Download 2026

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

11 hours ago, northernangel said:

 

 

Turned them away and then constantly turned to them lol.

 

Yep pretty much, because if they hadn’t stepped in the festival was at risk of being cancelled. They were struggling to pull the lineup together when all 3 headliners dropped out, as well as facing the logistical issues of moving the site to a new location within Donington park. 
 

If you look back prior to 08 they never booked a MOR style top 3 on the MainStage, but in the subsequent years they very often repeated it. 

[illustration.toxic]

Heres a line up i made more of the graphic design than a prediction but what do we think

[DomDom1984]

I need to see The Interrupters at Slam Dunk again so leave them alone.

[DuckyMcQuacks]

[luckysalt]

On 19/06/2025 at 16:21, 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.

 

I dunno about Offspring, but lostprophets were booked as headliner for 2008 before 2007 download even had taken place and I assure you that is fact. It was either April or the May I can't remember, but I heard it the same time I heard Muse was headlining V2008 with Stereophonics subbing because that was booked that early in advance as well. 

 

Copping can try and spin whatever bullshit he likes 😂

[northernangel]

2 hours ago, luckysalt said:

 

I dunno about Offspring, but lostprophets were booked as headliner for 2008 before 2007 download even had taken place and I assure you that is fact. It was either April or the May I can't remember, but I heard it the same time I heard Muse was headlining V2008 with Stereophonics subbing because that was booked that early in advance as well. 

 

Copping can try and spin whatever bullshit he likes 😂

 

Yeah I believe the Prophets point as I've heard that 3 times already now. Shame for the others aa they had 3 killer albums, Start Something was a top top album. They are a class live band too, Leeds in 2007 was class, as was Reading in the tent in 09 with 2010 bding a bit of a weaker show. The other two may have been replacements but The Offspring certainly wasn't last minute. Yeah Copping has been full of it the past 15 years, if you went by everything he said then we'd have had new bands the last 10 years rather than the same old one's. In his head, Sonisphere is still here to take his main bands awa. In reality, he just didn't want anything new and was happy to repeat.

 

@rock_on luckysalt will know his stuff, there isnt many stronger people when it comes to Download. 

Edited June 20, 2025 by northernangel

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

13 hours ago, luckysalt said:

 

I dunno about Offspring, but lostprophets were booked as headliner for 2008 before 2007 download even had taken place and I assure you that is fact. It was either April or the May I can't remember, but I heard it the same time I heard Muse was headlining V2008 with Stereophonics subbing because that was booked that early in advance as well. 

 

Copping can try and spin whatever bullshit he likes 😂

The original plan was for them to sub Foo Fighters, until the Foo’s decided doing two nights at Wembley was a better prospect than doing Download. I assure you that’s a fact (the info isn’t from Copping, I wouldn’t trust a word he says).
 

I don’t know the full timeline of when it all went wrong, it could well have been before June 2007, but I do know neither Lostprophets nor Offspring were originally booked to headline. RATM were the first to pull out because R&L offered more money for two shows (you can clearly see from their 2008 tour dates that Download fit in, R&L did not). I assumed Offspring were the first to get bumped up, but it could have been Lostprophets. Either way, neither were originally booked to headline. 

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Also worth pointing out info is never 100%. For example in 2013 I knew months before any announcement that SOAD and NIN were playing R&L. But the info I was given said SOAD were headlining with NIN subbing. Could have been true and plans changed, could have been a miscommunication or someone ‘in the know’ putting their own spin on things to fill in the gaps. 

[northernangel]

41 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

The original plan was for them to sub Foo Fighters, until the Foo’s decided doing two nights at Wembley was a better prospect than doing Download. I assure you that’s a fact (the info isn’t from Copping, I wouldn’t trust a word he says).
 

I don’t know the full timeline of when it all went wrong, it could well have been before June 2007, but I do know neither Lostprophets nor Offspring were originally booked to headline. RATM were the first to pull out because R&L offered more money for two shows (you can clearly see from their 2008 tour dates that Download fit in, R&L did not). I assumed Offspring were the first to get bumped up, but it could have been Lostprophets. Either way, neither were originally booked to headline. 

