Download 2026

[chatty]

Silly argument really. Surely a festival like download should be trying to get everyone together who are in or around the heavier rock genres. 

 

There's definitely a place for old, mid and new bands to play together and fans of all to mingle. 

 

I mean people who were about when LB, LP came out will be in their 40s now, it's not like they are spring kittens either 🤣. People talk about dad rock and they are sad rock now, been kicking about over 3/4 decades. 

 

Middle aged men in red caps is no less cringey as old rockers in leather jackets tbh. As long as they all have a good time and cause no bother then everyone should just enjoy. 

 

Even when I was a teenager I loved going and seeing bands from decades before my time but saw bands from my era as well. 

 

Instill go and see old bands, bands from my era and new bands so dunno why it's such an issue for some. There's plenty I don't like either but fair play to them for getting up there and making music and finding an audience for it. I can appreciate that. 

 

Just go and have a mingle about, see a few bands of each, expand your range. It'll do everyone good to have a wide range of music they like anyway. 

 

 

[rock_on]

4 minutes ago, OllieJ77 said:

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.

 

If Def Leppard weren't already booked to headline, Crue would have headlined. I'm not basing this on the fact I like the bands (otherwise we'd be have Scorpions / Bad Company / The Eagles - which is obviously never going to happen sadly). They are both objective big enough to headline, especiay when you take into account Def Leppard have headlined multiple times and they're in the same ballpark.

[chatty]

That said I wouldnt be putting White snake on as a headliner, or REO Speed wagon but if there wasn't a clash I'd happily go see either if they were there. 

Edited October 17, 2025 by chatty

[rock_on]

13 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

OLD man yells at cloud.

 

I'm probably younger than you but whatever. 

[Siddey1994]

1 minute ago, chatty said:

Silly argument really. Surely a festival like download should be trying to get everyone together who are in or around the heavier rock genres. 

 

There's definitely a place for old, mid and new bands to play together and fans of all to mingle. 

 

I mean people who were about when LB, LP came out will be in their 40s now, it's not like they are spring kittens either 🤣. People talk about dad rock and they are sad rock now, been kicking about over 3/4 decades. 

 

Middle aged men in red caps is no less cringey as old rockers in leather jackets tbh. As long as they all have a good time and cause no bother then everyone should just enjoy. 

 

Even when I was a teenager I loved going and seeing bands from decades before my time but saw bands from my era as well. 

 

Instill go and see old bands, bands from my era and new bands so dunno why it's such an issue for some. There's plenty I don't like either but fair play to them for getting up there and making music and finding an audience for it. I can appreciate that. 

 

Just go and have a mingle about, see a few bands of each, expand your range. It'll do everyone good to have a wide range of music they like anyway. 

 

 

I agree with some of this, the only difference there is Limp Bizkit, LP etc are extremely popular with the younger alt crowd. Whitesnake, Crue, Leppard etc are not.

[TWY2911]

Every band that's headlined Download are bigger than Whitesnake and that includes the Pilot 

[chatty]

1 minute ago, Siddey1994 said:

I agree with some of this, the only difference there is Limp Bizkit, LP etc are extremely popular with the younger alt crowd. Whitesnake, Crue, Leppard etc are not.

True but in a few years they'll just move into where they are now and the bands from the next era will jump in their space. It's how it's always went really. 

 

I mean Im the same age as all those bands but they aren't my cup of tea at all. I'll still go and watch them and have a dance though. 

[rock_on]

1 minute ago, Siddey1994 said:

I agree with some of this, the only difference there is Limp Bizkit, LP etc are extremely popular with the younger alt crowd. Whitesnake, Crue, Leppard etc are not.

 

Chasing the younger alt crowd is the problem the festival needs to stop trying to solve. Boomers have more money, are willing to pay more for tickets and will drink far more beer. All of those things will help the festival survive; there's a reason the Ozzy and GNR days in 2018 and the Metallica days in 2023 drew humongous crowds. The old bands will always do better business. There's too many teetotallers among the younger alt crowd for it to be worth the festival's time chasing them.

[Bluewolf]

Damn it where's that bloody popcorn 

 

[TWY2911]

2 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

Chasing the younger alt crowd is the problem the festival needs to stop trying to solve. Boomers have more money, are willing to pay more for tickets and will drink far more beer. All of those things will help the festival survive; there's a reason the Ozzy and GNR days in 2018 and the Metallica days in 2023 drew humongous crowds. The old bands will always do better business. There's too many teetotallers among the younger alt crowd for it to be worth the festival's time chasing them.

