Download 2026: The Good Kind of Chaos
Three years in and working with Download still feels a bit surreal for us at P&Co.
What started as a one-off collaboration with one of our favourite UK festivals has grown into something we genuinely look forward to every year, and we were so stoked at the reaction to the collection this year. There's always something special about spotting people wearing your work out in the wild, but seeing it all over Donington just hits differently.
For the last two years, we’ve had a smaller presence in the press area at Download, but this year we decided to ramp things up a little. We brought our vintage army tent along and set up camp properly this time. Part interview space, part showroom, part place to escape the chaos for five minutes, it became our home for the weekend. We filled it with some of our latest pieces and spent three days hosting interviews, gifting appointments and catching up with artists, managers, press and friends old and new.
Busy doesn't quite cover it.
One of the best parts of the weekend was getting the chance to sit down with so many great artists. Huge credit goes to our Spitalfields Store Manager, Abbie, who spent most of the festival between interviews and somehow kept the energy levels high throughout.
HEAR FROM THE ARTISTS AT DOWNLOAD
A real full-circle moment came with Jason Aalon Butler from Letlive. Around a decade ago, when P&Co was still finding its feet, Jason modelled for us. Fast-forward ten years, and we're sitting together backstage at Download, catching up. Some things just feel like they’re meant to happen.
Another standout was RØRY, who spoke openly about her experience with ADHD, resilience and what it means to stand on the Main Stage. There was something particularly special about that conversation happening on the same day Download welcomed its first-ever female headliner. Seeing Emily Armstrong take the stage with Linkin Park felt like a genuine landmark moment for the festival.
Closer to home, it was great to spend some time with our local friends in Mouth Culture, who continue to prove exactly why they're one of the UK's most exciting bands right now.
Not every memorable moment happened in front of a camera, either. Somewhere between appointments, Abbie sat & taught Matt from Boundaries a handful of card games inside the tent.
EMILY ARMSTRONG IN THE HARPER BOMBER
Then came the moment none of us were expecting. On Sunday afternoon, just as we were locking up the tent for the day, to find a good spot in the crowd, Linkin Park's management stopped by the tent to pull some pieces for the band.
As lifelong fans, that alone was enough to send the group chat into meltdown. A few hours later, Emily Armstrong walked out on stage wearing one of those pieces - our Harper Bomber Jacket in Dark Olive. There aren't many moments in this job where you're genuinely lost for words, but that was one of them for sure.
For a band that's soundtracked so many road trips, late nights and questionable teenage decisions over the years, seeing P&Co on stage with Linkin Park felt pretty unbelievable.
Definitely one we'll be talking about for a long time. Image credit: @sabrinaramdoyal
Away from the madness, we also caught up with our friends at The Great Frog, got our portraits taken for their yearbook and managed to squeeze in a few sets ourselves.
Linkin Park were everything we hoped they'd be. A Day To Remember brought absolute carnage. The All-American Rejects delivered a heavy dose of nostalgia, while Limp Bizkit reminded everyone why they're still one of the most entertaining live bands around. We even caught some of Guns N' Roses and came away pleasantly surprised, although we couldn't quite commit to the full three-hour marathon.
And, perhaps most importantly of all, the weather held out. Anyone who was with us in 2024 will understand why that's worth mentioning. The mud still haunts us.
Three days of good people, good music and not nearly enough sleep.
Same time next year?
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