 

Doesn't matter whether it fitted better or not really, Reading has long been a festival to pull bands in on exclusives and they pay for them. If fitting better was always the way it happened then Foo Fighters would have played Download multiple times now instead of Reading but they don't. Green Day would have play Reading before but they didn't. Personally I'm on the border with RATM, but either way it probably doesn't even matter. If someone as reliable as lucky tells me though especially as of back then that Prophets were always in to headline then only an original document in front of me of the planned headliners before is going to alter that view.

 

33 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

Also worth pointing out info is never 100%. For example in 2013 I knew months before any announcement that SOAD and NIN were playing R&L. But the info I was given said SOAD were headlining with NIN subbing. Could have been true and plans changed, could have been a miscommunication or someone ‘in the know’ putting their own spin on things to fill in the gaps. 

Yeah I don't believe that, nothing would have told me SOAD would have headlined Reading for one, and at that time definitely not over those 3 headliners.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

13 minutes ago, northernangel said:

 

Doesn't matter whether it fitted better or not really, Reading has long been a festival to pull bands in on exclusives and they pay for them. If fitting better was always the way it happened then Foo Fighters would have played Download multiple times now instead of Reading but they don't. Green Day would have play Reading before but they didn't. Personally I'm on the border with RATM, but either way it probably doesn't even matter. If someone as reliable as lucky tells me though especially as of back then that Prophets were always in to headline then only an original document in front of me of the planned headliners before is going to alter that view.

 

Yeah I don't believe that, nothing would have told me SOAD would have headlined Reading for one, and at that time definitely not over those 3 headliners.

I’m not sure I understood some of that, but in 2013 I didn’t know the other headliners for R&L, I just knew what I was told. The point I was making was that information can sometimes turn out to be ‘half’ true. 
 

Regarding RATM, the original plan was Download, Download thought they had them, they turned down R&L because it didn’t fit with the European tour plans. Then R&L came back with a much bigger offer, RATM changed plans and added a second smaller August ‘European’ leg to the tour. That I know for a fact. It’s also how Download managed to get them in 2010, because they felt they ‘owed’ them one. 

Edited June 21, 2025 by Frankly Mr Shankly

[rock_on]

If I've understood Jenny Cotter on Uprawr Podcast correctly all 3 headliners next year are new headliners. That would be impressive! 

[Andre91]

1 hour ago, rock_on said:

If I've understood Jenny Cotter on Uprawr Podcast correctly all 3 headliners next year are new headliners. That would be impressive! 

I didn’t get that from it, I got that they’ve got some new headliners. If that’s the case though, I’m going with; Deftones, Blink-182 & Ghost. 
 

Still think Linkin Park is inevitable so if it is them, I think it’ll be; Deftones, Ghost & Linkin Park. 

[TWY2911]

1 hour ago, rock_on said:

If I've understood Jenny Cotter on Uprawr Podcast correctly all 3 headliners next year are new headliners. That would be impressive! 

 

I can't see this being true as they won't shackle themselves like this just for the sake of it but I think they should have at least one new headliner every year and I think the pool is quite stacked with Ghost, Parkway, Deftones, Foos, Pearl Jam and so on (whether you count legacy bands that haven't played for whatever reason as fresh headliners)

[northernangel]

1 hour ago, rock_on said:

If I've understood Jenny Cotter on Uprawr Podcast correctly all 3 headliners next year are new headliners. That would be impressive! 

Which podcast is this from?

[northernangel]

11 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

 

I can't see this being true as they won't shackle themselves like this just for the sake of it but I think they should have at least one new headliner every year and I think the pool is quite stacked with Ghost, Parkway, Deftones, Foos, Pearl Jam and so on (whether you count legacy bands that haven't played for whatever reason as fresh headliners)

I'm not sure why you wouldn't go for it given the Green Day response. As a festival they would do much better booking Green Day or in that pond and booking support cast to support that. Book what sells tickets and they sold beyond Saturday for exmaple easy. There was a nastolgia Sunday element for fans of finally getting to see Korn headline but now it's happened it's not going to have people wanting it every 4 years. I was at the front for Weezer so not sure how big the crowd was but as good as Shinedown were and they were really good, there was loads of space down the front which crowds petering out for Sex Pistols as more time went on. A lot of people left Pistols actually after Pretty Vacant and God save the queen not having around for the last song.

[northernangel]

2 hours ago, rock_on said:

If I've understood Jenny Cotter on Uprawr Podcast correctly all 3 headliners next year are new headliners. That would be impressive! 

