Frenzied mosh pits, pyrotechnic displays, crushing riffs and thunderous basslines… all of this and much more filled every corner of Donington Park during the revamped edition of the Download Festival. And wherever you looked, ChamSys was there too.
From the packed District X to the Avalanche and Dogtooth stages, filled with top-tier artists, talented lighting designers matched the festival’s intensity with high-impact shows programmed on ChamSys consoles.
ZigZag Lighting kept front-of-house (FOH) operations running smoothly across the festival site by supplying ChamSys consoles, as well as the lighting equipment for every stage except Apex and Opus. (PRG supplied the equipment for the Apex Stage, while Siyan provided the Opus Stage.)
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This year, Download reaffirmed its status as "the UK's largest rock festival", attracting more than 100,000 attendees. Fans enjoyed an even broader and more vibrant musical lineup, featuring a strong mix of emerging artists alongside bands from an increasingly diverse range of countries.
Lighting designers relied on the versatility and intuitive design of ChamSys consoles to enhance the festival’s diverse performances, ranging from nostalgia-filled sets to truly spectacular productions. Whether controlling a house rig, a touring production or one of the late-night stages in District X, MagicQ delivered the flexibility and reliability needed to keep the party going all weekend long.
Leading the house lighting systems were the MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console on Avalanche Stage 3, Dogtooth Stage 4 and the District X Doghouse. Elsewhere in District X, a MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console controlled The Den, a MagicQ MQ70 powered Ace of Spades, while several MagicQ MQ60 consoles were deployed at Hellfire and The Outpost.
ChamSys also had a strong presence on the festival’s touring productions. American lighting designer Pete Therrien used an MQ80 together with an Extra Wing for Social Distortion’s performance on the Opus Stage, delivering the energy required for crowd favourites such as Story Of My Life. Wiktor Kozak, with his Mini Connect, flawlessly handled the powerful live show of Polish deathcore band Decapitated on the Dogtooth Stage. Also making an impact were Stefan Gunkel, using his Stadium Connect for Cypress Hill; Adam McNally, expertly operating his Stadium Connect for RØRY during her highly anticipated Download Festival debut on the Apex Stage; and Richard Wolfgang, who delivered an outstanding performance with his MaxiWing for The Pretty Reckless during their Sunday show on the Apex Stage.
The ChamSys team would like to thank ZigZag Lighting, especially Neil Hunt, Tom Rawlinson, Luke Maxwell, Isaac and the entire crew, for helping make ChamSys such a prominent part of Download. They also extend their appreciation to the teams at PRG and Siyan for their outstanding work.
Teamwork, world-class performances, outstanding music, attractions and an excellent range of food options… Download 2026 brought together everything needed to create an unforgettable festival, with the reliability and versatility of ChamSys products present on every stage.
