Download 2026

[Andre91]

Bloodstock do that every year. I don’t see Download announcing much earlier than usual. It’s just not what they do. 

[northernangel]

I'm going for

Parkway Drive, Maiden, LP

 

Halestorm to sub.

 

Judas Priest, MM, INK, Trivium to be among 3rds and 2nd stage headliners. 

 

Ghost to do the Gunnersbury etc run.

 

It's hard to say until any European festival gets announced with a band who's going to return too much. Download do like getting bands on their album shows though which points me to Disturbed and I probably couldn't think of a better option to go under LP, even though they've played 3rd under them before albeit it in 2011. I think they would be better putting them on before a Parkway Drive though to help with tickets, LP aren't going to need that.

 

[BlackFoxx]

1 hour ago, Andre91 said:

Bloodstock do that every year. I don’t see Download announcing much earlier than usual. It’s just not what they do. 

Tbh a lot of the European rivals to Download like Nova Rock, Rock Im Park etc do also announce quite early as well don't they. Think Nova Rock have BMTH and The Offspring announced already. Plus if Linkin Park are the marquee headliner, it might be worth getting that out early before people go to their other shows in Europe - e.g. just announced for a one day Werchter spin off event in Belgium.

 

Not sure if that's me being a bit of a festival forum nerd and more likely to consider European fests than the average Download goer, but I think the idea of getting lineup out early is a good one. Festival and gig landscape seems more and more competitive within a cost of living crisis still where folks have less money to go around. I know it might be what Download usually do, but I think the suggestion is a good idea.

[Gejonimo]

 

Here's my semi-serious, semi-wishful crack. I like ska, leave me alone.

[northernangel]

I also think Download have got the angle that they don't need to announce earlier as they aren't really in competition with anyone. In Germany like RAR and Hurricane for example. 

[BlackFoxx]

1 hour ago, northernangel said:

I also think Download have got the angle that they don't need to announce earlier as they aren't really in competition with anyone. In Germany like RAR and Hurricane for example. 

Yeah they do seem quite comfortable in their position don't they. 

[northernangel]

3 hours ago, BlackFoxx said:

Yeah they do seem quite comfortable in their position don't they. 

Not like reading are talking anyone

[northernangel]

With Hurricane festival in Germany having an apparent leak including MCR, if that's true, they surely have to be in with a chance of this. It also had Good Charlotte on it so Download or Slam Dunk for them.

[Spiral_Low]

7 hours ago, northernangel said:

I also think Download have got the angle that they don't need to announce earlier as they aren't really in competition with anyone. In Germany like RAR and Hurricane for example. 

Bring back Sonisphere!

[northernangel]

2 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

Bring back Sonisphere!

Haha yes, just generally. With how Download is going though they won't have space.

[non-attendee]

4 hours ago, northernangel said:

With Hurricane festival in Germany having an apparent leak including MCR, if that's true, they surely have to be in with a chance of this. It also had Good Charlotte on it so Download or Slam Dunk for them.

Definitely in with a shout, but i rekn they'll probably do their own shows? Enough demand for them to do 2 or 3 massive open air venues and would be a better pay day for them no?

[Andre91]

That poster is fan made. 
 

If MCR are about next summer, I should think they’ll definitely do a stadium run like they are in the US. A night at Wembley, maybe even a second, something in Manchester too, maybe. 

[northernangel]

11 hours ago, non-attendee said:

Definitely in with a shout, but i rekn they'll probably do their own shows? Enough demand for them to do 2 or 3 massive open air venues and would be a better pay day for them no?

I think we can all ignore that poster lol. It looked way too strong mind for a first Hurricane poster drop

[non-attendee]

4 hours ago, northernangel said:

I think we can all ignore that poster lol. It looked way too strong mind for a first Hurricane poster drop

I haven't even seen the poster 😅 but i would predict MCR to be at festivals in Europe next year anyway with some open air shows of their own in the UK

[Audiorocker]

4 months until we find out the headliners...who have we heard suggested? 

Linkin park

Ghost

Deftones

System of a down

Parkway drive

My chemical romance

Blink 182

Foo fighters

Iron Maiden

 

Does that seem to be the range of suggestions?

Any you feel are 'more likely'?

