Download 2026

[northernangel]

I think Downlowd should just go early like RAR and Nova Rock have and confirm a first headliner straight after this years.

[northernangel]

I've heard from probably the biggest fan of Parkway Drive I know, they recently went to Australia and through contacts got a tour of their house that they are headlining next year with a new album. One of the contacts works for them to, he's got no reason to lie but he's wrong this time I won't pay attention again. I don't think he was wrong they were playing last time, they just subbed instead.

 

Could we see Blink, Ghost, Parkway Drive, Linkin Park. I reckon those 4 along with Maiden are your ball park. 

[Spiral_Low]

On 14/06/2025 at 09:57, northernangel said:

I've heard from probably the biggest fan of Parkway Drive I know, they recently went to Australia and through contacts got a tour of their house that they are headlining next year with a new album. One of the contacts works for them to, he's got no reason to lie but he's wrong this time I won't pay attention again. I don't think he was wrong they were playing last time, they just subbed instead.

 

Could we see Blink, Ghost, Parkway Drive, Linkin Park. I reckon those 4 along with Maiden are your ball park. 

If Download book Parkway Drive to headline I see it as acceptance from them that they will be sticking around 75000 and not aiming for a higher attendance again. Which is fair enough. Parkway Drive are bigish but not 100000 UK festival big. 

[northernangel]

27 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

If Download book Parkway Drive to headline I see it as acceptance from them that they will be sticking around 75000 and not aiming for a higher attendance again. Which is fair enough. Parkway Drive are bigish but not 100000 UK festival big. 

 

Yeah that's what I see. To be honest there isn't many more bands around that are going to bring in 100k there and I'd rather is be closer to the numbers of this weekend at least going by Friday and Saturday. There is no way they could get away with surely even on a 3 day version booking Parkway and Ghost with LP only? And that 4th headliner needs to be big enough for people to book Friday off of work. I saw a picture of quiet camping today from a friend who's there and I've never seen that much space to camp, it was like getting luxury space without booking it.

Edited June 15, 2025 by northernangel

[gorfield]

 Sorry if it's already been asked but every year I miss out on a campervan ticket which stops me going. Do they go on sale straight after?

[Spiral_Low]

1 hour ago, northernangel said:

 

Yeah that's what I see. To be honest there isn't many more bands around that are going to bring in 100k there and I'd rather is be closer to the numbers of this weekend at least going by Friday and Saturday. There is no way they could get away with surely even on a 3 day version booking Parkway and Ghost with LP only? And that 4th headliner needs to be big enough for people to book Friday off of work. I saw a picture of quiet camping today from a friend who's there and I've never seen that much space to camp, it was like getting luxury space without booking it.

I can only speak for myself but to get me back they need to build a decent support bill as well as decent headliners. They have a tendency to tuck the best bands away of the Dogtooth stage with 25 min long sets whilst packing the main stage with the most boring acts of the festival. Not worth going when those bands will do their own headline tours. Sunday this year is decent but alas was enough to get me to. 

 

Ghost feel like an obvious band to headline but Parkway Drive would serve better supporting them as sub rather than headlining a different day. 

[northernangel]

5 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

I can only speak for myself but to get me back they need to build a decent support bill as well as decent headliners. They have a tendency to tuck the best bands away of the Dogtooth stage with 25 min long sets whilst packing the main stage with the most boring acts of the festival. Not worth going when those bands will do their own headline tours. Sunday this year is decent but alas was enough to get me to. 

 

Ghost feel like an obvious band to headline but Parkway Drive would serve better supporting them as sub rather than headlining a different day. 

That's fair.

 

I'd rather Parkway Drive get the bump up and another band sub than just bringing back a sub. The biggest thing I think they need to do is bring back second stage headliners and realize people need to be able to access water points when they say hydrate constantly!

 

I will say I thought Twin Atlantic could have done with a longer set as the two very old classics couldn't both be played due to a shorter time. A few bands were playing a little less time over the weekend. Rise Against are another one where a slightly longer set they probably would get if they were subbing second instead. To be honest I'd just like to hear Hero Of War again and they won't play it on certain festival sets because that's what pulls you on to their gigs. Shinedown I thought was a really solid 50 minutes or so and then it dipped a bit and came back, glad I chose them over The Darkness who I'd already seen. The Dogtooth isn't really a stage for me massively but the same works for example for lower down Avalanche bands.

