Download 2026

[OKMess]

3 hours ago, OllieJ77 said:

Gojira touring with Metallica aren’t they so defo won’t be at Download. Alice Cooper will likely be there or has a good chsnce o be there.

 

I’ve accepted that it’s Limp Bizkit GnR Linkin Park.

Why are people so adamant GnR are there? AFAIK the entire rumour about them came from a 'leak' which said they were at Nova which has now been proven false...

[OKMess]

2 hours ago, craigcharles420 said:

Muse/NIN/GNR for me

 

Muse and NIN I have seen already but theyre incredible live and I know GNR isn't a popular option here but I still haven't managed to catch them live so it is what it is. I have to admit that I just don't think Ghost have the tunes, I also don't think LP is that good in their current state and I don't think LB is as good as any of the other bands listed. So this is ultimately my ideal lineup from the bands listed.

 

If it's Ghost/NIN/Muse I'd be very very tempted. 

[alexs7]

3 hours ago, OllieJ77 said:

Gojira touring with Metallica aren’t they so defo won’t be at Download. Alice Cooper will likely be there or has a good chsnce o be there.

 

I’ve accepted that it’s Limp Bizkit GnR Linkin Park.

I am trying to deny it's GnR just because they are probably so EXPENSIVE.

 

We already have Linkin Park as our stadium band for this year who I can't imagine come for cheap, you then don't book another expensive stadium band.

 

With Linkin Park all but confirmed I can't see them wanting to go for GnR

 

Only rumors I have seen for GnR are the Nova Rock one (didn't get announced) and people on the subreddit saying "trust me bro i know someone" (one of them even saying they knew the 2025 headliners in advance but there are comments of them slating people for saying Green Day was a rumor)

 

While I will admit if I am wrong it just doesn't seem likely 

 

LB/Ghost/LP seems like what we will get although I really want Ghost/NIN/LP or Ghost/Muse/LP 

 

 

[alexs7]

1 hour ago, Jrose said:

still fairly certain gnr are about to announce their north america 2026 tour, so it would be really strange that theyre at download. the chances of a european exclusive in 2026 is impossible. the costs associated with getting to europe / uk from america now make it completely unrealistic. linkin park limp bizkit and NiN seems much more likely. though it wont sell as well as gnr would. 

Would GnR even sell that well.

 

I do think there is still a place for "legacy" bands occasionally but GnRs last tour didn't sell well, they had to give away tickets. Metallica and Iron Maiden are at least shifting stadiums easily.

 

If people aren't going on their tour why would they buy a day ticket for Download (unless they have a stacked undercard

 

 

[Andre91]

Choosing to disbelief GNR in favour of Ghost. 

[chatty]

1 hour ago, Andre91 said:

Choosing to disbelief GNR in favour of Ghost. 

There's be three bands I wouldn't mind seeing on that one and you've managed to make two of them clash 🤣

[chatty]

4 hours ago, craigcharles420 said:

Muse/NIN/GNR for me

 

Muse and NIN I have seen already but theyre incredible live and I know GNR isn't a popular option here but I still haven't managed to catch them live so it is what it is. I have to admit that I just don't think Ghost have the tunes, I also don't think LP is that good in their current state and I don't think LB is as good as any of the other bands listed. So this is ultimately my ideal lineup from the bands listed.

 

I'm with you on this one. 

 

I genuinely don't like nu-metal, pop punk, grind core and the likes so when getting tickets I'd already resigned myself to the probability that there wouldn't be much for me to look forward to.

 

From what's been rumoured I'm hoping for any of GNR, Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, NIN, Muse, Foo Fighters, Megadeth, A Perfect Circle. I think I'll be pretty happy if I get three bands I like tbh, that'll do. If it works out one each day then that'll be a nice bonus as well. 

 

I don't mind Ghost, Volbeat and there'll probably be a couple of others I can pick up on from bands I don't know and I'll be getting dragged to Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit etc from the other half of they are on so I'll just try and enjoy them anyway. 

 

I do think most of my highlights are going to come from the food vendors though. 

 

Funnily enough when there was some wild rumours that Oasis were going to headline (which I laughed at as that's just not happening), when I was listening to a few rumoured bands who will be on, ironically Oasis would be one of the more heavier bands that would play the festival 🤣, it's mad how things change. 

Edited October 12, 2025 by chatty

[King101]

2 hours ago, OKMess said:

Why are people so adamant GnR are there? AFAIK the entire rumour about them came from a 'leak' which said they were at Nova which has now been proven false...

The GNR rumour pre-dates the Nova Rock ‘leak’.

 

GNR were mentioned by @kjvffm back in July, on page 25 of this thread.

The Bizkit/GNR/Linkin Park trio was first suggested about a month ago around the same time GNR were rumoured for Nova but their name had been in the mix for a while before that, people just chose to ignore it.

