3: Muse
Although Muse headlining the Saturday was seen by some as controversial and not fitting the typical Download bill, Muse blew everyone’s expectations out the water with a set consisting of their heaviest songs. The show included confetti and fireworks, and it was refreshing to see so many people dancing and singing along. This came to a head during ‘Plug in Baby’ and ‘Knights of Cydonia’ where the atmosphere exploded like an atom bomb, with the whole place jumping. Muse won over a lot of people during this set, and it is easy to see why they are still one of the most exciting live bands around.