[rock_on]

 

I reckon we'll get 3 bands from this list as headliners next year as mainstage headliners. 

• AC/DC
• Iron Maiden
• Guns N Roses
• Linkin Park
• My Chemical Romance
• Foo Fighters
• Ghost
• Architects
• Parkway Drive
• Blink 182
• Slipknot
• Bring Me The Horizon
• Def Leppard
• A Day to Remember
• System of A Down
• Pearl Jam
• Foo Fighters
• Alter Bridge
• Five Finger Death Punch
• Rammstein
• Deftones
• Red Hot Chilli Peppers
• The Cure
• Five Finger Death Punch
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Bad Omens
• Muse
• Biffy Clyro
• Limp Bizkit
• Slayer
• Enter Shikari (ok this one is a unrealistic wish)

[northernangel]

2 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

I reckon we'll get 3 bands from this list as headliners next year as mainstage headliners. 

• AC/DC
• Iron Maiden
• Guns N Roses
• Linkin Park
• My Chemical Romance
• Foo Fighters
• Ghost
• Architects
• Parkway Drive
• Blink 182
• Slipknot
• Bring Me The Horizon
• Def Leppard
• A Day to Remember
• System of A Down
• Pearl Jam
• Foo Fighters
• Alter Bridge
• Five Finger Death Punch
• Rammstein
• Deftones
• Red Hot Chilli Peppers
• The Cure
• Five Finger Death Punch
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Bad Omens
• Muse
• Biffy Clyro
• Limp Bizkit
• Slayer
• Enter Shikari (ok this one is a unrealistic wish)

 

To be honest that's a pretty big list to not include all 3/4. You won't have AC/DC, Architects, FFDP, Slayer, Enter Shikari no chance, Biffy Clyro I'd be astounded, A7X, Alter Bridge, ADTR or GNR as headliners next year. You might get a couple of them as below headline acts.

[rock_on]

5 minutes ago, northernangel said:

 

To be honest that's a pretty big list to not include all 3/4. You won't have AC/DC, Architects, FFDP, Slayer, Enter Shikari no chance, Biffy Clyro I'd be astounded, A7X, Alter Bridge, ADTR or GNR as headliners next year. You might get a couple of them as below headline acts.

 

I can't see any of those bands accepting anything below headline status - quite a few of them would rather not play than sub / headline second. 

[northernangel]

42 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

I can't see any of those bands accepting anything below headline status - quite a few of them would rather not play than sub / headline second. 

 

That may well be the case but there are fair arguments for why ADTR, Shikari, FFDP, Architects, Slayer and Alter Bridge just aren't going to get the bump up. Biffy Clyro would go down like a lead balloon if they were booked again already, they have two very known large crowd walkouts of the arena the last twice they played before the band started. There is no way they could be included next year as a 3 and if it's 4 it would be why would you need to extend to 4 days when you could just knock them off. From what I have heard, I think it will be 4 days because with Ghost mentioned as being certain in people's mind, Parkway Drive information I have which I don't know 100% if it's legit and LP I don't think that's strong enough without another big one. I think after the Green Day crowd Blink is the one to go for and leave Maiden for 27 myself. It depends though if Maiden are calling 27 as their final or next point of cut off next year and not 27. If so and they want to play then Download aren't saying no. 

[FeverDream]

If it is 4 days then I think I'd go with Maiden, Ghost, Blink, Linkin Park. 

 

Maiden your big one and probably last Download headline set. Ghost an obvious bump up and drew a crazy crowd on Opus in '23. Blink following the trend of FOB and Green Day. Then Linkin Park as at RaR plus Download is probably their best fit festival wise here. 

 

Don't think we'll see BMTH back so soon even though they're at Nova Rock

[northernangel]

23 minutes ago, FeverDream said:

If it is 4 days then I think I'd go with Maiden, Ghost, Blink, Linkin Park. 

 

Maiden your big one and probably last Download headline set. Ghost an obvious bump up and drew a crazy crowd on Opus in '23. Blink following the trend of FOB and Green Day. Then Linkin Park as at RaR plus Download is probably their best fit festival wise here. 