[RedJosh]

2 hours ago, Audiorocker said:

4 months until we find out the headliners...who have we heard suggested? 

Linkin park

Ghost

Deftones

System of a down

Parkway drive

My chemical romance

Blink 182

Foo fighters

Iron Maiden

 

Does that seem to be the range of suggestions?

Any you feel are 'more likely'?

Take Parkway and Foos out and the headliners come from the rest. Linkin Park and Ghost most likely then Deftones, Maiden and System.

[Spiral_Low]

47 minutes ago, RedJosh said:

Take Parkway and Foos out and the headliners come from the rest. Linkin Park and Ghost most likely then Deftones, Maiden and System.

I think Ghost do Gunnersbury or Crystal Palace next year.

 

Deftones / Iron Maiden / Linkin Park

 

That would be my guess. All 3 just done their own big UK dates this summer so Download next year make sense. Plus it would get Download back up to 80000 to 90000 capacity which they must want to do after 2 years at 75000. 

[northernangel]

1 hour ago, RedJosh said:

Take Parkway and Foos out and the headliners come from the rest. Linkin Park and Ghost most likely then Deftones, Maiden and System.

 

I'm still going on information I've been told about Parkway Drive headlining next year. Whether it's actually headlining or subbing is another thing. Very big PD fan though is someone I know who has a guest pass to every date of their tour coming up. He's connected to people who work for the band.

21 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

I think Ghost do Gunnersbury or Crystal Palace next year.

 

Deftones / Iron Maiden / Linkin Park

 

That would be my guess. All 3 just done their own big UK dates this summer so Download next year make sense. Plus it would get Download back up to 80000 to 90000 capacity which they must want to do after 2 years at 75000. 

Friday wouldn't get them up to that.

[Spiral_Low]

17 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Friday wouldn't get them up to that.

Deftones are huge now, have a big fanbase. Iron Maiden and Linkin Park both massive bands. It would sell alot of weekend tickets. 

[northernangel]

29 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

Deftones are huge now, have a big fanbase. Iron Maiden and Linkin Park both massive bands. It would sell alot of weekend tickets. 

They sold 36k tickets for their tour, it's hardly huge. Loads of bands can sell 36k tickets combined over 3 multiple venues, lets see them move 36k in one city like other bands also do comfortably then add multiple other dates to it. They would sell a lot of weekend tickets yes but the latter to do9 the moving there and Deftones would need those two booked to get the slot which says a lot. You booked two headline acts the size of Deftones and it'll look weak. ST sold more tickets on tour than them easily and that looked weak and so did their undercard as a result.

[Audiorocker]

My prediction is Muse - Ghost - Linkin Park

[Spiral_Low]

9 hours ago, northernangel said:

They sold 36k tickets for their tour, it's hardly huge. Loads of bands can sell 36k tickets combined over 3 multiple venues, lets see them move 36k in one city like other bands also do comfortably then add multiple other dates to it. They would sell a lot of weekend tickets yes but the latter to do9 the moving there and Deftones would need those two booked to get the slot which says a lot. You booked two headline acts the size of Deftones and it'll look weak. ST sold more tickets on tour than them easily and that looked weak and so did their undercard as a result.

The undercard looked weak because it was weak. Shinedown as sub headliner was a joke. BFMV subbing Korn was weak too. 

 

Deftones are a big band now and we are talking a festival where it's important to have a lot of casual listeners to, which they do. 

 

 

[FeverDream]

I saw Deftones in Halifax last week. Great setlist too. I'd like to see them have a crack at headlining Download. They're a band with a really strong loyal following, and I think the average Download attendee if not a proper fan would know more songs than they realise. 

Edited July 3, 2025 by FeverDream

[northernangel]

3 hours ago, Spiral_Low said:

The undercard looked weak because it was weak. Shinedown as sub headliner was a joke. BFMV subbing Korn was weak too. 

 

Deftones are a big band now and we are talking a festival where it's important to have a lot of casual listeners to, which they do. 

 

 

 

Shinedown were really good as well and definitely my favourite sub there. 

 

It's also weak because when you push bands that should not be in higher slots then you're going to get other bands below playing above where they should be too, kinda how it works. It would not have looked as bad if those days had huge headliners as there more understanding behind it.

[Andre91]

Little updated guess: