Download 2026

[astrotwatter]

[The All Round Ball :|]

Lot of bands being thrown around. As we've seen more pop punknand emo bands, what about the likes of yungblud, pierce the veil, sleeping with sirens and those kinda bands? Pretty sure all of those are around in 2026

[northernangel]

8 hours ago, TWY2911 said:

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 

You don't really need a heavy band if the likes of Green Day is the route you choose to go down. To sell 5 day weekend tickets better that's what they will have to do and going back on it now will give we couldn't carry it through vibes. You've got to go one ot the other way at Download or it'll just be your 3 day weekend tickets as people won't bother spending for longer. It'll be get in and then get out.

[northernangel]

9 hours ago, Andre91 said:

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

It's the absolute hight of arrogance. If you don't like a band or album you don't, Simple! Doesn't need over compensating for, if they didn't understand this blah blah, they are thick, what a moronic statement! You might as well call people think as well for not liking ST or this story they are telling that they either don't like or dont get, its not that deep. Like or dont, dont call people put because they cant accept your views. Their last album is their worst selling for 18 years with no recognised album sales or accreditation for it so people disliking it have something very evident there to back thag up, you don't.

[Andre91]

4 minutes ago, northernangel said:

It's the absolute hight of arrogance. If you don't like a band or album you don't, Simple! Doesn't need over compensating for, if they didn't understand this blah blah, they are thick, what a moronic statement! You might as well call people think as well for not liking ST or this story they are telling that they either don't like or dont get, its not that deep. Like or dont, dont call people put because they cant accept your views. Their last album is their worst selling for 18 years with no recognised album sales or accreditation for it so people disliking it have something very evident there to back thag up, you don't.

You really cannot infer when someone is taking the piss can you, Gaz. Jesus. 

Edited June 19, 2025 by Andre91

[Andre91]

Whether you like that last A7X album or not; what they did should be applauded by everyone. They’ll risk they took, the sonic jump they made is the biggest risk and jump any band of their size has taken in God knows how long. For a well-established arena and festival he also e band to do what they did is virtually unheard of in the 21st Century. To have the balls to do that and not jump on the nostalgia train and try and make a half-arsed City of Evil II is more than commendable; it demands respect. 
 

To be honest, I’m not really sure why any huge A7X fan would be so turned off by such a huge swerve. The signs have always been there. Whether that’s the jump from Waking the Fallen to City of Evil, the experimentation on the next album of A Little Piece of Heaven, or the expansion and experimentation of The Stage; the signs that this band are far, far more creative and willing to take more risks than all of their peers have always been there to see. 
 

Anyway, A7X aren’t playing next year so let’s talk about some bands who maybe are instead. 

[LazyDavid]

It feels like Linkin Park and Ghost are the most likely at the moment, I guess Ghost depends on whether they do another tour or their own show(s)

Blink-182 seem the next logical step if they're getting a more nostalgic/pop-punk headliner. 

My Chemical Romance isn't out of the realms of possibility but they've gone a bit quiet on the UK front

System of a Down are about it's whether they want to come over

Foo Fighters are probably on the radar for next year depending on their plans

Iron Maiden are always going to be in the discussion

Deftones are potentially the next to step-up (along with Parkway Drive), I think we get them OR Ghost, maybe not both

 

Hopefully will be a good selection next year!

[BrutalLegend]

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

NIN need to headline, absolute peak live act, and with the right setlist would own a headline slot. 

[rock_on]

25 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

NIN need to headline, absolute peak live act, and with the right setlist would own a headline slot. 

With the right set-list is doing a lot of heavy lifting there. NIN aren't going to a Green Day and come out all hits parade. 

[DomDom1984]

NIN as the nostalgia act would certainly be a choice. Don't see why not at this stage though.

[Andre91]

29 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

NIN need to headline, absolute peak live act, and with the right setlist would own a headline slot. 

They would go down a storm at Download. I hope they headline soon.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

56 minutes ago, rock_on said:

With the right set-list is doing a lot of heavy lifting there. NIN aren't going to a Green Day and come out all hits parade. 

No obviously not, but they could include enough ‘hits’ to keep casual fans happy. 

[andyrhodes24]

3 hours ago, LazyDavid said:

It feels like Linkin Park and Ghost are the most likely at the moment, I guess Ghost depends on whether they do another tour or their own show(s)

Blink-182 seem the next logical step if they're getting a more nostalgic/pop-punk headliner. 

My Chemical Romance isn't out of the realms of possibility but they've gone a bit quiet on the UK front

System of a Down are about it's whether they want to come over

Foo Fighters are probably on the radar for next year depending on their plans

Iron Maiden are always going to be in the discussion

Deftones are potentially the next to step-up (along with Parkway Drive), I think we get them OR Ghost, maybe not both

 

Hopefully will be a good selection next year!

You’d like to think MCR will be back in Europe soon. After the 2022/23 world tour they’re now hitting the US again so maybe a run of EU/UK fests next summer?

 

We still don’t know why they’re back mind or for how long.

[luckysalt]

16 hours 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. 

Has ANY band headlined Download then dropped down the bill? 

 

They headline until they no longer perform or are not rebooked.

 

It's why Copping has such a cry when other festivals book his headliners in lower positions like when he tried to talk Faith No More out of taking a lower position at Reading, they are the only band I can remember he's rebooked and placed lower. 

