Download 2026

[Andre91]

16 minutes ago, Siddey1994 said:

To hit on the specific point that “surely” not many people are up for new Linkin Park - they’ve got to be the biggest band on the lineup right now. Reunion hype still fresh, fully sold out Wembley Stadium show, successful new album (the first two singles especially did major numbers for them), this only being their third UK show since reforming - I don’t see by what metric they can be downplayed as a headliner. Sure if you don’t like it that’s fine, but denying that people do is weird.

 

As someone who’s seen the new configuration live, Emily is a fantastic singer. Complete powerhouse. It’s going to be an amazing show.

This nails it. Linkin Park are the biggest band on the lineup, hands down. 

[rock_on]

10 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

This nails it. Linkin Park are the biggest band on the lineup, hands down. 

 

Whilst I don't necessarily disagree - after all they're the only band on the lineup who can sell out stadiums these days, would you volunteer to tell Axl Rose that? 😑

[Siddey1994]

5 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

Whilst I don't necessarily disagree - after all they're the only band on the lineup who can sell out stadiums these days, would you volunteer to tell Axl Rose that? 😑

To watch bloated Ian Beale throw a hissy fit? Where do we sign up?

[partypirate]

2 hours ago, rock_on said:

 

Less of the ageism yeah? Go put your REO Speedwagon records on and chill out 😉

[Andre91]

37 minutes ago, rock_on said:

 

Whilst I don't necessarily disagree - after all they're the only band on the lineup who can sell out stadiums these days, would you volunteer to tell Axl Rose that? 😑

He might attack me with ham joint. He’s got previous. 

[chatty]

Does anyone really care? 

 

I don't think you can even make a line up for a festival in 2025 and keep everyone happy because festivals are no longer genre specific and now have more eras of fans across them. 

 

Everyone has different tastes. I think Linkin Park are absolutely shite but that's just my taste in music. They are clearly big enough to headline, go and enjoy and if you dont like them there will be something else. 

 

Our lass loves them so I'll be going to see them despite not liking them but f**k moaning, may as well enjoy it as much as I can, you're a long time dead,  I use being a misery. 

[JustThis]

Had a go at stage predictions. How likely/unlikely is this?

 

Limp Bizkit / Cypress Hill / Electric Callboy / (Scooter) / Hollywood Undead / P.O.D / South Arcade
Architects / Ice Nine Kills / Bush / Mammoth / Those Damn Crows
Mastodon / Periphery
Cavaleras Chaos AD

Guns n Roses / (Marilyn Manson) / Halestorm / The Pretty Reckless / Tom Morello / Kublai Khan TX / Imminence / Dogstar
(Turnstile) / Pendulum / Social Distortion / (Wargasm) /Landmvrks
The All American Rejects / Set It Off
Static-X

Linkin Park / Bad Omens / Babymetal / Black Veil Brides / Sleep Theory / The Plot in You / Bloodywood / Scene Queen
Trivium / Behemoth / (Coheed and Cambria) / Story of the Year / Paleface Swiss
Feeder / Ash
Blood Inclination

[foolee]

New Linkin Park is crap and isn’t Linkin Park for me but you can’t deny that they’re bigger now than they ever were so despite my dislike of the whole thing they’re a perfectly suitable headliner. In fact all 3 headliners are and the undercard is good. Don’t really think there can be many complaints really. It’s like I’ve seen some hate on Axels vocals but there’s no denying they’re an absolutely legendary band that some people wouldn’t have seen yet and will be singing their heart out to them. Live music doesn’t have to be perfect and you can’t expect the oldies to be what they once were, just enjoy them whilst you still can. Isn’t everyone going to be knackered from Electric Callboy madness and Bizkit pits Friday anyway? 

[alexs7]

1 hour ago, JustThis said:

Had a go at stage predictions. How likely/unlikely is this?

