Download 2026

[rock_on]

5 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

After that big crowd they drew?

 

I wasn't there but from reports it thinned out pretty quickly. Doesn't matter how many people you draw to the start of your set if they all just leave.

 

5 minutes ago, kitatus said:

I'm not saying it's not rubbish, just confused why I'm hearing it in multiple places at once and seeing if it's coming from somewhere or just a monkey with a typewriter situation. Within the space of 30 minutes, I've heard it come up I think four times, each one more confident than the last.

 

Not saying it's true or fake, just wanted to know if it's a prediction or if it's another one of those "my mate who knows everything said it so it's true" kinda deals.

 

It's people making a best guess out of the remaining headline options - with so many bands ruled out.

[TWY2911]

11 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

Whitesnake and Motley Crue are both big enough to headline if they don't try and force their newer music down people's throats. I'd put them on par with Def Leppard as legacy acts so could do it. 

 

It's not 1980 anymore mate

Edited October 17, 2025 by TWY2911

[Andre91]

1 minute ago, rock_on said:

 

I wasn't there but from reports it thinned out pretty quickly. Doesn't matter how many people you draw to the start of your set if they all just leave.

 

 

It's people making a best guess out of the remaining headline options - with so many bands ruled out.

I was there and I was stood at the back and they had a big crowd and I arrived halfway through as I had been watching Manson. 

[rock_on]

2 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

 

It's not 1980 anymore mate

 

I never said it was 1980. They're big enough to headline, top tier legacy bands that would shift a metric tonne of day tickets for their day. 

[TWY2911]

It was 10 years ago I think Muse would get a very good crowd now 

 

Same as MCR, I don't think they'd get bottled if they headlined now lol 

[TWY2911]

3 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

I never said it was 1980. They're big enough to headline, top tier legacy bands that would shift a metric tonne of day tickets for their day. 

 

I'm not against legacy bands but them two bands you mentioned didn't even headline when legacy bands were all Download seemed to book 

 

Whitesnake were third down on main the last time they played 

Edited October 17, 2025 by TWY2911

[rock_on]

2 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

 

I'm not against legacy bands but them two bands you mentioned didn't even headline when legacy bands were all Download seemed to book 

 

Whitesnake were third down on main the last time they played 

 

They still drew a massive crowd despite being third down. Headline slot with nothing else on (as is the festivals way these days) and they'd draw a bigger crowd than Sleep Token or Biffy Clyro. 

[Andre91]

7 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

I never said it was 1980. They're big enough to headline, top tier legacy bands that would shift a metric tonne of day tickets for their day. 

Shift a metric tonne of day tickets hahahahahaa

[OllieJ77]

1 hour ago, andyrhodes24 said:

The Chats and Turnstile, give me them both.

 

Chats ideally in one of the tents.

I’m usually very much of I don’t want to shoot bands down but I draw the line at The Chats they are utter dog 💩🤣🤣 I “saw” them at Trees and want my hour and a bit of my life back Ahahah. 
For your sake I hope they’re there for my sake I hope they’re clear lol 

[Andre91]

It’s cool, they’re called rock_on, they’re clearly 67 years old. 

[SweetJesus]

4 hours ago, alexs7 said:

Does anyone know when the other EU fests announce their lineups (Graspop, Hellfest, Sweden Rock ect?) Is it before or after Download announce?

Hellfest full lineup in December, Graspop probably after Download and Sweden Rock 🤷‍♂️ it’s weird that they still didn’t announce any band

[DomDom1984]

Whitesnake are, at most, a fun nostalgia sub. 

 

The idea that enough people even give a toss about them anymore, let alone are willing to shell out big money for tickets for a day festival ticket, is laughable.

[rock_on]

6 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

It’s cool, they’re called rock_on, they’re clearly 67 years old. 

 

Less of the ageism please. Not that I'm that old anyway.

 

2 minutes ago, DomDom1984 said:

Whitesnake are, at most, a fun nostalgia sub. 

 

The idea that enough people even give a toss about them anymore, let alone are willing to shell out big money for tickets for a day festival ticket, is laughable.

 

And this attitude is the reason the festival is getting less and less successful every year and losing most of the classic rock punters. The modern bands will never have the pull out the sort of numbers that classic rock bands can manage outside of freak exceptions and once in a generation booking like Green Day.  

[OllieJ77]

31 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

I never said it was 1980. They're big enough to headline, top tier legacy bands that would shift a metric tonne of day tickets for their day. 

They aren’t in 2026.

[andyrhodes24]

20 minutes ago, OllieJ77 said:

I’m usually very much of I don’t want to shoot bands down but I draw the line at The Chats they are utter dog 💩🤣🤣 I “saw” them at Trees and want my hour and a bit of my life back Ahahah. 
For your sake I hope they’re there for my sake I hope they’re clear lol 

Yeah they’re marmite to say the least, or Vegemite in their case! I thought they were ace, drew a big crowd in the FR tent at Leeds this year which is an achievement, albeit against Hozier. Good fun that night.

[Larosterna]

Festival needs to keep up with the times, if any classic rock bands are going to headline from now on its only going to the giants of the like of GNR, Maiden, Metallica, etc. Whitesnake and Motley Crue are nowhere near that level, I reckon they could sub main but thats it. Main target demographic really nowadays you'd expect to be are millenials and the big nostalgia acts are late 90s/early 00s bands.

 

If you want to keep everyone happy book one older band, one current "nostalgia" band and one new act.

[craigcharles420]

I honestly think Motley Crue, Whitesnake and REO Speedwagon would have record low ticket sales for DL

[rock_on]

2 minutes ago, OllieJ77 said:

They aren’t in 2026.

 

Yes they are. As I said above it's this doing down of Classic Rock bands that's killing the festival. There's far more fans of bands like Whitesnake and Motley Crue of all ages than there are of crap like Bad Omens, Sleep Token, Parkway Drive and their ilk that keep being suggested.

[Andre91]

23 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

Less of the ageism please. Not that I'm that old anyway.

 

 

And this attitude is the reason the festival is getting less and less successful every year and losing most of the classic rock punters. The modern bands will never have the pull out the sort of numbers that classic rock bands can manage outside of freak exceptions and once in a generation booking like Green Day.  

OLD man yells at cloud.

[Andre91]

7 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

Yes they are. As I said above it's this doing down of Classic Rock bands that's killing the festival. There's far more fans of bands like Whitesnake and Motley Crue of all ages than there are of crap like Bad Omens, Sleep Token, Parkway Drive and their ilk that keep being suggested.

Let’s all ignore facts and accept that Whitesnake are bigger then Sleep Token because this guy says they are. 

Edited October 17, 2025 by Andre91

[Siddey1994]

Typical “they’re killing the festival” chat disregarding the last few years being the most successful in Download’s history. Never seen this before.

[OllieJ77]

8 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

Yes they are. As I said above it's this doing down of Classic Rock bands that's killing the festival. There's far more fans of bands like Whitesnake and Motley Crue of all ages than there are of crap like Bad Omens, Sleep Token, Parkway Drive and their ilk that keep being suggested.

Crue are god awful live now they had a bit of a resurgence after the Dirt but they weren’t big enough to headline download 20 years ago they aren’t now. I promise you if Download booked Whitesnake and Crue to headline most person under 30 isn’t going. Crue had to play under Def Leppard a few years ago on their tour what on earth makes you think they could headline. Respectfully just because you like a band doesn’t mean they’re headliners.

[TWY2911]

13 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

Yes they are. As I said above it's this doing down of Classic Rock bands that's killing the festival. There's far more fans of bands like Whitesnake and Motley Crue of all ages than there are of crap like Bad Omens, Sleep Token, Parkway Drive and their ilk that keep being suggested.

 

Got to be ragebait this 

[DomDom1984]

Gonna ignore that guy from now on. Clearly bringing the bullshit over from the Glasto section and can't be f**ked with it tbh

 

All I'll say is that those bands definitely have a place on a DL lineup. Variety is the spice of life and all that. But they won't be at the top of the bill, and nor should they be.

Edited October 17, 2025 by DomDom1984

[TWY2911]

Motley Crue I could half understand as they headline a lot of festivals in Europe and the US but they've never been that big in the UK 

 

The Whitesnake shout has to be a joke