FESTIVAL FEATURE: Rock Out With Zippo & Download Festival Acts Up Close And Personal

This year Zippo are celebrating the 50th anniversary since the rumoured origins of the “lighter in the air” moment.

It’s thought that the moment dates back to 1969 when American singer-songwriter Melanie Safka had difficulty performing in a rainstorm, as a 400,000 strong crowd held up lighters and candles in support. Throughout the last fifty years the classic Zippo windproof lighter has become an iconic part of musical history. It has appeared on Lynyrd Skynrd‘s Turn It Up album cover, and even replaced Syd Barret of Pink Floyd’s lost guitar pick.

Zippo will return to Download Festival this month to celebrate the 50th anniversary, with plenty of fantastic opportunities on offer for those attending.

First up Zippo are giving you the chance to rock out mere metres away from legendary acts performing at this year’s festival, returning with their Zippo Sessions – they promise to be bigger and better than ever!

You can step away from the mosh pit and experience sets from bands in a secret backstage location. The Zippo Sessions were first introduced in 2016 at Carolina Rebellion in the USA, and give fans the opportunity to experience the music at much closer range than on the main stage.

So how do you get access to one of the Zippo Sessions at Download? All you need to do is visit the Zippo Encore area to purchase one of their windproof lighters. You’ll be given a pass for one of the performances and asked to regroup at the Zippo Encore area at a designated time, before heading to the top secret area for a performance you won’t forget! If you pre-ordered a lighter with your Download Festival ticket you just need to mention that you’d like to attend a Zippo Session when you collect your lighter (while supplies last).

Zippo are keeping their Session line-ups under wraps until the first day of the festival, but over the years bands such as Stone Sour, Coheed & Cambria and The Pretty Reckless have graced their stage to perform acoustic versions of fan favourite tracks. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements on the Zippo Encore Facebook HERE.

Not only are Zippo offering the amazing experience of their Zippo Sessions, there will also be chance to win side of stage access to some of the performances across the weekend. To be in with a chance of winning this once in a lifetime opportunity take part in the Zippo Spin to Win, where you could also win Zippo merch.

As well as the Zippo Sessions you can celebrate all things live music at the home of the lighter that has sparked countless encores. At the Zippo Encore area you can grab yourself a limited edition Download UK Zippo lighter, design your very own windproof lighter, and enjoy some of the main stage headliners from one of the best vantage points in the festival.

You can also get virtual with the Zippo lighter app, which is free to download from Android and iOS devices.

Follow Zippo Encore on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to be kept up-to-date with the latest news, exclusive offers and exciting announcements!