Sleep Token, a flagship group of the British alternative scene, will headline the Download Festival 2025, alongside Green Day and Korn. A meteoric rise that arouses both admiration and controversy, but which has found significant support among their peers, Architects.
A headliner who sparks debate
Sleep Token, whose meteoric rise has marked the last two years, will be one of three groups to close an evening of the Download Festival in June 2025. This announcement has sparked debate, due to the tradition that these places are generally reserved for artists with decades of career and a well-established fan base.
Andy Copping, founder of the Download Festival, defended this choice in an interview with NMEstating: “It’s important for the festival to promote new headlining bands. I've done that before with Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold and Bring Me The Horizon, and now they're seen as festival leaders around the world. It's Sleep Token's turn. Their time has come.”
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Architects members support Sleep Token
Architects, major figures of British Metalcore, also spoke on the subject. Sam Carter and Dan Searle welcomed the decision, showing their support for Sleep Token. Carter said in another interview with NME: “I am very happy for Sleep Token. I’m very proud of them.”
Searle added with a touch of humor: “I said to my friends at Live Nation, 'When are you going to give Korn, Deftones and Limp Bizkit a chance? They've been waiting for 20 years!' But Sleep Token absolutely deserves this spot. I told these friends, 'You'd be stupid not to schedule them.'”
While acknowledging the controversy, Searle highlighted the uniqueness of Sleep Token's success: “Their biggest hit is a six-minute progressive song. This is extraordinary in an age where everything has to captivate the listener in 30 seconds.”
Despite their low profile, the members of Sleep Token impressed with their unique artistic approach, with their singer Vessel being described by Carter as “such a nice, calm and gentle guy”.
