Here’s the weather forecast for Download Festival 2023

Download 2023 will soon be upon us! Four days of the greatest and hottest bands in rock, metal and alternative music, headlined by Metallica (twice!), Slipknot and Bring Me The Horizon. But we all know that as good as a line-up can be, ultimately the best festival weekends also have the best weather.

So how do the skies look over Castle Donington this week? Well, according to BBC Weather, it's a mixed bag...

UPDATED: June 7, 11am

The first proper day of the festival sees highs of 18ºC with sunny intervals and a moderate breeze, which – if you ask us – is ideal weather for easing ourselves into four days of moshing, drinking and collapsing into our tent at the end of the day. Also, the sun is due to set around half-past nine, giving us about 90 minutes of Metallica by moonlight!

Same again on Friday, according to the Beeb. Highs of 20ºC, lows of 9ºC, and zero per cent chance of rain throughout the day. Make sure you slap on some sun cream or risk being a red, quivering mess by the time Bring Me The Horizon raise all hell for their overdue headline debut.

Things heat up for Metallica's second time out, with the mercury climbing to highs of 24ºC on Saturday, but there is also a 20-35 per cent chance of rain throughout the afternoon and evening, and what the BBC ominously describes as "thundery showers and a moderate breeze". So, depending on how optimistic you are, it might be worth packing a poncho.

And for Download's final day, Donington stays around 23ºC, but there is a much higher chance of rain and what the BBC is calling "thundery showers and light winds" with around a 44 per cent chance of rain throughout the afternoon and early evening. Just in time to turn the pits to a slurry before Slipknot come on. Bliss!

Stay tuned to Kerrang! from Thursday afternoon for full review coverage of Download's 20th anniversary.