 

Limp Bizkit / Cypress Hill / Electric Callboy / (Scooter) / Hollywood Undead / P.O.D / South Arcade
Architects / Ice Nine Kills / Bush / Mammoth / Those Damn Crows
Mastodon / Periphery
Cavaleras Chaos AD

Guns n Roses / (Marilyn Manson) / Halestorm / The Pretty Reckless / Tom Morello / Kublai Khan TX / Imminence / Dogstar
(Turnstile) / Pendulum / Social Distortion / (Wargasm) /Landmvrks
The All American Rejects / Set It Off
Static-X

Linkin Park / Bad Omens / Babymetal / Black Veil Brides / Sleep Theory / The Plot in You / Bloodywood / Scene Queen
Trivium / Behemoth / (Coheed and Cambria) / Story of the Year / Paleface Swiss
Feeder / Ash
Blood Inclination

Architects can only play Saturday

 

Surely Halestorm or subbing? They are playing Manchester Arena and The O2 Seem sub size to me?

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

6 hours ago, alexs7 said:

 

 

Surely Halestorm or subbing? They are playing Manchester Arena and The O2 Seem sub size to me?

Their placement on the poster would suggest not. 

[northernangel]

7 hours ago, foolee said:

New Linkin Park is crap and isn’t Linkin Park for me but you can’t deny that they’re bigger now than they ever were so despite my dislike of the whole thing they’re a perfectly suitable headliner. In fact all 3 headliners are and the undercard is good. Don’t really think there can be many complaints really. It’s like I’ve seen some hate on Axels vocals but there’s no denying they’re an absolutely legendary band that some people wouldn’t have seen yet and will be singing their heart out to them. Live music doesn’t have to be perfect and you can’t expect the oldies to be what they once were, just enjoy them whilst you still can. Isn’t everyone going to be knackered from Electric Callboy madness and Bizkit pits Friday anyway? 

LP would have been the same whichever way as they've returned in time when others from the same era have got a new lease.  They always played bigger gigs than any of the others as well before this period so it was quite clear of others went to next touring size level they would.

 

As for Guns, you can't expect the same as years ago but it was only 2017 Axl sounded great, he might have after that too but they've toured a lot and he probably needs rest. The voice at Glastonbury was very offkey at many points and had i not been missing part of another headliners show anyone leaving by then I'd have gone without any worry similar to Muse last time when I left....but planned to leave. Still probably should have gone as it wasnt memorable at all.

[ThatDazFella]

I didn't go this year as I had got tickets to quite a few other big gigs. Am I correct that they have a Guinness bar now??

[rivalschools.price]

1 minute ago, ThatDazFella said:

I didn't go this year as I had got tickets to quite a few other big gigs. Am I correct that they have a Guinness bar now??

 

Yup, and my online banking app statement suggests that enough was spent there to have it return next year.

[LazyDavid]

Only getting the first chance to process the line up now, I like it quite a lot.

 

Headliners are good, GnR I'll probably half-watch as I've never seen them but Limp Bizkit will smash it and Linkin Park are great

 

The logo bands selection is pretty excellent, plenty to see there!

First non-logo bands plenty in there for me again (Ash, Landmvrks and Sleep Theory especially for me)

Second non-logo bands I don't know a huge amount but Unpeople, Mouth Culture, Drowning Pool, As It Is are great

 

Seems to have gone down pretty well overall too which is good

[ThatDazFella]

45 minutes ago, rivalschools.price said:

 

Yup, and my online banking app statement suggests that enough was spent there to have it return next year.

Well I will be there so profits will definitely be up!!

[BrutalLegend]

ALL NEWLY CONFIRMED BANDS:

Thursday

Sex Pistols feat Frank Carter – Tom Morello – Mastodon – Black Veil Brides – Return to Dust

Friday

Six Feet Under – Magnolia Park

Saturday

A Day to Remember – Madsen – Querbeat – Bad Nerves

Sunday

P.O.D. – VOILÀ

 

All added to Nova today

[Siddey1994]

1 hour ago, rivalschools.price said:

 

Yup, and my online banking app statement suggests that enough was spent there to have it return next year.

I think I should have shares in Rocktail Cocktail at this point tbh.

