Download 2026

[foolee]

I can’t see past Ghost, Linkin Park & Iron Maiden but they struggle a Deftones/Limp Bizkit could easily be in there. Will MCR come back to our shores? Only if the cash is splashed I think, could they end up doing stadiums again. Will also be interesting to see what SOAD do, if anything. Think we can put Bad Omens in the frame for 2027 if they sell an arena tour ala Sleep Token.
 

Also, if this years has sold well we could see them continue with a combo of newer headliner (Sleep Token/Ghost/Bad Omens), new bump up from the resurgence of a few bands (Korn/Deftones/Limp Bizkit) & an established stadium act/headliner (Green Day/Linkin Park/Iron Maiden/SOAD/MCR) however if the last couple haven’t been profit making then we could see them go with 1 from the first two options and 2 from the second bracket which I think will be there preference if they can do that. 

[NorthernSoul52]

Ghost with this year's new record, Iron Maiden with the vintage hits, and MCR doing something for the 20th birthday of The Black Parade.

 

Can't go too wrong.

[northernangel]

So given the recent headliner discussion, you can firmly put Slayer into it. If theh can do Blackweir at 35k and Finsbury 45k as one event in England, then they can be in the conversation as other headliners doing 25k events. And to strengthen that, they also don't have a band considered Download sub level as their main support. That's an extra 7k capacity in total, which is larger than one of the venues outside of London done by a headliner this year.

 

Worth slightly noting that, Reading festival that has a similar capacity to Download when Download is actually comfortable to walk anywhere, has a co-headliner that shifted 70k tickets in England last summer with Glasgow Green as well. That's your levels.

Edited March 4, 2025 by northernangel

[NorthernSoul52]

Hmmm. Let's see what the sales are here first. You're also figuring that these are mini-single-day festivals masquerading as regulation outdoor gigs, and potentially with a reduced capacity for Finsbury too. 

[Spiral_Low]

12 hours ago, northernangel said:

So given the recent headliner discussion, you can firmly put Slayer into it. If theh can do Blackweir at 35k and Finsbury 45k as one event in England, then they can be in the conversation as other headliners doing 25k events. And to strengthen that, they also don't have a band considered Download sub level as their main support. That's an extra 7k capacity in total, which is larger than one of the venues outside of London done by a headliner this year.

 

Worth slightly noting that, Reading festival that has a similar capacity to Download when Download is actually comfortable to walk anywhere, has a co-headliner that shifted 70k tickets in England last summer with Glasgow Green as well. That's your levels.

Slayer dates have insane metal line up that Download is seemingly moving away from though. I'm thinking of going and I've only ever been a casual Slayer fan. Can't see Download ever getting a band like Slayer to headline, Download is moe interested in chasing the younger metalcore crowd now. Not a criticism just an opinion. 

[northernangel]

15 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

Slayer dates have insane metal line up that Download is seemingly moving away from though. I'm thinking of going and I've only ever been a casual Slayer fan. Can't see Download ever getting a band like Slayer to headline, Download is moe interested in chasing the younger metalcore crowd now. Not a criticism just an opinion. 

I'm not sure tney are chasing the metalcore crowd, there is upset because Outbreak has bands people which Download had. 

 

While you might be correct with moving away from it, I don't see how a day that's got Korn, Spiritbox, Mesuggah in the top 4 can't be booked as Amon Amarth, Mastodon and Anthrax.

 

The point was more though that if Korn can do it after their touring plans, Slayer selling this well isn't in question. The difference is Slayer are doing closer to headliner numbers whereas Korn sold sub what a sub should be able to do generally. For a sub to do 20/25 in London it shouldn't be a problem.

[NorthernSoul52]

Korn arguably have more crossover appeal than Slayer, and are aided by also being regular tour players. There are questions over Slayer, who are still claiming they're actually retired from the road.

 

Like I said, wait and see the sales, and then consider who else is in the conversation for next year.

[kjvffm]

Think Architects headline 2026 could be on. New album has gone down well and I hear they’re going to be headlining the O2 later this year. Sandwich them between two more established stadium headliners (LP and Maiden) and I think it would go down okay!

 

[northernangel]

14 hours ago, kjvffm said:

Think Architects headline 2026 could be on. New album has gone down well and I hear they’re going to be headlining the O2 later this year. Sandwich them between two more established stadium headliners (LP and Maiden) and I think it would go down okay!

 

If Architects come out with a huge tour and big sales then you could use them and Ghost maybe with a Maiden or LP. But I don't see how Ghost and only a Maiden/LP as a big one do it without another having a pretty huge tour bigger than anything Deftones for example have done.

 

I'd be amazed if LP aren't at Download next year as I'm pretty sure RAR will have them. They've also got Sweden Rock Festival, Northside, Rock am Rock, Greenfield, Southside, Graspop as examples for them to do as well. I don't think they'll be at Reading, that'll be FF.

[JimMacVeigh]

14 hours ago, kjvffm said:

Think Architects headline 2026 could be on. New album has gone down well and I hear they’re going to be headlining the O2 later this year. Sandwich them between two more established stadium headliners (LP and Maiden) and I think it would go down okay!

