Page 8 - Metal Hammer Issue 334 - UK (May 2020)
P. 8
THE HOT TOPIC
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WORDS: ALI COOPER
WITH SUMMER RIGHT around “Download Festival have reduced
the corner, Download have made a big walking distances for festival attendees
announcement that will greatly impact by moving campsites, car parks, the
fans’ experiences. The organisers of transport hub and The Village,” reveal
the UK’s biggest rock and metal organisers in an official statement.
festival, this year headlined by Kiss, “When campers were looking at almost
Iron Maiden and System Of A Down, an hour walk to campsites from The
have made some drastic changes for Arena, the new campsite locations
those making the pilgrimage to Castle mean that Downloaders can reach
Donington in June. their tents in the furthest campsites
2019 saw another weather washout from The Arena in just 25 minutes.
for Download, with torrential rain As The Village is now a central hub
turning the festival’s Village hub and between campsites, this can be reached
campsites into muddy trenches from from the majority of campsites in 10
the very first day. While they’ve minutes or less.”
introduced numerous structural Weekend campers arriving via car IN LIGHT OF growing climate and
changes in the festival layout over this year have the addition of a new sustainability concerns hitting the
the last 10 years, the event has East Car Park, improving access to mainstream via the Extinction
consistently struggled with providing the site, and particularly helpful to Rebellion movement and activist
seamless access to the Village, where Downloaders travelling from the north Greta Thunberg, the Leicestershire
festivalgoers can buy food, supplies is the new Castle Donington bypass. festival states Download 2020 is
and merchandise. This year, however, According to Download, the new committed to reducing its carbon and
the Download team have announced parking zone means only a two-minute ecological footprint.
vital changes to the site, most walk to the nearest campsite – which “Download take climate change
importantly relocating the Village will be a massive bonus for Monday seriously and as part of our Green Nation
to a hardstanding tarmac lake for morning hangover sufferers. charter, we are using 100% renewable
2020 – so no more trudging through Additionally, the festival have Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil biofuel to
knee-deep mud for half an hour to upgraded the experience for access power the event this year,” adds the
reach that elusive inflatable mattress. customers by redirecting the route statement. “HVO is a form of renewable
from the Village to the access camp diesel that has been produced from
“YOU’LL REACH THE entirely on solid ground, plus an vegetable fats and oils and offers
increase in the capacity of the access
a significant reduction in greenhouse
FURTHEST TENTS IN camper van site, relocated on a new gas emissions. This act will reduce
flatter surface. This way, nothing
Download’s carbon emissions by 60%.”
JUST 25 MINUTES” should get in the way of having fun single-use plastic on site, promoting GETTY
Last year’s event saw a reduction of
this year, whatever the weather.
8 METALHAMMER.COM
