Download 2026

[balti-pie]

From Guns n Roses point of view, i suppose its hard to turn down the $$$. They had the original reunion money from that first 2018 tour, and then every summer since theyre offered another $100m for a season's work - when they've paid for stages, setups, etc etc they'll be in for easily $20m each, Axl Duff and Slash anyways. Would i flog a dead horse (😄) for that? absolutely i would!

If download call, or a promoter offering stadium gigs all over europe, or another trip to the middle east for even bigger numbers, at their age they dont want to leave any moneybag unsqueezed. If people are a bit fed up of em, they can just not go, and diminishing numbers will get em in the end. But in seven odd years its slowed, but is still going forward . . . 

[northernangel]

53 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

From Guns n Roses point of view, i suppose its hard to turn down the $$$. They had the original reunion money from that first 2018 tour, and then every summer since theyre offered another $100m for a season's work - when they've paid for stages, setups, etc etc they'll be in for easily $20m each, Axl Duff and Slash anyways. Would i flog a dead horse (😄) for that? absolutely i would!

If download call, or a promoter offering stadium gigs all over europe, or another trip to the middle east for even bigger numbers, at their age they dont want to leave any moneybag unsqueezed. If people are a bit fed up of em, they can just not go, and diminishing numbers will get em in the end. But in seven odd years its slowed, but is still going forward . . . 

2017 the tour start but yes. Oh 100% you're bang on the money. I know obviously people off of this forum will have different views etc but it was pretty overwhelming the idea of GNR being used to then have cheaper/less attractive undercard options which for me is the case compared to some.

Edited November 10, 2025 by northernangel

[TWY2911]

Hellfest lineup is quite underwhelming for their standards 

 

[Andre91]

Weakest Hellfest lineup I’ve seen for as long as I can recall. 

[FeverDream]

Might be weak by their standards but much better than Download is (so far) IMO... 

[OllieJ77]

On 05/11/2025 at 16:29, rock_on said:

I still can't understand how people are finding this Download line-up more attractive than Maiden at Knebworth. GNR are awful live whereas Maiden are one of the best live bands around. Limp Bizkit are a joke of a band and Linkin Park aren't the same band they once where even if From Zero is a competent enough album who wants to hear Emily singing their older stuff? Can't be many people.  The only thing that might have swung it Download's favour is Maiden at Knebworth being a bit over-priced but Download's gone up steeply in recent years so that's not even a valid argument. The lack of classic rock bands at Download is a real problem, where are the likes of Whitesnake as potential subs for GNR, Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless as GNR subs is far too modern for a GNR day. They got the balance right in 2018 but have absolutely failed to this year. 

Because most people aren’t stuck in 1987.

[northernangel]

25 minutes ago, FeverDream said:

Might be weak by their standards but much better than Download is (so far) IMO... 

I think its better than Hell Fest this year overall despite LP which is very borderline and only wins as I saw them and not Maiden but it's better than Download also IMO. I would say Drowning Pool, Pendulum and a couple of others are in Downloads favor but the Hell Post positives out weight the rest. Getting The Offspring, Maiden, Alice Cooper and Three Days Grace while still have other bands high up on Download says a lot I think. I think it does mean though though The Offspring are now entering the euro festival headliner chat.

[astrotwatter]

Listening through the lineup and realising the huge hip hop influence on this years line up. Which is great if you're into that (like me)

 

Limp Bizkit
Obviously Cypress Hill
Linkin Park
Hollywood Undead
P.O.D.
Tom Morello
Native James
Bloodywood
Set It Off
Scene Queen
Spineshank
Snot
Landmvrks
Slay Squad 

 

Am I missing any

[foolee]

I think for a 4 day festival and a full lineup that isn’t the best for Hellfest. Is GNR, LP & LB any better than say BMTH, IM & LB. Think Download is decent this year considering other festivals but Nova Rock, Tons of Rock & Rock For People are probably the picks of the bunch this year for rock/metal in Europe. 