[ZPBTC]

6 hours ago, BrutalLegend said:

ALL NEWLY CONFIRMED BANDS:

Thursday

Sex Pistols feat Frank Carter – Tom Morello – Mastodon – Black Veil Brides – Return to Dust

Friday

Six Feet Under – Magnolia Park

Saturday

A Day to Remember – Madsen – Querbeat – Bad Nerves

Sunday

P.O.D. – VOILÀ

 

All added to Nova today

Surely ADTR are one of the main bands on the next announcement? Struggle to see where they'd fit though, maybe under LP?

[partypirate]

Twisted Sister announced for Steelhouse, which accounts for why they aren't playing Download

[Marka23]

On 06/11/2025 at 09:40, BrutalLegend said:

ALL NEWLY CONFIRMED BANDS:

Thursday

Sex Pistols feat Frank Carter – Tom Morello – Mastodon – Black Veil Brides – Return to Dust

Friday

Six Feet Under – Magnolia Park

Saturday

A Day to Remember – Madsen – Querbeat – Bad Nerves

Sunday

P.O.D. – VOILÀ

 

All added to Nova today

No clue why Six Feet Under are still going, Chris Barnes is in embarrassment to death metal post Cannibal Corpse 

[Judas Yeast]

Has the official forum just gone offline for everyone? Was that the switch off?

[FrogLobster]

29 minutes ago, Judas Yeast said:

Has the official forum just gone offline for everyone? Was that the switch off?

I think so...

RIP! Still not sure why they are closing it down.

Edited November 10, 2025 by FrogLobster

[alexs7]

36 minutes ago, Judas Yeast said:

Has the official forum just gone offline for everyone? Was that the switch off?

yep gone for me too - people always say use the new ones but idk where they are!

[Jrose]

On 05/11/2025 at 18:32, rock_on said:

 

Metallica, I'll give you. GNR were giving tickets away for Wembley.... not a stadium band these days - Maiden have overtaken them due to being a better live act. 

maiden are great, but there's no planet in the universe they are bigger than GnR. GnR have been on a 10 year world stadium tour, with the reunion tour one of the highest of all time. GnR are 'mainstream' compared to maiden. Joe Public goes to see GnR to hear sweet child, welcome to the jungle november rain etc. maiden are massive in rock and metal and not an inch outside of it. album sales, ticket sales, streams on all platforms etc, gnr are much bigger and richer and more successful. so please stop this 'everyone agrees it isnt subjective' our opinions are subjective - but objectively withou bias, GnR are much bigger than maiden. 

 

Plus your point about GnR at wembley, they still sold 70k tickets before giveaways, plus 40k at villa park. thats 110k. maiden played a 55k london stadium.. so even with gnr being 10 years into a reunion tour, being on their 6th UK stadium tour in 10 years, and despite axl being well past his best, they still sold DOUBLE the tickets maiden did. so please, lets be sensible here. maiden are great and arguably now better live, but they're not bigger than gnr ever. 

Edited November 10, 2025 by Jrose

[northernangel]

1 hour ago, Jrose said:

maiden are great, but there's no planet in the universe they are bigger than GnR. GnR have been on a 10 year world stadium tour, with the reunion tour one of the highest of all time. GnR are 'mainstream' compared to maiden. Joe Public goes to see GnR to hear sweet child, welcome to the jungle november rain etc. maiden are massive in rock and metal and not an inch outside of it. album sales, ticket sales, streams on all platforms etc, gnr are much bigger and richer and more successful. so please stop this 'everyone agrees it isnt subjective' our opinions are subjective - but objectively withou bias, GnR are much bigger than maiden. 

 

Plus your point about GnR at wembley, they still sold 70k tickets before giveaways, plus 40k at villa park. thats 110k. maiden played a 55k london stadium.. so even with gnr being 10 years into a reunion tour, being on their 6th UK stadium tour in 10 years, and despite axl being well past his best, they still sold DOUBLE the tickets maiden did. so please, lets be sensible here. maiden are great and arguably now better live, but they're not bigger than gnr ever. 

They've had gaps though, not just played 10 years straight. 2017 two, 18 festival. 22 two stadiums and outdoor shows in 23. Then 25 two stadiums. 6 stadiums shows in 10 years with years separating. They are a poor booking compared to Maiden however and a lot of that is why there was so much against them for Download next year. Its a boring booking when you get a headliner having played everything and everywhere that there is nowhere else to play.