Download 2026

[Andre91]

Buzzing for next year already after this year was one of the best Download’s I’ve been to.

 

I think their headliner trio formula this year was a good one; one massive act (Green Day), one ‘newer’ bump up headliner (Sleep Token) and one legacy band getting the bump due to a resurgence in popularity (KoRn). That’s why I’ve gone for the headliners I’ve gone for; Linkin Park are your Green Day, Ghost are your Sleep Token and Deftones are your KoRn. 

[northernangel]

2 hours ago, TWY2911 said:

Download 2026 quick prediction if it is 4 days

 

Thursday 

 

Apex: Blink-182, Avril Lavigne, Neck Deep, New Found Glory

 

Opus: Judas Priest, Mastodon 

 

Avalanche: Feeder 

 

Dogtooth: Exodus 

 

Special Doghouse Set: Scooter

 

Friday

 

Apex: Ghost, Rob Zombie, Volbeat, Ice Nine Kills

 

Opus: Knocked Loose, Motionless In White 

 

Avalanche: Amyl And The Sniffers 

 

Dogtooth: Cannibal Corpse 

 

Saturday 

 

Apex: System Of A Down, Gojira, Electric Callboy, Killswitch Engage 

 

Opus: Sublime, The All American Rejects 

 

Avalanche: Waterparks 

 

Dogtooth: Electric Wizard 

 

Sunday 

 

Apex: Linkin Park, Bad Omens, Papa Roach, Beartooth 

 

Opus: The Prodigy, A Perfect Circle 

 

Avalanche: T

he Wonder Years

 

Dogtooth: Acid Bath

 

 

 

 

No chance of Scooter in the Doghouse, they are massively bigger than vengaboys 

59 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Buzzing for next year already after this year was one of the best Download’s I’ve been to.

 

I think their headliner trio formula this year was a good one; one massive act (Green Day), one ‘newer’ bump up headliner (Sleep Token) and one legacy band getting the bump due to a resurgence in popularity (KoRn). That’s why I’ve gone for the headliners I’ve gone for; Linkin Park are your Green Day, Ghost are your Sleep Token and Deftones are your KoRn. 

Not the worst attempt but Deftones aren't a legacy act.

[Andre91]

1 minute ago, northernangel said:

No chance of Scooter in the Doghouse, they are massively bigger than vengaboys 

Not the worst attempt but Deftones aren't a legacy act.

Yes they are. So are KoRn, so are Limp Bizkit. They’ve all been going 30 odd years. They are Dad rock now. Stuff like Maiden and KISS are Grandad rock these days. 

[northernangel]

2 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Yes they are. So are KoRn, so are Limp Bizkit. They’ve all been going 30 odd years. They are Dad rock now. Stuff like Maiden and KISS are Grandad rock these days.

 

You're probably right with this. How how they been going going since 1988 churning that sh*t out. 

[TWY2911]

I think Blink or MCR are likely next year (more likely the former) as that era seems to be popular right now which has influenced them booking Fall out boy and Green Day (not that era but still a similar scene). Instead of an 80's/90's nostalgia fest they are now booking a late 90's/2000's nostalgia fest and some people are acting like Download are trying to target a gen Z audience when the only "modern" band in the last two years has been Sleep Token 

[Andre91]

40 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

I think Blink or MCR are likely next year (more likely the former) as that era seems to be popular right now which has influenced them booking Fall out boy and Green Day (not that era but still a similar scene). Instead of an 80's/90's nostalgia fest they are now booking a late 90's/2000's nostalgia fest and some people are acting like Download are trying to target a gen Z audience when the only "modern" band in the last two years has been Sleep Token 

Good point this. 
 

Wait for the NWOAHM revival when the kids start discovering Lamb of God, Trivium, Killswitch etc. It’s why I think Avenged will always stay popular despite their more divisive recent output (best album of their career btw); there will be a new generation who discover Waking The Fallen and City of Evil in no time. 

[TWY2911]

5 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Good point this. 
 

Wait for the NWOAHM revival when the kids start discovering Lamb of God, Trivium, Killswitch etc. It’s why I think Avenged will always stay popular despite their more divisive recent output (best album of their career btw); there will be a new generation who discover Waking The Fallen and City of Evil in no time. 

I'm a defender of A7x but they haven't released a good album in over a decade this showed last year as the crowd was genuinely silent during their new stuff sometimes even laughing at it and only perked up slightly when they played their hits, unless they come back playing self titled or Nightmare in full I really can't see them getting booked with how piss poor the turnout was for them last year but hey I guess Copping booked Biffy twice despite their pitiful crowd 

[rock_on]

Avenged aren't headlining Download again - there moment has passed.

 

I think next year we'll get at least one Iron Maiden / Guns N Roses / AC/DC / - they're all on tour this summer in the UK with stadium gigs so a festival run next year seems plausible for any of them. It'd probably be the final time for any of them but it would help shift tickets after a couple of years with a slightly lower calibre of headliners. I know the festival is moving on but an Iron Maiden 'final Donnington performance' would sell the weekend out never mind the day. 