 

I just can’t see it myself but that’s because I was vastly disappointed by their bloodstock headline slot. 

Edited March 7, 2025 by JimMacVeigh

[NorthernSoul52]

Maiden nailed on in my head. Ghost feel almost too easy and on goal for a "rising" headliner.

 

MCR is the kicker. If they're around, they're fools to try and not get them - it'll be four years since their last shows in the UK, unless they manage something at the end of the year.

[Andre91]

APEX: Deftones / Turnstile / Electric Callboy / Malevolence/ HEALTH / Stray From The Path / Heriot 

 

OPUS: A Day To Remember / Neck Deep / Hot Milk 

 

AVALANCHE: The Interrupters 

 

DOGTOOTH: Obituary 

 

 

APEX: Iron Maiden / Gojira / Killswitch Engage / The Warning / Testament / LANDMVRKS / Vended / Graphic Nature 

 

OPUS: A Perfect Circle / Behemoth / Kublai Khan TX 

 

AVALANCHE: Alkaline Trio 

 

DOGTOOTH: Perturbator

 

 

 

APEX: Ghost / Trivium / Motionless In White / Ice Nine Kills / Lacuna Coil / Green Lung / Gatecreeper / Zetra 

 

OPUS: Marilyn Manson / Slaughter To Prevail / Bury Tomorrow 

 

AVALANCHE: The Wonder Years 

 

DOGTOOTH: Chimaira

[NorthernSoul52]

Electric Callboy into A Day to Remember would be a hoot.

[trickstar]

Skindred, Parkway Drive, Linkin Park

[NorthernSoul52]

More chance of me becoming pope than Skindred headlining Download 2026, I'd wager, despite the fact they always do seem to pull a decent crowd.

[foolee]

If it was 4 days I’d expect Deftones, Ghost, Iron Maiden & Linkin Park. Got to be 3 out of those 4. 

[NorthernSoul52]

Not MCR?

[Andre91]

2 hours ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

More chance of me becoming pope than Skindred headlining Download 2026, I'd wager, despite the fact they always do seem to pull a decent crowd.

I think they’ll sub one day but yeah, they’re so overexposed through constant, constant touring that they’re never headlining. 

[NorthernSoul52]

Even without that overexposure, they surely don't have the lure or attraction of other legacy acts getting the leg up in the new era, do they?

[Andre91]

15 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Even without that overexposure, they surely don't have the lure or attraction of other legacy acts getting the leg up in the new era, do they?

No.

[NorthernSoul52]

Exactly. Just not one for the books.

 

I will also stress this - I don't understand all the Bad Omens expectations either. I'm looking at the signs, and the tracking, and wondering why people feel so certain they'll not only headline but that it could be imminent within the next few years.

[Andre91]

30 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Exactly. Just not one for the books.

 

I will also stress this - I don't understand all the Bad Omens expectations either. I'm looking at the signs, and the tracking, and wondering why people feel so certain they'll not only headline but that it could be imminent within the next few years.

It’s because the widely held belief (a correctly held one) is that their next tour over here is going to be similar in size to Sleep Token’s and will sell just as fast. They’re a band that share a lot of that obsessive fanbase and they’ve gained a tonne of traction over the last couple of years through TikTok and playing bigger and bigger shows over in the US.

 

The BMTH arena tour they were main support for was a bit of an eye opener as to just how popular they are here. Every single account you hear from that tour says the same thing; that the arena was just as full of their fans who were there for them as much as they were BMTH (they share a lot of the same fanbase). I went to the Sheffield date and you would have thought it was a Bad Omens headline show. The stage production was headliner worthy and the place went wild for them, even up in the seats. It was crazy and something I’ve never experienced to that degree for a support band in all my years of going to gigs. 
 

They were already set to headline the second stage despite not having played a tour over here that ‘warranted it’. With new music coming, they’re going to go supernova. To me, outside of Ghost, they are the next band who will be promoted to headliner and I think it will come as soon as 2027. 

Edited March 9, 2025 by Andre91

[NorthernSoul52]

I've heard it and yet, I just... don't see it. They might do! Absolutely no reason why not. The tea leaves are mystic, and modern music is consumed in many other ways!

 

We'll find out soon enough, anywho. They do need fresh blood and legs coming through.

[northernangel]

8 hours ago, foolee said:

If it was 4 days I’d expect Deftones, Ghost, Iron Maiden & Linkin Park. Got to be 3 out of those 4. 

 

Yes if it was 4 days then you could book all them, you won't bool an undercard strong enough for it as everything was exhausted in 23 hence the repeats this year. Deftones don't play European Festival headline slots without there being 4 days or smaller 3 day festivals and then still it's not all of them. They aren't even the main headliner at primavera. Even in their own country they only headline 4 day bigger events.

[NorthernSoul52]

Still think Linkin Park will be at Reading and Leeds - partially because I think they'll balk at the Download exclusivity clause.