Download 2026

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

How is this Biffy conversation still going on 😅.
 

They’ve headlined twice before, they haven’t gotten any smaller and they still sell out arenas. They also have to be up there in the list of bands that have played Download the most times over the years. 

 

If anything Download is moving in the direction of having more alternative bands/headliners than in the past, so they’d arguably be a better fit now than previously. I don’t think they’d be a first choice booking, but they are very much still in the pool and will headline again at some point. 

[Andre91]

Smashing Pumpkins into Biffy would be sexy. 
 

Biffy Clyro 

The Smashing Pumpkins 

Placebo 

Funeral For A Friend 

Stick that as the top 4. Happy days. 

[BlackFoxx]

Biffy are easily a reliable Download headliner, especially as Download moves towards reinventing itself and they no longer fit whatever the f**k Reading and Leeds has turned into these days. 2000 Trees being a bit too small aside, but a newer Download is probably their best fit as a festival.

 

Also isn't it a bit silly trying to criticise Biffy's recent output as a reason that they shouldn't be a headliner. The likes of Green Day and Fall Out Boy are hardly getting booked based on the quality of their latest albums are they? Checking Setlist.fm, 3 songs (14%) of Green Day's set at Download came from Saviours, and 3 songs (11%) of Fall Out Boy's set came from So Much (for) Stardust. The truth is, as long as you've got the back catalogue and can sell tickets, it doesn't really matter how good or not your latest album is as you're not going to build your set from it. Biffy clearly sell tickets and have a versatile setlist they can build that is more than heavy/big enough for Download.

 

Get Andre to book that Biffy day above and I'd be back at Download for the first time since 2011.

 

 

 

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

26 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Smashing Pumpkins into Biffy would be sexy. 
 

Biffy Clyro 

The Smashing Pumpkins 

Placebo 

Funeral For A Friend 

Stick that as the top 4. Happy days. 

Replace Funeral for a Friend with Primus just to make it extra sexy. 

[Andre91]

BOSH. What a day this would be. 

[Andre91]

A great Download lineup. 

[foolee]

39 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

BOSH. What a day this would be. 

Love that top 3, outstanding

[DomDom1984]

I don't know if I'd want any part of 2025 Smashing Pumpkins tbh

[Andre91]

4 minutes ago, DomDom1984 said:

I don't know if I'd want any part of 2025 Smashing Pumpkins tbh

Have you seen their most recent setlist? 

[DomDom1984]

17 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Have you seen their most recent setlist? 

I'm more worried if they're any good!

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

56 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

A great Download lineup. 

Brilliant lineup. Would prefer a better sub for Ghost though. 

[TWY2911]

I feel that Biffy are in that weird middle ground where they don't really fit with the old or new download audience 

 

Fair enough if I get proven wrong but the last two times they headlined was pretty disastrous numbers wise

 

Maybe with a strong undercard like the one above it would work 

[Spiral_Low]

8 hours ago, Andre91 said:

Yeah, it sucks how Download have started making the ‘no clashes with the headliners’ a bit of a thing now. There should always be four choices to end the night unless it’s something that totally doesn’t make sense, such as, I don’t know, having Neck Deep headline the Avalanche against Blink-182 or something. 
 

I blame Iron Maiden for this and their fragile little egos that people won’t go and see them, even though they’re playing on the most home-turf place possible in DL. 

I like Iron Maiden but yeah there should have been someone up against them.

 

The only time for selfish reasons I was fine with it was 2023. But yeah should be different choices for sure. 

[FeverDream]

22 hours ago, Andre91 said:

BOSH. What a day this would be. 

THIS is how you book a day with Biffy on top. Part of the reason why I think the last 2 times they didn't get a huge crowd is that the undercards were a bit mish mash. Tailor it better and they'll surely sell a decent amount of day tickets? 

Edited August 2, 2025 by FeverDream

[northernangel]

2 minutes ago, FeverDream said:

THIS is how you book a day with Biffy on top. Part of the reason why I think the last 2 times they didn't get a huge crowd is that the undercards were a bit mish mash. Tailor it better and they'll surely sell a decent amount of day tickets? 

Honestly nothing about that screams a Biffy day for me, I think it would do dead numbers for them. I don't know why you would put Funeral for a Friend and Smashing Pumkins especially on a day with Biffy of now.

[Andre91]

21 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Honestly nothing about that screams a Biffy day for me, I think it would do dead numbers for them. I don't know why you would put Funeral for a Friend and Smashing Pumkins especially on a day with Biffy of now.

You’re the only person so far who doesn’t see it, though, so… How would you book a Biffy day? 

[charlierc]

21 hours ago, TWY2911 said:

I feel that Biffy are in that weird middle ground where they don't really fit with the old or new download audience 

 

Fair enough if I get proven wrong but the last two times they headlined was pretty disastrous numbers wise

 

Maybe with a strong undercard like the one above it would work 

It is a curio as to where exactly do you put them for summer 2026.

 

There's every possibility they'll turn up somewhere else. It's less clear what that "somewhere else" is.

[Andre91]

Biffy curating their own day at All Points East would be good. 

[JimMacVeigh]

46 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Biffy curating their own day at All Points East would be good. 

It would be an absolutely eclectic day and I’m all for it 

[DomDom1984]

Zeal and Ardor early doors.

[Thatonekid]

wacken announcement potential def leppard hopefully not lamb of god Sepultura and thrown will be sick also never more  and orbit culture could be on the board for download which is cool

[DomDom1984]

Orbit Culture stood out to me as well. Would be a tremendous addition to a DL lineup.

[northernangel]

On 02/08/2025 at 10:36, Andre91 said:

You’re the only person so far who doesn’t see it, though, so… How would you book a Biffy day? 

Right so because I don't see it on a music forum compared to the massive outside world it means it's wrong? 

 

If I don't care for TSP or FFAF then why would I jump on that because others do?

 

I'd book something like:

 

Biffy Clyro

Yungblud

I'll give you Placebo

AFI

Nova Twins

Powerwolf

Coheed and Cambria

 

 

[Spiral_Low]

Placebo are far more deserving of a sub spot than 3rd down. Headlined second stage in 2023.  

[northernangel]

2 minutes ago, Spiral_Low said:

Placebo are far more deserving of a sub spot than 3rd down. Headlined second stage in 2023.  

 

Yes they headlined second stage which would put then 3rd down main at Download and that was in a strong year.

 

I don't think any day really with a lineup for Biffy on it at Download would be great, the last two times I've seen them at Download had been a bit of a put off and they haven't exactly worked the setlisit for it.

 

I agree with the idea of the APE gig potentially being good but I'm not sure Biffy would sell 50k tickets for a single date. How long how they been going now?, they're obviously far from their peak and they've never ever done their own outdoor gig day in England as far as I'm aware. They might do okay with a well planned day.