Linkin Park ignore the noise with triumphant set at Download Festival

Rock and metal has been far from a man's game for a long time.

But some habits have been harder than others to break - Download Festival and its predecessor Monsters Of Rock have had to wait until 2026 for a female-fronted band to headline the festival.

Linkin Park took that title on Sunday night, and it was a stunning performance.

There has been a lot of noise around the rights and wrongs of the band continuing following the loss of Chester Bennington, but it's not Emily Armstrong's fault that the band decided to play on – and at this festival she played a blinder.

In a storming set, she gave classics such as Numb and Papercut a new life. In Overflow, from the one Linkin Park album she has been part of, her harmonies dovetailed beautifully with those of fellow lead vocalist Mike Shinoda.

The festival got under way on Friday in Donington Park, Leicestershire, with Cypress Hill one of the acts to grace the main stage.

Over the years, Download has pushed the boundaries with the genres it includes, and the Californian hip-hoppers were as much at home here as any of the more traditional fare on the bill.

They were followed as first-night headliners by Linkin Park's fellow nu metal trailblazers Limp Bizkit - second on the bill a couple of years ago but elevated further this year as their latest renaissance continues.

These days, frontman Fred Durst looks more Robert Plant than skater boy, but his energy levels haven't dipped since their late-90s heyday.

It was a powerful performance, with Durst engaging throughout. Lauren Sanderson joined in for Hot Dog early in the set, bringing even more electricity to proceedings.

My Way came to an early end when Durst spotted someone in the crowd who needed medical attention, and the singer's face was one of genuine concern as help was given.

The set wrapped up with Break Stuff - the Floridians had set a high bar for the rest of the weekend's festivities.

The Wildhearts didn't appear on any T-shirts, hoodies or posters for this year's Download because they were a last-minute addition to the bill.

It followed Ginger Wildheart's recent cancer diagnosis, with the singer refusing treatment and vowing to keep going.

So there was something of a bonus on Saturday morning when the Geordies (complete with a couple of cameos from the singer's dog, Maggie) opened things for day two.

It was over in a flash, with half a dozen songs or so, meaning for the tens of thousands of campers here it was a literal case of if you snooze, you lose.

But Ginger is the epitome of Download, and he received a rapturous response when he told us "we're here to celebrate life".

After the first of a couple of Red Arrows flypasts, fresh from their appearance above Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour, it was time for Babymetal. The whole thing was surely an eyeopener for anyone not already familiar with them.

The Japanese trio come on stage with serious, even imposing, expressions, but it was not long before they couldn't help themselves – first with a few smirks and then breaking out into infectious grins.

Their choreography and mesmerising dancing stole the show.

The rain was heavy in the days leading up to the festival, but the better drainage system meant we are spared the flooding, mud and all-round misery of what became known as "Drownload" here 10 years ago.

That's not the only advance that Download has made over the years, and the festival's ongoing support for mental health has seen the introduction of sensory calm spaces.

These spaces offer support and mental health first aid as well as a quiet area away from the crowds and the noise.

Fidgets, weighted blankets, sensory dens and noise-cancelling headphones were on tap, as well as activities including chess and dominoes.

Then came Guns N' Roses, blasting off their Saturday night headline set with Welcome To The Jungle.

The opening hour was a tour de force, with Estranged just one of the songs that gave Slash the chance to remind us why he is one of the standout guitarists of his generation.

Something of a lull arrived in the middle of the three-hour set, with newer, less familiar numbers, covers, and extended versions of songs with multiple solos in them.

Things picked up again towards the end with the expected anthems of November Rain and Nightrain. The start of the performance proved most memorable, though.

Space was at a premium on the second stage on Sunday for Dogstar, but that's what happens when your bassist is Hollywood's Keanu Reeves.

Their alternative rock was among the most mainstream music on offer over the weekend and felt a little out of place with the rest of the bill – but if an A-list star can help build the profile of the rock scene, that's no bad thing.

The final day of this year's Download was Linkin Park's; their triumphant set suggests the legacy of their past lives on.