 

I understand what you are saying and I agree to an extent that legacy bands still have there place and yes older people have more money but how long are those bands going to be around and what happens when they aren't here anymore? Times change 

 

Every generation seems to hate the generation below them 

[chatty]

6 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

Chasing the younger alt crowd is the problem the festival needs to stop trying to solve. Boomers have more money, are willing to pay more for tickets and will drink far more beer. All of those things will help the festival survive; there's a reason the Ozzy and GNR days in 2018 and the Metallica days in 2023 drew humongous crowds. The old bands will always do better business. There's too many teetotallers among the younger alt crowd for it to be worth the festival's time chasing them.

Need a bit of both really, no reason why they would just try and force everything to one audience when you're trying to sell 130k tickets. 

 

Surely, the best ticket is to attract all audiences with enough on each of the different stages to satisfy all. 

[TWY2911]

I guarantee a lineup a lineup with MCR, Blink and SOAD would sell a lot better than a lineup with Maiden, GNR and Motley Crue as headliners 

[chatty]

2 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

I guarantee a lineup a lineup with MCR, Blink and SOAD would sell a lot better than a lineup with Maiden, GNR and Motley Crue as headliners 

Probably as Motley Cruel are the week link. A fairer comparison would be to sub them for Metallica. 

[Siddey1994]

8 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

I guarantee a lineup a lineup with MCR, Blink and SOAD would sell a lot better than a lineup with Maiden, GNR and Motley Crue as headliners 

This

[rock_on]

9 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

I guarantee a lineup a lineup with MCR, Blink and SOAD would sell a lot better than a lineup with Maiden, GNR and Motley Crue as headliners 

 

Complete nonsense. 

[Siddey1994]

Just now, rock_on said:

 

Complete nonsense. 

You are 100% trolling at this point, can we all go back to arguing about Bad Omens and Twenty One Pilots instead?

[alexs7]

To move on from this (very clearly ragebait) argument I wanted to make a random point.

 

People moan about Download waiting until really late to announce the lineup but does any other festival announce 60-90 bands all in one go?

 

Tbh I prefer this approach to the festivals that drip-feed their lineups because at least you know off the bat if it is going to be for you for not.

[TWY2911]

2 minutes ago, Siddey1994 said:

You are 100% trolling at this point, can we all go back to arguing about Bad Omens and Twenty One Pilots instead?

 

Paramore anyone? 

[Andre91]

1 minute ago, TWY2911 said:

 

Paramore anyone? 

Would wipe the floor with almost anyone DL could book to headline. Elite tier band. 

[rock_on]

1 minute ago, Siddey1994 said:

You are 100% trolling at this point, can we all go back to arguing about Bad Omens and Twenty One Pilots instead?

 

I'm not trolling. I'm not denying modern bands of a certain calibre might outsell a classic rock headliner line-up but Blink 182 and SOAD are odd choices to make that point. Blink's recent albums have been panned and SOAD haven't released any new music for 20 years. They're not big draws. 

[Siddey1994]

1 minute ago, alexs7 said:

To move on from this (very clearly ragebait) argument I wanted to make a random point.

 

People moan about Download waiting until really late to announce the lineup but does any other festival announce 60-90 bands all in one go?

 

Tbh I prefer this approach to the festivals that drip-feed their lineups because at least you know off the bat if it is going to be for you for not.

I think download might be pressed to announce earlier if they had more competition (on the level of “major” fests discounting BOA, Trees etc) in this country.

 

For as much as we hear that European fests have stronger lineups, better organisation etc (and they very often do), the fact is the vast majority of people will favour convenience every time. Only when a new major rock/metal festival enters the scene will DL potentially be forced to up its game.

[Siddey1994]

Just now, rock_on said:

 

I'm not trolling. I'm not denying modern bands of a certain calibre might outsell a classic rock headliner line-up but Blink 182 and SOAD are odd choices to make that point. Blink's recent albums have been panned and SOAD haven't released any new music for 20 years. They're not big draws. 

SOAD sold out their UK stadium show in minutes. Are you okay?

[alexs7]

Just now, rock_on said:

 

I'm not trolling. I'm not denying modern bands of a certain calibre might outsell a classic rock headliner line-up but Blink 182 and SOAD are odd choices to make that point. Blink's recent albums have been panned and SOAD haven't released any new music for 20 years. They're not big draws. 

You're saying you're not ragebating, but the fact that SOAD have sold out stadiums and you're here saying they are "not a draw" proves you are

[rock_on]

 

2 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

 

Paramore anyone? 

 

Would be a good headliner but they're currently on a break. 

[Siddey1994]

Paramore should get the bump at the next available opportunity - watching FOB smash it last year shows to me that they (and probably Panic!) could and would get an awesome reception at Download.