 

He pitched a fit when System agreed to sub Green Day at Reading. 

 

Can anyone think of anyone else other than FNM that dropped down the bill?

[Andre91]

Just now, luckysalt said:

Has ANY band headlined Download then dropped down the bill? 

 

They headline until they no longer perform or are not rebooked.

 

It's why Copping has such a cry when other festivals book his headliners in lower positions like when he tried to talk Faith No More out of taking a lower position at Reading, they are the only band I can remember he's rebooked and placed lower. 

 

He pitched a fit when System agreed to sub Green Day at Reading. 

 

Can anyone think of anyone else other than FNM that dropped down the bill?

Yeah, Faith No More but they only headlined in the first place because of reunion hype. 
 

The Offspring don’t count because they were never supposed to headline in the first place. 
 

Feeder never should’ve been a headliner so they don’t count either. 
 

I can’t think of anyone else off the top of my head. 

[rock_on]

The only bands that he's dropped from headliner are Feeder, The Offspring, Faith No More. The first thing the new booking team need to do is be willing to drop headliners to sub slots - you could easily drop Def Leppard and Biffy Clyro, 

 

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

47 minutes ago, rock_on said:

- you could easily drop Def Leppard 

 

Or alternatively just never book them again in any slot, because they’re terrible. 

[northernangel]

7 hours ago, Andre91 said:

You really cannot infer when someone is taking the piss can you, Gaz. Jesus. 

 

That's because you weren't, you were just being a d**khead and are now trying to pull your arse out of it. 

 

1 hour ago, Andre91 said:

Yeah, Faith No More but they only headlined in the first place because of reunion hype. 
 

The Offspring don’t count because they were never supposed to headline in the first place. 
 

Feeder never should’ve been a headliner so they don’t count either. 
 

I can’t think of anyone else off the top of my head. 

 

According to a very top source on here, The Offspring were in place to headline way before people would like to accept. Long enough that if one big headliner was replaced with another big option it would be in the same time frame.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

28 minutes ago, northernangel said:

 

 

According to a very top source on here, The Offspring were in place to headline way before people would like to accept. Long enough that if one big headliner was replaced with another big option it would be in the same time frame.

Judas Priest, Offspring and Lostprophets were booked to sub the original headliners of Rammstein, RATM & Foo Fighters. Kiss wanted to play and were turned down.
 

RATM pulled out first to do R&L instead, so Offspring were then ‘bumped’ up at that point. When the other two pulled out (Rammstein cancelled tour plans & Foo’s chose to do stadiums instead) Andy went back to Kiss cap in hand to ‘save the day’. 
 

That year is what sparked the future reliance on MOR type bands for so long, because Andy knew there was less competition to book them and they usually shifted decent ticket numbers for Download. 

[northernangel]

47 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

Judas Priest, Offspring and Lostprophets were booked to sub the original headliners of Rammstein, RATM & Foo Fighters. Kiss wanted to play and were turned down.
 

RATM pulled out first to do R&L instead, so Offspring were then ‘bumped’ up at that point. When the other two pulled out (Rammstein cancelled tour plans & Foo’s chose to do stadiums instead) Andy went back to Kiss cap in hand to ‘save the day’. 
 

That year is what sparked the future reliance on MOR type bands for so long, because Andy knew there was less competition to book them and they usually shifted decent ticket numbers for Download. 

I'm not sure that is right. Reading clearly just got the RATM reunion first. I'm not sure I buy Foos pulled out either. It's been said more than once that The Offspring and Lostprophets were booked in to headline for a long time and early. Either way, The Offspring count in the pattern as there will have been scenarios before of it happening. If we include every headliner that was a replacement and had then been bumped down the lineup then we've got a few more than just the two.

 

I'm not sure whether that info was from Lucky salt, Rough Bloke or Brave Sir Robin.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

1 hour ago, northernangel said:

I'm not sure that is right. Reading clearly just got the RATM reunion first. I'm not sure I buy Foos pulled out either. It's been said more than once that The Offspring and Lostprophets were booked in to headline for a long time and early. Either way, The Offspring count in the pattern as there will have been scenarios before of it happening. If we include every headliner that was a replacement and had then been bumped down the lineup then we've got a few more than just the two.

 

I'm not sure whether that info was from Lucky salt, Rough Bloke or Brave Sir Robin.

Whoever it was from, I can assure you what I said was true. How far into the booking process they were with those bands is anyone’s guess, but Andy was confident enough to turn Kiss away initially. 

[northernangel]

59 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

Whoever it was from, I can assure you what I said was true. How far into the booking process they were with those bands is anyone’s guess, but Andy was confident enough to turn Kiss away initially. 

Fair enough. I'll take your word.

 

Turned them away and then constantly turned to them lol.

 

I didnt even like Rage at the time and I've never been heavy on Rammstein but that would be a killer 3. I'd see a Rammstein show though. I'd say replacing Foos with Metallica and you've got the ultimate 3 for a lot of people. 

[Andre91]

4 hours ago, northernangel said:

 

That's because you weren't, you were just being a d**khead and are now trying to pull your arse out of it. 

 

Sure, bud. Whatever you like. 

[TWY2911]