As the countdown to festival season begins, the organisers of Midland rock festival Download have dismissed competition from newcomer Sonisphere.

Download, on the former site of the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington Park, last week revealed the first set of bands confirmed for this year’s event.

Slipknot, The Prodigy, Limp Bizkit and Mötley Crüe are lined up to play at the festival which takes place from 12th to 14th June. Korn, Pendulum and Def Leppard are also set to play Download, which draws over half its audience – 55 per cent – from the Midlands.

But the rock festival, in its seventh year, faces stiffer competition with the announcement Sonisphere, a new Europe-wide touring festival, has signed Metallica.

The UK leg of Sonisphere will be in August at Knebworth, the stately home famous for hosting acts such as Robbie Williams, Oasis and Queen. Other Sonisphere

festivals will take place in Holland, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Finland. But Andy Copping, vice-president of promotions and Download festival promotor at Live Nation was not concerned.

He said Download benefited from fan loyalty, with fans attached to the “hallowed turf” of Castle Donington, which during the 80s and 90s hosted rock legends like Iron Maiden, AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses.

“I wouldn’t really label Sonisphere a rival in as much as it is another festival just like Reading and Leeds,” he said.

“Download has this huge tradition and we have 100 bands over three days. We have taken a lot of time and resources to make sure we take care of our visitors.

“We have a lot of goodwill among our audience and it’s a tradition for them to come to Donington. Other festivals will probably copy us because we have been so successful.”

Mr Copping said Download consulted its festival goers, using forums on its website to get fans to suggest improvements.

Camping emerged as an issue last year and as a result the festival has arranged for campsites to be closer to the main arena.

“We have always had a good relationship with the ticket buyers via the Download website and I think that is unique,” he said.

Mr Copping said there was still a huge market for festivals and music events, despite the economic situation squeezing other sections of the leisure industry. But he added the festival had been cautious with pricing increases.

“We have been very careful of how we have priced Download this year. Normally it’s a ten to 15 per cent increase but this year it was less than five per cent.”

“I think it’s too early to say whether festivals are being hit. My belief is that if you offer an attractive package people will buy it.

“That has been proven with ticket sales of all kinds of acts whether it is Stevie Wonder, The Pussycat Dolls or Girls Aloud – these are all acts that have done phenomenally.”