Watch 90s pop crew Vengaboys pull an insane crowd at Download, the UK’s biggest rock and metal festival

Download! You know that festival, right? Biggest rock and metal festival in the UK, held on the hallowed turf of Donington Park, the original site of the mighty Monsters Of Rock! Download! It’s Iron Maiden! Metallica! Slipknot! Avenged Sevenfold! Vengaboys! AC/D-wait, hold…

Yes, 90s dance-pop party-starters Vengaboys officially made their Download debut last night (Thursday June 12), pulling up to the Download Village area just outside the main arena to play the Village’s bespoke stage as the festival’s warm-up day began – and believe it or not, the Vengabus absolutely packed the place out.

Video has since emerged across social media of thousands of rock fans ecstatically bouncing around to We Like To Party!, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! and We’re Going To Ibiza!. Don’t believe us? Watch the footage below.

@metalhammeruk ♬ original sound – metalhammeruk

@meganb1812 ♬ We like to Party! (The Vengabus) – More Airplay – Vengaboys

@tturton13 ♬ original sound – Tom Turton

This year’s Download will be headlined by Green Day, making their Download debut, Sleep Token, headlining an outdoor UK festival for the first time, and Korn, who have finally made the step up to Download headliners on their ninth attempt. Other bands set to play include Weezer, Bullet For My Valentine, Spiritbox, Opeth, Within Temptation, Meshuggah, Lorna Shore and many more.

There are also a number of surprise sets promised for across the weekend. At this rate, we wouldn’t be surprised if Gina G turns up.

Merlin moved into his role as Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has previously written for the likes of Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N’ Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.