[charlierc]

24 minutes ago, chatty said:

Funnily enough when there was some wild rumours that Oasis were going to headline (which I laughed at as that's just not happening), when I was listening to a few rumoured bands who will be on, ironically Oasis would be one of the more heavier bands that would play the festival 🤣, it's mad how things change. 

Oasis with McFly and Busted support?

[charlierc]

On 10/10/2025 at 10:53, Marka23 said:

Download Forum hasn't shut down yet 

I didn't even realise it was on the way out tbf.

[BingusBongus]

6 hours ago, OllieJ77 said:

Gojira touring with Metallica aren’t they so defo won’t be at Download. Alice Cooper will likely be there or has a good chsnce o be there.

 

I’ve accepted that it’s Limp Bizkit GnR Linkin Park.

I wouldn't be so sure on Gojira not being a available.

 

They're essentially doing one date a week with Metallica, gives them plenty of time for other stuff. Plus, if the rumour is indeed true, Knocked Loose at Slam Dunk essentially proves this.

[charlierc]

5 hours ago, craigcharles420 said:

Muse/NIN/GNR for me

 

Muse and NIN I have seen already but theyre incredible live

Wasn't there a rumour of Muse being offered Download 2024 and saying no? Or did I imagine that on a previous thread?

 

Admittedly looking at their setlist for Hellfest, they do have the material for such a spot. To say nothing of what was left out. Plus who knows if Unravelling was a clue to them pursuing a more hard rock/metal sound with the LP10 material.

[DustyEyeballs]

Where did the Limp Bizkit rumour come from? Because for me, that's the strangest one, since they were there last year and at Leeds/Reading this year not headlining so how are they suddenly a headliner next year?

[Marka23]

3 hours ago, Jrose said:

still fairly certain gnr are about to announce their north america 2026 tour, so it would be really strange that theyre at download. the chances of a european exclusive in 2026 is impossible. the costs associated with getting to europe / uk from america now make it completely unrealistic. linkin park limp bizkit and NiN seems much more likely. though it wont sell as well as gnr would. 

Do you know when we can probably expect this announcement?

[kitatus]

32 minutes ago, DustyEyeballs said:

Where did the Limp Bizkit rumour come from? Because for me, that's the strangest one, since they were there last year and at Leeds/Reading this year not headlining so how are they suddenly a headliner next year?

Agreed, though I believe it has come from process of elimination and hopium. The third headliner since day one of the rumours this year has been a weird one, people confident in Linkin Park and Ghost (and Iron Maiden at one point but look how that turned out) but that same confidence for Ghost and Linkin Park has not translated to a third headliner, which is strange for these kind of rumours; normally people confidently swing their wishlists around as fact for all three, not two out of the three.

 

From that, I think Limb Bizkit "stuck" as the common one between the rumours and here we are; rejecting fact and logic for "meh, guess that makes sense therefore it is now fact".

[Marka23]

1 hour ago, kitatus said:

Agreed, though I believe it has come from process of elimination and hopium. The third headliner since day one of the rumours this year has been a weird one, people confident in Linkin Park and Ghost (and Iron Maiden at one point but look how that turned out) but that same confidence for Ghost and Linkin Park has not translated to a third headliner, which is strange for these kind of rumours; normally people confidently swing their wishlists around as fact for all three, not two out of the three.

 

From that, I think Limb Bizkit "stuck" as the common one between the rumours and here we are; rejecting fact and logic for "meh, guess that makes sense therefore it is now fact".

Linkin Park are pretty much guaranteed as they have a gap in their tour dates Download weekend. 

 

Limp Bizkit are less certain because even though they're headlining festivals next year when they were announced for Resurrection festival they said they're headlining most major festivals so there's a chance they're not at Download. 

 

3rd headliner seems to be either Guns n Roses or Ghost 

[kitatus]

5 minutes ago, Marka23 said:

Linkin Park are pretty much guaranteed as they have a gap in their tour dates Download weekend. 

 

Limp Bizkit are less certain because even though they're headlining festivals next year when they were announced for Resurrection festival they said they're headlining most major festivals so there's a chance they're not at Download. 

 

3rd headliner seems to be either Guns n Roses or Ghost 

Yup, mostly in-line with what I was trying to say. Apart from that last bit.

 

I think as a whole the rumours of Ghost were even before Download 25 was over (March? May? the rumours started) and they've (to my knowledge) not been debunked and have tangible "evidence" (american leg of tour announced, EU part not announced yet) so I'm definitely leaning toward Ghost over the wishlist idea of GnR.

 

Even taking cost out of the equation with GnR (especially when compared to Ghost), it just doesn't make sense.

[craigcharles420]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

Wasn't there a rumour of Muse being offered Download 2024 and saying no? Or did I imagine that on a previous thread?

 

Admittedly looking at their setlist for Hellfest, they do have the material for such a spot. To say nothing of what was left out. Plus who knows if Unravelling was a clue to them pursuing a more hard rock/metal sound with the LP10 material.