[AwakeToken4]

I think if the festival is gonna be 4 days I imagine the Thursday will be a smaller headliner, not quite ghost/Linkin park/maiden size but potentially a band like volbeat or deftones and or smthn slightly smaller to sell the way more expensive 5 day tickets 

[TWY2911]

Ghost are already on the smaller side when it comes to headliners mainly because they haven't done it before I personally think if they are going 4 days it will be two "smaller" headliners with two "bigger" ones, so I think it will be Ghost and Deftones as the smaller headliners with Blink and LP as the bigger ones but still holding out for the Blink, Ghost, SOAD and LP quartet but I doubt it, I don't think Maiden will be booked unless it's advertised as their final UK show 

[Andre91]

 Avenged will headline every time they’re available for the rest of their days. They aren’t headlining three times and then dropping down. 
 

The Stage was well-received and resulted in their biggest tour ever over here. 
 

Life Is But A Dream is a phenomenal piece of work but it’s too weird for the thickos to handle. 
 

They’ll bounce back for sure. 

[Andre91]

It’s not going 4 days.

[rock_on]

4 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

It’s not going 4 days.

At last a post of yours I agree with. 

[northernangel]

8 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

 Avenged will headline every time they’re available for the rest of their days. They aren’t headlining three times and then dropping down. 
 

The Stage was well-received and resulted in their biggest tour ever over here. 
 

Life Is But A Dream is a phenomenal piece of work but it’s too weird for the thickos to handle. 
 

They’ll bounce back for sure. 

But harsh naming called like that on people just because they don't like an album you do isn't it? Surely it just makes that their opinion rather than being thick.

[AwakeToken4]

My first kinda half prediction for next year, some bands out of place and days aren't perfect but would say it's a fairly reasonable idea. Also could swap foos for maiden or BMTH

[TWY2911]

5 minutes ago, northernangel said:

But harsh naming called like that on people just because they don't like an album you do isn't it? Surely it just makes that their opinion rather than being thick.

I'm definitely not the only one to have that opinion based off the reaction and crowd numbers last year 

[AwakeToken4]

1 minute ago, AwakeToken4 said:

My first kinda half prediction for next year, some bands out of place and days aren't perfect but would say it's a fairly reasonable idea. Also could swap foos for maiden or BMTH

Could also swap gojira for volbeat, personally I see volbeat playing playing the sub spot for ghost. Would love to see them headline tho

[TWY2911]

I think the quote that they have "incredible headliners" is probably just a marketing ploy to get people to buy tickets but it could also mean they've got something surprising like Foos (this is just wishful thinking)

[Andre91]

14 minutes ago, northernangel said:

But harsh naming called like that on people just because they don't like an album you do isn't it? Surely it just makes that their opinion rather than being thick.

Not harsh enough imo. The people who can’t handle the sophistication of that last A7X album probably like Steel Panther. 

[Andre91]

1 minute ago, TWY2911 said:

I think the quote that they have "incredible headliners" is probably just a marketing ploy to get people to buy tickets but it could also mean they've got something surprising like Foos (this is just wishful thinking)

‘Come and watch these half-decent headliners we have’ doesn’t quite sell tickets the same way. 

[TWY2911]

14 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Not harsh enough imo. The people who can’t handle the sophistication of that last A7X album probably like Steel Panther. 

Jokes on you I absolutely despise Steel Panther lol

[rock_on]

17 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

‘Come and watch these half-decent headliners we have’ doesn’t quite sell tickets the same way. 

 

I mean Copping literally did that for 2024 when he told everybody he'd approached 21 bands about headlining. I know it's a new booking team but I'll take their word for it. 

[andyrhodes24]

39 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

I think the quote that they have "incredible headliners" is probably just a marketing ploy to get people to buy tickets but it could also mean they've got something surprising like Foos (this is just wishful thinking)

100%, whether you’ve booked the three biggest bands in the world or three smaller ones you have to sell it from the first interview. I do think the mix of proven stadium seller, new blood and a band who’ll become a legacy headliner in years to come worked well this year.

[TWY2911]

I think a trio of Blink, Ghost and LP would work very well although it's missing a traditional "heavy" band but you can make up for that in the undercard with the likes of Knocked Loose, Lamb of god and so on, personally I'm hoping for SOAD but I expect download to go with Blink as they fit the mold of their recent booking strategy and with the fact that Ghost and LP look like shoe ins but you never know, SOAD, Blink and LP would be fantastic variety 

[rock_on]

Well time for the first fantasy Download 2026 prediction from my end (earlier predictions were trying to be realistic)

 

Friday

Apex: AC/DC / Judas Priest / The Pretty Reckless / Halestorm / Public Enemy / The Toasters / The Hives

Opus: Breaking Benjamin / Motionless in White / August Burns Red / Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls / Idles

Avalanche: Cancer Bats / Alexisonfire / Comeback Kid

Dogtooth: Kreator / Sepultra / Arch Enemy

 

Saturday

Apex: Guns N Roses / Whitesnake / Alter Bridge / Rival Sons / Coheed and Cambria / Madness / Sleeping With Sirens

Opus: Enter Shikari / Against Me! / Simple Plan / New Found Glory / Miss May I 

Avalanche: Public Image Ltd / Buzzcocks / Stiff Little Fingers

Dogtooth: Dance Gavin Dance / We Came As Romans / Memphis  May Fire 

 

Sunday

Apex: Iron Maiden / Slayer / Saxon / Lamb of God / Thunder / Manic Street Preachers / Clutch

Opus: Three Days Grace / Black Label Society / As I Lay Dying / Wage War / Testament

Avalanche: Reel Big Fish / Billy Talent / Dinosaur Jr

Dogtooth: Black Midi / King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard / Yard Act 

Edited June 18, 2025 by rock_on