Download 2025

[RedJosh]

20 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Yes but they aren't going to make stadium money doing a festival or they would just do it anyway. That's why they can choose to take the money first and then play festivals after. Festivals usually aren't giving them stadium length time either so it's not really relevant from what I see.

It really is. Festivals like Downlaod pay a premium to lock headliners into exclusivity clauses, which is why they struggle to get stadium sized headliners. The cost is prohibitive and bands aren't generally headlining festivals they don't have a relationship as a favour or on the cheap and if Green Day said they wanted 2 hours 30 minutes or 3 hours and not 2 hours Download will accommodate them.

 

Plus a lot of their other costs - crew costs, production, transportation, etc. aren't gonna change because they are doing a festival instead.

Edited September 26, 2024 by RedJosh

[northernangel]

11 hours ago, RedJosh said:

It really is. Festivals like Downlaod pay a premium to lock headliners into exclusivity clauses, which is why they struggle to get stadium sized headliners. The cost is prohibitive and bands aren't generally headlining festivals they don't have a relationship as a favour or on the cheap and if Green Day said they wanted 2 hours 30 minutes or 3 hours and not 2 hours Download will accommodate them.

 

Plus a lot of their other costs - crew costs, production, transportation, etc. aren't gonna change because they are doing a festival instead.

To be honest I'll probably give you the benefit as I reckon you are in a better position to call that. I'm not in a known position to question you being correct.

[Spiral_Low]

12 hours ago, Judas Yeast said:

 

When they hugely increased the amount of tickets they sold? Then last year we had QOTSA, FOB and A7X with a significantly cheaper lineup all round. 

 

My initial point was that they could do it if they wanted to sell that many tickets again as such a set of headliners could sell that amount.

12 hours ago, RedJosh said:

Slipknot and Bring Me are much cheaper than Linkin Park, MCR and Green Day to book. The combined fee of Slipknot and Bring Me is going to be less than/similar than one of those three headliners. They could eat 2 and skimp on the undercard like 2018 or have a reduced undercard like 2023. 2023 actually had less acts than 2022 which had quite a few drop outs that weren't replaced and a 2024 which had drop outs a week before the fest, despite the extra day.

 

If they spend too much on headliners they have to make saving elsewhere on the line-up. They are given a budget by Live Nation to work to and the rest of the line-up would suffer or they would need to puck ticket prices up again.

They keep putting up tickets prices anyway and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is dissatisfied to see the headliner quality dropping whilst Live Nation take more and more profit. 

 

You'll whole argument is basically that it's ok for Live Nation to make horrendous amounts of money from the UK live music scene whilst cutting quality. 

[BenG92]

30 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

They keep putting up tickets prices anyway and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is dissatisfied to see the headliner quality dropping whilst Live Nation take more and more profit. 

 

You'll whole argument is basically that it's ok for Live Nation to make horrendous amounts of money from the UK live music scene whilst cutting quality. 

 

Are they though? Green Day will be the biggest booking they've made in... I don't even know how long. They shifted 200,000 tickets here this year. We might be paying for that with Korn but it still shakes out pretty well and Sleep Token are about the hypest booking they could make that isn't LP. If LP wanna do L+R for a bigger payday then that's that, they can't force 'em. Beyond that we don't know what the undercard looks like either, could be rammed. 

 

It's not inherently a Live Nation issue anyway, gigs are just f**ked here now. Father John Misty is charging £90 for standing tickets 🤣

[RedJosh]

27 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

They keep putting up tickets prices anyway and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is dissatisfied to see the headliner quality dropping whilst Live Nation take more and more profit. 

 

You'll whole argument is basically that it's ok for Live Nation to make horrendous amounts of money from the UK live music scene whilst cutting quality. 

My argument isn't that at all, your assuming and putting words in my mouth.

 

My argument is that Download have a budget to work within from LiveNation and they couldn't afford all those headliners (Gig prices have gone up massively since Covid). I'd love it if they kept tickets at 2019 prices or the price increases correlated with what they were instead of this massive jump, but the booking team don't set the budget. They have to work within it's parameters. Sure they may be able to get a bigger budget from LiveNation if they got all those headliners, but they aren't going to be able to push capacity again with what happened in 2023, so it is going to be the consumer who pays more and/or we get a weaker undercard.

 

I also disagree on reducing headliner quality and that is a completely subjective discussion based on who we both would and would not enjoy or want to see headlining. All three of this years headliners are headline sized bands, but if you don't enjoy them then yeah subjectively it is a dip in quality, but for me 2023 and 2024 were both increases in quality as a whole for me.

[SweetJesus]

9 minutes ago, RedJosh said:

All three of this years headliners are headline sized bands, but if you don't enjoy them then yeah subjectively it is a dip in quality, but for me 2023 and 2024 were both increases in quality as a whole for me.

The only worse headliner trio in Download history than this year’s is from 2008. Amen

Edited September 27, 2024 by SweetJesus

[NorthernSoul52]

Iron Maiden tickets have flown for the regional arena shows - already almost all gone by the looks of things on Ticketmaster for Co-Op Live, SSE Hydro and Utilita Arena.

 

London Stadium? Not so much. You'll get a bargain for that the week before.

[quentin_Tent]

[NorthernSoul52]

Nine Inch Nails feel more of a "get" to me than Korn.

