Download Festival 2025: What are the most valuable releases from this year’s headliners, including Green Day?

• Download Festival is set to take place in two weeks time as of writing, with this year’s event headlined by Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn.
• But what are some of the most lucrative releases from the extensive back catalogues of the bands performing on the Apex Stage this year?
• Are there also any other bands performing at Download Festival who might also have back catalogue works worth a pretty penny?

Just two weeks remain until Download Festival transforms Donnington Park into a joyous cacophony, headlined this year by Green Day, Sleep Token, and Korn, with an incredible array of acts across its many stages.

While some of us are already packing for the big weekend (and don't worry, we'll share our packing tips next week!), others are diving back into the discographies of this year's artists. I, for one, have been revisiting an awful lot of Weezer – but then again, I'll take any excuse.

However, if you're considering offloading parts of your music collection ahead of the festival, you might want to think twice. Some of your items could be worth far more than you initially paid for...

We've delved into Discogs' sales history to identify the most valuable releases from this year’s headline acts, based on their highest recorded sales prices (and spoiler: these items don't appear often!). We've also included releases from other bands performing this year that have previously fetched high prices, for those not too keen on who's headlining the Apex Stage.

So, what are the most expensive items sold on Discogs from some of this year’s Download Festival line-up?

What are some of the most expensive releases from this year’s Download headliners?

Green Day

39/Smooth (12”, Lookout! Records, 1990)

Green Day's 1990 debut LP, 39/Smooth, released on Lookout! Records, is a highly sought-after vinyl for collectors due to its significant historical value and rarity. As the band's first full-length album featuring their original drummer, John Kiffmeyer, this independent release captures Green Day's raw, early pop-punk sound, which sharply contrasts with their later polished, mainstream success.

Original pressings, particularly the approximately 800 copies on green vinyl, are exceptionally rare, making it a cornerstone for any serious Green Day collector and fetching significant prices on marketplaces like Discogs.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £199.21

Dookie (12” Test Pressing, Reprise Records, 2008)

This specific 2008 test pressing of Green Day's iconic album Dookie is an exceptionally rare and valuable find for collectors. A test pressing is one of a very limited number of vinyl copies (often just 5-20) produced from the master for quality control before mass production, meaning it was never intended for public sale.

Given Dookie's status as a landmark album that launched Green Day to superstardom, any rare variant is highly sought after. This 2008 pressing, likely for a significant reissue, represents a unique piece of the album's production history, making it a true holy grail for any Green Day vinyl enthusiast.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £243.39

Waiting (7", Special Edition, Pink Marble, Signed, Thumbprinted, Adeline Records, 2001)

This 2001 7-inch single of Green Day's Waiting on Adeline Records is a highly coveted collector's item due to its extreme scarcity and unique features. It's a Limited Edition, Special Edition pressing on Pink Marble vinyl, which immediately makes it rare. What truly elevates its value, however, is being signed and thumbprinted by the band members.

Such personalized, low-run releases are incredibly hard to find and represent a significant piece of Green Day memorabilia, making it a dream discovery for any dedicated fan or vinyl collector.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £420.45

Sleep Token

Take Me Back to Eden (2 x LP, Gold Nuggets, Spinefarm Records, 2023)

This Gold Nugget 2xLP vinyl pressing of Sleep Token's Take Me Back to Eden, released by Spinefarm Records in 2023, is highly valuable due to the band's immense and rapidly growing popularity, combined with the specific nature of this edition. Sleep Token has cultivated an incredibly passionate fanbase, leading to high demand for all their releases.

As a Gold Nugget variant, this particular pressing indicates a special, likely limited edition, which is inherently sought after by collectors. The combination of a highly popular, current band and a unique, limited-run coloured vinyl makes this album a prized and valuable item in the contemporary progressive metal and rock vinyl market.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £133.20

This Place Will Become Your Tomb (2 x LP, Blue, Spinefarm Records, 2021)

This Blue 2xLP vinyl pressing of Sleep Token's This Place Will Become Your Tomb, released by Spinefarm Records in 2021, is another highly valuable item for collectors. Given Sleep Token's rapidly expanding and passionate fanbase, demand for all their albums, especially earlier releases like this, is incredibly high.