 

Don't think we'll see BMTH back so soon even though they're at Nova Rock

Nope. To be honest Nova Rock could easily have Maiden, Ghost or Blink as well to share with. 

[SweetJesus]

I’m pretty sure Ghost will not play Nova Rock. Last time in Vienna, they sold maybe 4000 tickets so that’s the reason why they skipped Vienna on this tour.

 

Blink/SOAD/Foos/Volbeat are my guess for Nova Rock, of course not all of them.

[SweetJesus]

[baggie92]

Early bird arena tickets have the dates as Friday-Sunday

[Spiral_Low]

1 hour ago, baggie92 said:

Early bird arena tickets have the dates as Friday-Sunday

It's only 3 days then I reckon Ghost, Iron Maiden, Linkin Park

 

But could also see Ghost doing their own big show like Gunnersbury Park....especially if Foo Fighters finally agreed to do Download. 

[andyrhodes24]

On 15/06/2025 at 14:36, gorfield said:

 Sorry if it's already been asked but every year I miss out on a campervan ticket which stops me going. Do they go on sale straight after?

They were on sale right up to last Wednesday ish but it did say sold out for long stretches of the year. Some definitely became available later though.

[northernangel]

2 hours ago, baggie92 said:

Early bird arena tickets have the dates as Friday-Sunday

 

Indeed it does, no 4 days happening.

53 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

It's only 3 days then I reckon Ghost, Iron Maiden, Linkin Park

 

But could also see Ghost doing their own big show like Gunnersbury Park....especially if Foo Fighters finally agreed to do Download. 

 

I definitely don't think Foos are at Download. I would agree with those 3 although I'm torn now on the Parkway Drive information. Would they booked Ghost. Parkway Drive and LP? I mean I think that's hella weak.

[Andre91]

Deftones, Ghost & Linkin Park. 

[northernangel]

It's also worth mentioning the person who has mentioned Parkway Drive to me is on the guest list for their UK tour and will go to every date if time off allows. Said he'll confirm with them when they tour but we'll surely be close to if not had a headliner announcement by then. They did play last time he said they would just not headline but I'm not 100% convinced.

[Spiral_Low]

1 hour ago, Andre91 said:

Deftones, Ghost & Linkin Park. 

I like Deftones but they are so hit and

miss live, I would be surprised if Download took the risk. 

1 hour ago, northernangel said:

 

Indeed it does, no 4 days happening.

 

I definitely don't think Foos are at Download. I would agree with those 3 although I'm torn now on the Parkway Drive information. Would they booked Ghost. Parkway Drive and LP? I mean I think that's hella weak.

Foo's will be asked, they are asked every year haha and they always say no, but ya never know. 

[rock_on]

47 minutes ago, northernangel said:

It's also worth mentioning the person who has mentioned Parkway Drive to me is on the guest list for their UK tour and will go to every date if time off allows. Said he'll confirm with them when they tour but we'll surely be close to if not had a headliner announcement by then. They did play last time he said they would just not headline but I'm not 100% convinced.

Headline announcement will likely be November if they repeat the Download Met Gala. Their last UK gig is 6th October so well in advance of that. Can definitely see them headlining next year and they'd fully deserve it. 

[northernangel]

8 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

I like Deftones but they are so hit and

miss live, I would be surprised if Download took the risk. 

Foo's will be asked, they are asked every year haha and they always say no, but ya never know. 

I don't doubt they will be asked. They might, just might grab them in 2027 after Reading. I obviously don't know they are definitely playing Reading but considering they are back to just straight headliners now instead of the other tried way, I'm as sure about them there as I am LP at Download. If Download managed to get Foos in the same year as LP then fair bloody play.

[northernangel]

2 minutes ago, rock_on said:

Headline announcement will likely be November if they repeat the Download Met Gala. Their last UK gig is 6th October so well in advance of that. Can definitely see them headlining next year and they'd fully deserve it. 

I feel if Parkway Drive get it that bands don't need to have done anything major playing wise on their own tours to grab it. I could see them getting it if they had Maiden and LP and Ghost for some reason didn't make it but I feel they will.