 

But Korn also possibly are bigger to the common man? 

 

It sounds weird. They're headlining Good Things in Australia, which had Fall Out Boy atop the bill last year. It's a multi-city festival, so not sure on individual capacity, but think each date is about 30,000, give or take.

[Chavmeisterdeluxe]

You could make an argument for all 3 subs being more of a draw than NIN.

[NorthernSoul52]

Aren't Refused packing it in?

[Chavmeisterdeluxe]

3 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Aren't Refused packing it in?

 

Yeah, but not til after a tour that'll stretch through most of next year I think 

[NorthernSoul52]

Fair enough. Hope there's a few other shows around.

[foolee]

I guess it depends on who you speak to but NIN would be a bigger draw for me than Korn. 

 

@RedJosh have you confirmed ST, GD & Korn as headliners or just mentioned that next years headliners are all headline sized or did you mean this years? 

[notitk]

New linkin park drummer has said they are playing festivals in Germany, Mexico and Argentina. Looks like we can count them out

[Andre91]

43 minutes ago, notitk said:

New linkin park drummer has said they are playing festivals in Germany, Mexico and Argentina. Looks like we can count them out

Arena tour over here next winter and then DL ‘26. 

[RedJosh]

2 hours ago, foolee said:

I guess it depends on who you speak to but NIN would be a bigger draw for me than Korn. 

 

@RedJosh have you confirmed ST, GD & Korn as headliners or just mentioned that next years headliners are all headline sized or did you mean this years? 

Yeah, I meant 2024 mate.

 

I am almost certain that those three are this years headliners, though. First two definitely are.

[northernangel]

1 hour ago, RedJosh said:

Yeah, I meant 2024 mate.

 

I am almost certain that those three are this years headliners, though. First two definitely are.

In my opinion only, that's not a great set of headliners set off by Green Day costing a shed load.

[BenG92]

2 hours ago, notitk said:

New linkin park drummer has said they are playing festivals in Germany, Mexico and Argentina. Looks like we can count them out

 

I think you can count them out anyway, but they'll be doing more than those 3 countries. Will be Rock AM/IM as the German one. 

 

and L+R here probably

Edited September 28, 2024 by BenG92

[DomDom1984]

The only headliner I'd question there is Korn and even at that, it seems an easy one to get away with for me. I'd say the same about a potential NIN headline spot too.

 

As part of a good complete lineup, they'll be fine.

[SweetJesus]

2 hours ago, notitk said:

New linkin park drummer has said they are playing festivals in Germany, Mexico and Argentina. Looks like we can count them out

Link? 

[DomDom1984]

They're probably doing one in the USA btw. Were they only talking about overseas ones?

[BenG92]

3 minutes ago, SweetJesus said:

Link? 

 

Was on his Insta live apparently according to this Twitter account (which then goes on to say "probably Singapore and Indonesia" as well). It'll be more than those 5, he's just teasing. 

 

https://x.com/LPLive/status/1839879004767076863

Edited September 28, 2024 by BenG92

[Andre91]

Sleep Token are the fastest rising, hypest band in heavy music in god knows how long who have a rabid, devoted fanbase who will fly in from other countries to see them. Them booking them in 2025 will be a masterstroke and the best, smartest booking they’ve made since giving Slipknot the leg up in 2009. 
 

Green Day are one of the biggest bands on the planet. Who’s as big as they are? AC/DC, Metallica, Foos? I’d say that’s about it. They will bring in punters like nobody’s business. 
 

KoRn are a legacy act who routinely pull crowds as big as (or bigger) than whoever headlines their day. They’re the Download band in terms of who has played the most down the years. They’re so popular with the DL crowd that sticking them to headline on the Sunday will ensure that a lot of people, who may go home if it was another, less DL friendly band playing, will stick around to watch them. 
 

I think it’s a great trio. I can see why people are dubious about KoRn but, I guarantee, come the end of their set, everyone will be thinking ‘They should’ve headlined years ago.’ 
 

Sleep Token and Green Day are the big ticket sellers; they can afford to have a smaller band alongside them. 

Edited September 28, 2024 by Andre91

[JimMacVeigh]

29 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Sleep Token are the fastest rising, hypest band in heavy music in god knows how long who have a rabid, devoted fanbase who will fly in from other countries to see them. Them booking them in 2025 will be a masterstroke and the best, smartest booking they’ve made since giving Slipknot the leg up in 2009. 
 

Green Day are one of the biggest bands on the planet. Who’s as big as they are? AC/DC, Metallica, Foos? I’d say that’s about it. They will bring in punters like nobody’s business. 
 

KoRn are a legacy act who routinely pull crowds as big as (or bigger) than whoever headlines their day. They’re the Download band in terms of who has played the most down the years. They’re so popular with the DL crowd that sticking them to headline on the Sunday will ensure that a lot of people, who may go home if it was another, less DL friendly band playing, will stick around to watch them. 
 

I think it’s a great trio. I can see why people are dubious about KoRn but, I guarantee, come the end of their set, everyone will be thinking ‘They should’ve headlined years ago.’ 
 

Sleep Token and Green Day are the big ticket sellers; they can afford to have a smaller band alongside them. 

I saw Korn headline the French Download in 2016. They made it look f**king easy and it was a great time. Easily should headline Download next year.