Stage49:34 - Pizza Roma51:25 - Seating area51:46 - Merch stall52:28 - Red Method53:14 - 4-pint beer or cider in a plastic milk bottle at Lemmy's Bar54:11 - Main Stage54:22 - 2026 lineup announcement01:00:21 - Outro

In this episode of Festpod, hosts Neill Wilkinson and Rich Holmes chat to Joe Hammond - the guitarist from the metalcore band Assurance, and also the creator of a new festival - The Sanctum festival in Digbeth, Birmingham. Get your tickets here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/assurance-band-uk/t-rpvzmkowith our sponsor:Fat Frank's Camping Shop https://fatfrankscampingshop.comFind all our video podcast episodes in this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlfyhNTZm6HBHjHm4kSORo_HykWXf0KGu&si=_5FbNi1-Rfe0sU1t Please support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/festpodIf you'd like to buy our merch, visit our merch store here: https://etsy.com/uk/shop/FestpodAll our links here: https://festpod.co.ukTimestamps ⏱:0:00 - Pre Titles0:17 - Fat Frank's Camping Shop - 1st sponsor spot0:58 - Title sequence01:18 - Welcome01:57 - Joe Hammond27:41 - Outro

In this episode of Festpod, hosts Neill Wilkinson and Rich Holmes interview the six bands chosen to perform at the 2025 Takeover at Download. All Ears Avow, Collapse The Sky, Change Persona, Dacara, Two Year Break, and Exist Immortal all talk about their upcoming appearance on the Doghouse stage in June.Every year, six unsigned bands get picked to play on the first day of Download Festival at Donington Park. The Doghouse stage in District X, what used to be called The Village, can host thousands of eager fans waiting to see the first live music of the event.The process to pick those few bands is a hard slog of watching videos, listening to submissions and arguments between the panel about who deserves it more. Eventually, the panel reaches agreement, and the chosen bands get informed. After Festpod's exclusive announcement of the bands picked to play, we now make contact with them and get their reaction to being selected. This is our chance to get to know those six bands before they head out on stage to a packed Doghouse tent.The Takeover at Download is a huge opportunity for unsigned bands to play for thousands of Rock and Metal fans and can lead to future connections, gigs and development, if they impress the right people. The stage is set, the excitement is peaking, and Download is about to begin.with our sponsor:Fat Frank's Camping Shop https://fatfrankscampingshop.comFind all our video podcast episodes in this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlfyhNTZm6HBHjHm4kSORo_HykWXf0KGu&si=_5FbNi1-Rfe0sU1t Please support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/festpodIf you'd like to buy our merch, visit our merch store here: https://etsy.com/uk/shop/FestpodAll our links here: https://festpod.co.ukTimestamps ⏱:0:00 - Pre Titles0:19 - Fat Frank's Camping Shop - 1st sponsor spot01:00 - Title sequence01:32 - Welcome-- Band Interviews pt. 1 --04:16 - All Ears Avow29:17 - Collapse The Sky-- Ad Break --53:08 - Bloodmores break bumper53:19 - Fat Frank's Camping Shop - 2nd sponsor spot-- Band Interviews pt. 2 --54:20- Change Persona01:12:49 - Dacara-- Ad Break 2 --01:28:03 - Rupcha Farms break bumper-- Band Interviews pt. 3 --01:28:49 - Two Year Break01:48:37 - Exist Immortal02:11:30 - Outro