I mean they did DL in 2015 so it's not totally left field. I do remember hearing they declined DL this year as well tbh.

 

As for Unravelling, they always release heavy singles (Kill Or Be Killed from last album, Reapers and Handler from Drones) then the rest of the album isn't usually that heavy. I do hope they aren't blue balling us again though

[craigcharles420]

6 hours ago, OKMess said:

If it's Ghost/NIN/Muse I'd be very very tempted. 

Yeah I mean really it is NIN and Muse I want, then the third headliner is a bonus for me. Already seen Ghost and I'm not really a big fan truth be told but would watch them. I haven't bothered listening to anything they have put out since the album I believe in 2018.

[charlierc]

1 minute ago, craigcharles420 said:

I mean they did DL in 2015 so it's not totally left field. I do remember hearing they declined DL this year as well tbh.

 

As for Unravelling, they always release heavy singles (Kill Or Be Killed from last album, Reapers and Handler from Drones) then the rest of the album isn't usually that heavy. I do hope they aren't blue balling us again though

Matt is already on record as saying the album will be quite a mixture of sounds. So I'd prepare for another dose of blue-balling on that score.

 

Also I may have been referencing this year's DL that they declined, not 2024. Though I recall the story is they were going to do Pinkpop 2024 then pushed it back to 2025, as revealed by Pinkpop themselves, so it's possible that maybe Download was also in the conversation.

[craigcharles420]

4 hours ago, chatty said:

I'm with you on this one. 

 

I genuinely don't like nu-metal, pop punk, grind core and the likes so when getting tickets I'd already resigned myself to the probability that there wouldn't be much for me to look forward to.

 

From what's been rumoured I'm hoping for any of GNR, Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, NIN, Muse, Foo Fighters, Megadeth, A Perfect Circle. I think I'll be pretty happy if I get three bands I like tbh, that'll do. If it works out one each day then that'll be a nice bonus as well. 

 

I don't mind Ghost, Volbeat and there'll probably be a couple of others I can pick up on from bands I don't know and I'll be getting dragged to Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit etc from the other half of they are on so I'll just try and enjoy them anyway. 

 

I do think most of my highlights are going to come from the food vendors though. 

 

Funnily enough when there was some wild rumours that Oasis were going to headline (which I laughed at as that's just not happening), when I was listening to a few rumoured bands who will be on, ironically Oasis would be one of the more heavier bands that would play the festival 🤣, it's mad how things change. 

I don't mind nu metal really, I just think LP in their current state isn't appealing personally and I think that while LB would be fun there are better bands out there. As for pop punk, my enjoyment is more or less strictly limited to Green Day and early Offspring, with the odd song here and there. I'm not paying to see a pop punk band that's not Green Day and I most likely wouldn't even bother to watch a pop punk headliner unless there is absolutely nobody else on.

[craigcharles420]

3 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Matt is already on record as saying the album will be quite a mixture of sounds. So I'd prepare for another dose of blue-balling on that score.

 

Also I may have been referencing this year's DL that they declined, not 2024. Though I recall the story is they were going to do Pinkpop 2024 then pushed it back to 2025, as revealed by Pinkpop themselves, so it's possible that maybe Download was also in the conversation.

Ah yeah misred 2024 as 2025 lol sorry. I do remember hearing that, this year, Korn were originally set to sub Muse but then Muse said no.

[craigcharles420]

If we are getting a nu metal headliner I would rather it be Deftones or Slipknot. But Deftones got their own tour and it seems Slipknot is focusing on recording (plus they need to give DL a rest I think). I wouldn't say no to LB and/or LP, but they're not really bands I am mad for.

[charlierc]

9 minutes ago, craigcharles420 said:

Ah yeah misred 2024 as 2025 lol sorry. I do remember hearing that, this year, Korn were originally set to sub Muse but then Muse said no.

You didn't misread - I wrote Download 2024 when I meant to put 2025. That's on me. Although as said, they were originally going to tour in 2024 then didn't, so maybe they did reject both times. Who knows.

[northernangel]

6 hours ago, alexs7 said:

I am trying to deny it's GnR just because they are probably so EXPENSIVE.

 

We already have Linkin Park as our stadium band for this year who I can't imagine come for cheap, you then don't book another expensive stadium band.

 

With Linkin Park all but confirmed I can't see them wanting to go for GnR

 

Only rumors I have seen for GnR are the Nova Rock one (didn't get announced) and people on the subreddit saying "trust me bro i know someone" (one of them even saying they knew the 2025 headliners in advance but there are comments of them slating people for saying Green Day was a rumor)

 

While I will admit if I am wrong it just doesn't seem likely 

 

LB/Ghost/LP seems like what we will get although I really want Ghost/NIN/LP or Ghost/Muse/LP 

 

 

 

It would be a bit crazy if the undercard suffered for the one big expensive band no one really would want there, let alone the undercard to sugger for.