LEICESTERSHIRE, UK (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Despite rain and drama, this year's Download festival proved to be a monster, drawing more than 100,000 fans to Donington Park.
Bracketed by downpours on before the gates opened and then again on Sunday, the Live Nation-produced festival featured performances by headliners like Aerosmith and Rage Against the Machine.
AC/DC opened the event and made waves when they reportedly demanded their own stage in order to accommodate a 6-ton train which burst through the back of the set, and their trademark giant bell.
Rain returned on Sunday, reportedly turning the event into the typical UK mudfest, but cleared up ahead of Aerosmith's closing gig on Sunday night.
Although the festival has only been staged since 2002, the event took up where a former festival event, Monsters of Rock, left off and event organizers billed this as the 30th anniversary of the festival. This year's event saw stages named in tribute of Ronnie James Dio and Monsters of Rock co-founder Maurice Jones, both of whom had recently passed. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