Also to add this, technically the current LP setup is a new headliner. They only gave a few original members and Brad doesn't even perform on stage. Without hearing it though but based on what's been said I'm pointing towards Ghost, Blink or Parkway Drive and Linkin Park. You are going to lose older fans by going further to that way but you may gain others more so. My 3 would be Blink, Maiden, LP without a doubt.

[rock_on]

9 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Also to add this, technically the current LP setup is a new headliner. They only gave a few original members and Brad doesn't even perform on stage. Without hearing it though but based on what's been said I'm pointing towards Ghost, Blink or Parkway Drive and Linkin Park. You are going to lose older fans by going further to that way but you may gain others more so. My 3 would be Blink, Maiden, LP without a doubt.

 

Linkin Park cannot in any way be classed as a new headliner. That's a ridiculous take. 

[northernangel]

 

29 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

Linkin Park cannot in any way be classed as a new headliner. That's a ridiculous take. 

 

It's not really. In their current form they would be fresh headliners as opposed to new and if I atteneded I would be going on the basis as having not seen this version of the band before which is a very different version to what I have. Either way, the festival won't be booking 3 completely new headliners.

[rock_on]

21 minutes ago, northernangel said:

 

 

It's not really. In their current form they would be fresh headliners as opposed to new and if I atteneded I would be going on the basis as having not seen this version of the band before which is a very different version to what I have. Either way, the festival won't be booking 3 completely new headliners.

You mean exactly like they did this year? Stop talking out your arse. 

[Spiral_Low]

5 hours ago, rock_on said:

If I've understood Jenny Cotter on Uprawr Podcast correctly all 3 headliners next year are new headliners. That would be impressive! 

Pearl Jam, Ghost, NIN?

 

Though it would be a big surprise for Linkin Park not to be there. Especially as they had to downgrade some of their US shows.....Download would be an obvious win and paycheck.

[Andre91]

7 hours ago, northernangel said:

Which podcast is this from?

The one you were arguing with me about last week and the one I told you to listen to for more context as to what I was saying but I’m guessing you never did get round to listening to it. It’s short and worth a listen. 

[northernangel]

7 hours ago, rock_on said:

You mean exactly like they did this year? Stop talking out your arse. 

 

They still booked a headliner that's an established stadium headliner didn't they?, or did I miss that Green Day headlined? So who's talking out their arse? Stop posting man.

 

57 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

The one you were arguing with me about last week and the one I told you to listen to for more context as to what I was saying but I’m guessing you never did get round to listening to it. It’s short and worth a listen. 

It tells me they are looking at new headliners, not much of a big shock.

[northernangel]

5 hours ago, Spiral_Low said:

Pearl Jam, Ghost, NIN?

 

Though it would be a big surprise for Linkin Park not to be there. Especially as they had to downgrade some of their US shows.....Download would be an obvious win and paycheck.

There is about 2% chance LP are not headlining next year. Germany finishing Friday, France on Tuesday and a day either size of the gig with only a hop over the water. If France was Monday then I'd have reservations over it but I think everyone has decided that unless a major miracle happens then that Sunday night closer is the worst kept secret. It's pretty clear given the quick sellout and the prices involved they there is no issue with them coming back next year.

[Andre91]

6 hours ago, northernangel said:

 

They still booked a headliner that's an established stadium headliner didn't they?, or did I miss that Green Day headlined? So who's talking out their arse? Stop posting man.

 

It tells me they are looking at new headliners, not much of a big shock.

You still haven’t listened to it, then. 

[rock_on]

8 hours ago, northernangel said:

 

They still booked a headliner that's an established stadium headliner didn't they?, or did I miss that Green Day headlined? So who's talking out their arse? Stop posting man.

 

It tells me they are looking at new headliners, not much of a big shock.

 

You said and quote; "Either way, the festival won't be booking 3 completely new headliners". - I was just pointing out they booked 3 completely new headliners as far as Download goes this year so they're clearly willing to do it for the right bands.

 

They also booked 2 new headliners out of 3 last year so it's very possible they'll book 3 new headliner's next year going on form. They also booked a new headliner in 2023. No one is saying they won't book a stadium band, just that they'll be new to headline Download - like Green Day were this year. It's not difficult to understand.