As a Blue coloured vinyl variant, this pressing signifies a special or limited edition, which inherently appeals to collectors. Its status as an earlier album, released before their most recent surge in global popularity, further enhances its desirability for fans looking to complete their collection with unique physical versions.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £273.57

Sundowning (2 x LP, 45 RPM, Black/Transparent, Record Store Day, Spinefarm Records 2022)

This Record Store Day Limited Edition reissue of Sleep Token's debut album, Sundowning, pressed on distinctive Black/Transparent 2xLP vinyl at 45 RPM, is a highly valuable item for any collector.

As an RSD exclusive, this release was produced in very limited quantities and made available only through independent record stores on a specific date, inherently making it scarce. Coupled with Sleep Token's immense and passionate fanbase, who eagerly collect all their unique releases, this makes it highly sought after.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £388.50

Korn

Korn (cassette tape, self-released, 1993)

This cassette is a pre-album demo that Korn self-released before they signed with Immortal/Epic Records and dropped their iconic debut album Korn in 1994. The Not On Label (Korn Self-released) and none for the catalogue number immediately tell you this isn't a commercial release. It's a genuine piece of the band's foundational history, made to shop around to labels and build an early fanbase.

As a cassette format from 1993, its numbers would have been extremely limited, far fewer than any vinyl or CD release. Many were likely distributed directly by the band at early shows or sent to industry contacts. Such items are incredibly rare and offer a unique glimpse into a band's raw, formative years before major label polish.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £591.26

Follow The Leader (2 x LP, Epic/Immortal Records, 1998)

This 1998 US 2xLP vinyl pressing of Korn's classic album, Follow The Leader, holds significant value for collectors due to several factors. As a multi-platinum and genre-defining release, Follow The Leader remains immensely popular among Korn's extensive fanbase, driving consistent demand for physical copies.

Crucially, its 1998 release year falls within a period when vinyl production was at a comparative low, meaning original LP pressings of major albums like this were produced in considerably smaller quantities than their CD counterparts.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £370.00

Korn (2 x LP, coke bottle clear, Record Store Day, Epic/Immortal, 2014)

This 2014 Record Store Day (RSD) 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition of Korn's self-titled debut album, pressed on "Coke bottle clear" 2xLP vinyl with an etched side, is an exceptionally valuable and sought-after release for collectors.

As an iconic and genre-defining album, any special edition is desirable, but its status as an RSD limited edition ensures inherent rarity, released in finite quantities on a specific date.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £265.57

Any other acts at Download who have releases worth a lot of money?

Weezer - Pinkerton (4 x LP, 180g, DGC, 2010)

This 4xLP 180-gram Deluxe Edition of Weezer's Pinkerton, released by DGC/UMe (typically around its 15th anniversary in 2010), is a highly valuable and sought-after vinyl. Pinkerton is not just an album; it's a cult classic that grew significantly in critical acclaim and fan devotion years after its initial 1996 release, making any special edition highly desirable.

As a Deluxe Edition spread across four 180-gram vinyl records, this remastered set offers comprehensive bonus material and premium sound quality. The combination of the album's iconic status, its dedicated fanbase, and this specific, high-quality, expanded format makes it a prized centrepiece for Weezer collectors and fans of 90s alternative rock.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £259.00

Opeth - Still Life (2 x LP, picture disc, Peaceville, 2017)

The Peaceville "30 Years" Limited Edition picture disc reissue of Opeth's Still Life, released in 2017, is a highly valuable item for collectors. Still Life is widely regarded as a masterpiece within Opeth's influential progressive death metal discography, making any special edition highly desirable for their passionate fanbase.

As part of Peaceville Records' "30 Years" anniversary series, and specifically as a picture disc, this 2xLP pressing was produced in limited quantities, appealing greatly to collectors for its unique visual appeal and inherent rarity.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £147.99

Bullet For My Valentine - The Poison (LP, limited edition, Visible Noise, 2005)

This Limited Edition UK vinyl pressing of Bullet For My Valentine's debut album, The Poison, released in 2005, is a highly valuable record for collectors. The Poison was a massively successful and influential release for the band and the metalcore genre, establishing their widespread popularity and ensuring strong demand for original copies. Its release in 2005, during a period of significantly lower vinyl production compared to CDs, already makes original LPs inherently scarcer.

Combined with its explicit Limited Edition status from its initial run on Visible Noise, this album is a prized and sought-after item for any dedicated Bullet For My Valentine fan or collector of 2000s metal vinyl.

• Highest sold price on Discogs: £504.55

Who are you looking forward to seeing the most at Download Festival 2025 and do you own any of the releases mentioned? Let us know your thoughts ahead of the giant metal festival by leaving a comment down below.