[northernangel]

50 minutes ago, foolee said:

I think for a 4 day festival and a full lineup that isn’t the best for Hellfest. Is GNR, LP & LB any better than say BMTH, IM & LB. Think Download is decent this year considering other festivals but Nova Rock, Tons of Rock & Rock For People are probably the picks of the bunch this year for rock/metal in Europe. 

Download has the better top line for the LP inclusion and that's it, but Hell Fest got them first time round so. I would need a lot of acts to fall into place on Friday or Saturday to think it's worth attending as I've seen many of them recently including Pendulum at Drumsheds which will be much better than a daylight 3rd down set. Hell Fest is not great for a 4 day but every 4 day festival is suffering further down where you think into 3 days would showcase a stronger overall card. It is whether or not you can max the top out enough. Think Rock and Ring beats all of them bar a few of smaller acts myself but Nova is up there too. Download has a lot of the upper options around but most are for me like RAR/Nova, RFP. I like Tons of Rock for Alice, Twisted Sister and Yungblud being what I can't get elsewhere. Yonaka I'd take from RFP bit its not a must. Download had Drowning Pool, Feeder which I'd watch again, P

O.D who I saw with Drowning at Godsmack and Spineshank who I'd watch but it's not a huge miss. Great gig that Godsmack with both those two when I look back although I went mainly for P.O.D and Drowning Pool.

 

Edited November 11, 2025 by northernangel

[FeverDream]

1 hour ago, foolee said:

I think for a 4 day festival and a full lineup that isn’t the best for Hellfest. Is GNR, LP & LB any better than say BMTH, IM & LB. Think Download is decent this year considering other festivals but Nova Rock, Tons of Rock & Rock For People are probably the picks of the bunch this year for rock/metal in Europe. 

I think for me it's definitely the undercard (plus BMTH) that edges Hellfest. Also seems a lot more varied. Got your more 'modern' (for want of a better word) bands typical of this new era Download, but also have Deep Purple, Helloween, Queensryche etc which I'd be up for. Hopefully we see some of Hellfest's undercard turn up at Download

Edited November 11, 2025 by FeverDream

[northernangel]

27 minutes ago, FeverDream said:

I think for me it's definitely the undercard (plus BMTH) that edges Hellfest. Also seems a lot more varied. Got your more 'modern' (for want of a better word) bands typical of this new era Download, but also have Deep Purple, Helloween, Queensryche etc which I'd be up for. Hopefully we see some of Hellfest's undercard turn up at Download

I think what Download has what say Rock am Ring doesn't is some better smaller further down acts.

[Andre91]

Download has the strength in depth this year. It’s just a shame it’ll be loads of 25-30 min slots. 
 

 

[northernangel]

4 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Download has the strength in depth this year. It’s just a shame it’ll be loads of 25-30 min slots. 
 

 

That's where I feel it's at, though some of those smaller bands doing a 30 minute slot is all that's really needs. That doesn't pay for a ticket for everyone though, fairplay of it does for others.

[BrutalLegend]

Deftones headlining Outbreak in August, I’d suggest they won’t do Download in 2027 then as it means they would have toured UK 3 years running.

[foolee]

13 minutes ago, BrutalLegend said:

Deftones headlining Outbreak in August, I’d suggest they won’t do Download in 2027 then as it means they would have toured UK 3 years running.

Hasn’t stopped Bizkit. New album only came out this year so think they’ll ride the wave of success whilst they can. 

[northernangel]

7 minutes ago, foolee said:

Hasn’t stopped Bizkit. New album only came out this year so think they’ll ride the wave of success whilst they can. 

That's only happened though at the stake of pulling in GNR, without that Reading sub it would look such a stronger booking but it looks like a struggle instead. 

 

Deftones could go either way but they won't at least be on a 4th straight touring year

[foolee]

1 hour ago, northernangel said:

That's only happened though at the stake of pulling in GNR, without that Reading sub it would look such a stronger booking but it looks like a struggle instead. 

