Huge music festival faces being forced to MOVE after 20 years as plans for mega new town next to UK airport unveiled

The Sun

3 days ago

A HUGE music festival faces being forced to move after 20 years.
This comes as plans for a mega new town next to one of the UK's airports has been unveiled.
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Download Festival is a high-profile metal and rock festival that is held each June.
Created by Andy Copping, it was seen as a successor to the legendary Monsters of Rock extravaganza, held at Castle Donington from 1980 until 1996.
Since 2003, the summer open-air extravaganza has taken place at Donington Park in Leicestershire.
Some of the biggest acts in the industry have taken to the stage at the annual event.
However, plans for a new town in the East Midlands and right near the site have been unveiled and submitted.
4,250 homes in the long-mooted town called Isley Woodhouse could be built just south-west of East Midlands airport.
Plans for one secondary and two primary schools have also been included along with shops, hotels, sports facilities and a leisure centre to be built on farmland.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the developers Harworth Group and Caesarea Development Holdings have said that 10,000 new residents could be brought to the area.
The plans - submitted to North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) have identified land between Isley Walton, Diseworth and Tonge.
The little-known UK airport that you'll wish you were flying from this summer
Concerned rock fans took to social media as they questioned whether the festival will still take place on the site, given the news.
Writing on fan forum site Reddit, a Download Festival fan account created a new thread as the user wrote: "Just seen there's been plans submitted for 10,000 new houses next to Donington Park, will Download have to move?"
The account also wrote: "Saw this on BBC today. Could this be the death blow for Download at Donington?
"I know some people have said the site as it stands is insufficient, but it would be a shame to move from our spiritual home."
Meanwhile on Facebook in a Download Festival [2026] group, another user wrote: "Just been told 2026 could possibly be the last at Donington Park due to this."
The worried words were accompanied by an emotional red angry face emoji.
The Sun has approached representatives for Download Festival for comment.
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