DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL DEBUTS
MINDFULNESS PROGRAMME – MIND THE DOG
ON SITE IMPROVEMENTS FOR 2019
INCLUDING NEW DAY ENTRANCE, CAR PARKS, AND MORE!
FIVE CONTINENTS OF ROCK TALENT TO DESCEND
ON THE HALLOWED GROUNDS OF DONINGTON PARK
Download Festival, the world’s premiere rock event, has announced that a full mindfulness
programme will be implemented in 2019 for the first time. Announced ahead of Mental Health
Awareness week next month, the Mind The Dog initiative will run morning, afternoon, and evening
sessions where rockers can share a fully immersive, live music and mindfulness experience, from
Thursday 13 – Sunday 16 June. Day and weekend festival tickets available at
www.downloadfestival.co.uk
One in six people in England report experiencing common mental health issues including anxiety and
depression in any given week (1) and by 2030, it’s estimated that two million more adults in the UK will
experience mental health problems than there were in 2013 (2). The recent loss of music legends
including Keith Flint (Prodigy), Chester Bennington (Linkin Park), Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), and
Scott Hutchinson (Frightened Rabbit), calls for action to open up the conversation surrounding mental
health, something Download organisers are committed to.
Festival Republic’s Melvin Benn said:
“Download Festival has gone from strength to strength in its sustainability and accessibility offerings.
We have been awarded 4 star Creative Green Result by Julie’s Bicycle for the second year running, and
level gold from Access Is For Everything last year, which is highest possible award for accessibility, so
it only made sense to offer an on site programme for mental health, as well as physical. By introducing
Mind The Dog this year, we are hoping to provide a mindfulness haven in The Doghouse across the
weekend, with meditation, sound baths, and more. I couldn’t be prouder of how much Download
Festival has accomplished already.”
Fans can channel their zen under ambient lighting and atop woven tapestries, before immersing
themselves in hour long classes under the roof of The Doghouse which will transform into Mind The
Dog by day, offering FREE mindfulness gatherings. Morning meditation will host curated live music
sessions, designed to ready campers for the day, whilst the afternoon offers a healing sound bath, encouraging fans to pause, connect, and tune into themselves, and the evening class brings a calming
focus to elevate fans state of consciousness. Designed with conscious breath work sessions, the
programme aims to bring fans together in the now, becoming closer to themselves, the music, and
each other. Full schedule details can be found in notes to editors.
Recent studies show music can prevent feelings of loneliness and provide social connection (3), whilst
the global heavy metal community provides a strong sense of “belonging and acceptance”(4). In line
with the success and return of on-site DO.OM Yoga (yoga to Doom Metal music), and the thriving
return of Camp Loner, (the campsite dedicated to welcoming individuals attending the festival solo),
organisers are now excited to bring their elevated mindful offerings for Download fans in synergy with
the festival spirit.
In support of the programme, Rou Reynolds from Enter Shikari, who headline The Avalanche Stage at
this year’s festival said: “We often go through life on autopilot, getting caught up in the stressors, the anxieties, the intensity of it all. We’re rarely consciously in control of our turbulent mind. Mindfulness allows us to regain
control as we learn to observe our thoughts instead of getting caught up in them.
It has been an incredible help to me and I couldn’t recommend it more. Not only does it help with
anxiety and depression, but it also improves focus, emotional intelligence, compassion, tolerance and
objectivity and has even been proven to help boost your immune system. Big up Download for
introducing this programme to the festival”
Improved changes for 2019 include a new devoted entrance for day visitors and non-camping
weekend ticket holders, weekend campers will also have their own dedicated car park, plus The Village
is moving close to The Arena meaning festivalgoers can go from mosh to party with ease. The NXT
Arena moves closer to the guest area, where NXT UK will be live taping to broadcast as part of a weekly
show on the WWE Network, and the introduction of Metal Movies, a new open-air cinema with
hammocks and lounge areas, will allow fans to kick back and watch music documentaries including
being a metal band from Nepal with Underside along with a Q&A with the band afterwards, and
Pursuit Of The Vikings with Amon Amarth.
Download continues its commitment to provide the best experience for fans, with accessibility
improvements implemented in 2018, resulting in the awarding of Gold Level status by Access is
Everything ahead of this year’s festival.
Sustainability remains a priority for Download Festival. Car parking donations last year via Energy
Revolution raised £15,811 for Solar to Schools, a project which funds schools with solar roofing panels
across the UK, and the festival continues its zero waste to landfill policy, as recycling points in the
campsites will double in 2019. Last year saw the recycling and composting rate increase to 46% from
2017’s 41%, and single use cups were reduced by a million with reusable alternatives. The Eco
Campsite opened in 2018 which saw zero tents left behind and returns this year with an increased
capacity for a total of 2000 campers, a 33% increase from last year.
Additional water points for 2019 will be introduced across the arena, refillable Download Festival
metal water bottles will be available for purchase the first time, and Co-op are excited to continue
their Deposit and Return Scheme with their reverse vending machine returning to Download, which
proved popular last year with festivalgoers who want to recycle plastic bottles, in return for a coupon to spend in the on site Co-op shop. Since 2016, all single use plastic cutlery, containers, and straws
have been banned from traders, caterers and bars.
Donnington Park, the spiritual home of rock, has always called for international talent to grace its
stages, with 2019 as no exception. With over 100 bands performing across the weekend, hailing from
18 countries including Australia, Canada, England, France, Finland, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Ukraine, United States
and Wales, Download Festival remains the King of rock festivals.
(1) Mind
(2) NHS Mental Health Network
(3) Reachout.com
(4) Journal of Community Psychology