This episode we chat about what 2026 will hold for us, for festivals, for music releases and also films and other bits in general.

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This episode we announce the winners of the Dear Download awards for 2025. We had more votes than any previous year for more accurate results. We also celebrate hitting 50,000 all time downloads! Thank you to everyone who has been a part of Dear Download this year.

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Vote here

We've got this episode out early to give you all a little bit more time to cast your votes.

This episode we are back with our 4th annual DD awards covering best and worst albums, best live performances and much more. Get your votes in before Thursday, which is when we will record and reveal the winners. 

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This episode we talk about 10 iconic albums that turn 10 this year.

Killing Joke - Pylon

Three days grace - Human

Soilwork - The ride majestic

Fear Factory - Genexus

Soulfly - Archangel

Shinedown - Threat to Survival

Fightstar - Behind the Devil's back

Ghost - Meliora

Bring me the horizon - That’s the Spirit

Cradle of Filth - Hammer of the witches

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Broken Day x Dear Download hoodie

This is by far our most in depth analysis of Download Festival's first band announcement, it may well be the most in depth analysis of the DL2026 first announcement so far. Join us as we talk about all of the bands that stand out to us so far, and take a deep dive into the lineup as a whole, the curveball, and what the future holds for Download festival headliners.

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This episode we talk about 10 iconic albums that turn 20 this year.

Bullet for my Valentine - the poison

Trivium - Ascendancy

DevilDriver - The fury of our makers hand

Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

Mudvayne - Lost and Found

Story of the Year - In the wake of Determination

Funeral for a Friend - Hours

Paradise Lost - Paradise Lost

Static-X - Start a War

Korn - See you on the Otherside

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Simon's Paradise Lost playlist

This episode we talk about 10 iconic albums that turn 30 this year.

Faith No More - King for a day

At The Gates - Slaughter of the Soul

Death - Symbolic

Fear Factory - Demanufacture

Gamma Ray - Land of the free

Iron Maiden - X-Factor

Ozzy Osbourne - Osmosis

Paradise Lost - Draconian Times

Rammstein - Herzslied

Deftones - Adrenaline

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Simon's Paradise Lost playlist

This episode we discuss all the news from all the recent festival announcements including Rock am/im Park/Ring, Ressurection fest, Nova Rocks, Tons of Rock, Tuska, Copenhell, Rock for People and Sonisphere. And we speculate how Download festival 2026 might look compared to these festivals. 

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Ashes by Dawn

This episode we discuss our predictions, and look back at the headliners from the last 10 years for all the regular festivals the come up on the podcast, including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air Festival, 2000 Trees, Slam Dunk festival and Reading and Leeds.

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Ashes by Dawn

This episode Simon tells us all about his time at Bloodstock festival this year. 

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Ashes by Dawn