 

Deftones could go either way but they won't at least be on a 4th straight touring year

Deftones will be headlining in 2027, I’d be shocked if they don’t. It’s just such an obvious booking. 

[northernangel]

1 minute ago, foolee said:

Deftones will be headlining in 2027, I’d be shocked if they don’t. It’s just such an obvious booking. 

you are probably, just a shame to be having to get bookings years down the line on tours, get them fresh in the first or second year so they look better. Slipknot for 2027 for me is the most obvious booking I can think of. 

[alexs7]

20 minutes ago, northernangel said:

you are probably, just a shame to be having to get bookings years down the line on tours, get them fresh in the first or second year so they look better. Slipknot for 2027 for me is the most obvious booking I can think of. 

Deftones/Slipknot/Blink-182 (Blink being the new band they were talking about)

 

Or MCR/Slipknot/NIN

 

There are so many combinations you can make

[northernangel]

8 minutes ago, alexs7 said:

Deftones/Slipknot/Blink-182 (Blink being the new band they were talking about)

 

Or MCR/Slipknot/NIN

 

There are so many combinations you can make

I think NIN would have been this year, they've don't stick about for long. 

 

That stop trio would be following on from this year but stronger at the top again and I say that as a very much non Deftones fan. Blink, Slipknot, MCR would be the one as I think there is more chance than SOAD coming back.

[TWY2911]

Deftones I think are a shoe in for Download 2027 but I said the same thing about Ghost for 2026 

 

I think the new band will be Blink

 

Every time Slipknot have headlined Download it has been either the year they've released a new album or the following year 

 

It's possible that System are doing festivals in 2027 after doing their own shows in 2026 and they were supposed to play Download in 2020 and 2021 but it's also entirely possible that this year of touring could just be a one off 

[northernangel]

6 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

Deftones I think are a shoe in for Download 2027 but I said the same thing about Ghost for 2026 

 

I think the new band will be Blink

 

Every time Slipknot have headlined Download it has been either the year they've released a new album or the following year 

 

It's possible that System are doing festivals in 2027 after doing their own shows in 2026 and they were supposed to play Download in 2020 and 2021 but it's also entirely possible that this year of touring could just be a one off 

 

I think for Deftones to run the wave next year was the year to do it like Korn. 

Slipknot away and recording makes a lot of sense, consistently played every 4, even a 2 year gap once. Also over covid they still returned after 4 years and 2 of though years didn't happen apart from pilot so they actually only missed 1 official event again.

Blink would be good for them to get and a space of time and chance to play, you would think a space of only 3 years from Reading would be too little. 

[Andre91]

I’m going for Volbeat, All Time Low and Neck Deep as our final logo slots. 
 

Give Babymetal the same slot they had last time to compensate for it getting cut completely short. Stick Pendulum in the tent opposite GNR when the camping chair brigade will be camped out at Main Stage all day for the headliner (the atmosphere will be better in the tent too and it won’t be as busy as Busted or McFly anyway). 
 

 

[northernangel]

The fact people are very eager to put other bands still to come into positions that were announced from the start the last three year's at least while trying to put a band playing The 02 in a position with bands playing Bristol Academy shows the feel that the top is weaker. There might be one sub to come. Difference is this year there is 18 bands announced in the top section, only 14 last year and even then Messugah were bumped up to logo so you can call that 19. Tom Morello or Hollywood Undead could be bumped up to logo bands based on other likewise festivals around, that's not to say they will as there might not be room

 

Pendulum aren't playing the avalanche, they played the MK Bowl whether to a reduced capacity or not lol, after doing ally pally and then an arena tour with the 02. They are doing a smaller intimate tour by choice currently. To even think they will be the same position as Feeder. How you go from 3rd down main on a stacked anniversary year to playing those venues and suddenly end up on the avalanche is a crazy suggestion.