Download 2026

[craigcharles420]

1 hour ago, OllieJ77 said:

Potential headliners who haven’t been ruled out:

- Linkin Park

- Ghost

- Blink

- Iron Maiden (not officially ruled out)

- Slipknot

- Tool 

- BMTH (not ruled out despite Oli’ comments)

- Limp Bizkit

- Twenty One Pilots 

- NIN

- GnR

- AC/DC 

- Foo Fighters (though they’ll do R&L)

- Nickelback 

- Paramore

- Pearl Jam (very unlikely)

- Rammstein 

- Muse

Anyone think of any other bands to include in this headliner mix of who hasn’t been ruled out via tours officially that could headline?

Slipknot, NIN and Muse would probably be my ideal headliners out of these but I have already seen them all several times. Tool, Maiden and Rammstein would get me there since I haven't managed to see them

[craigcharles420]

1 hour ago, gabrielomachado said:

In a no Ghost and no Maiden scenario:

 

Friday

 

Apex: Blink-182 / Yungblud / Ice Nine Kills / President.

Opus: Alice In Chains / Acid Bath

Avalanche: Bloodhound Gang

Dogtooth: Cavalera performing Chaos A.D.

_____

Saturday

 

Apex: Twenty One Pilots / Wolf Alice / Turnstile / Hot Milk

Opus: Volbeat / The Pretty Reckless

Avalanche: While She Sleeps

Dogtooth: Chimaira

____

Sunday

 

Apex: Linkin Park / Bad Omens / Motionless In White / Malevolence

Opus: Trivium / Mastodon

Avalanche: Yellowcard

Dogtooth: Bloodbath

Not a bad lineup suggestion. AIC, Mastodon, Wolf Alice, Turnstile and LP would get a watch from me for certain.

[Andre91]

1 hour ago, gabrielomachado said:

In a no Ghost and no Maiden scenario:

 

Friday

 

Apex: Blink-182 / Yungblud / Ice Nine Kills / President.

Opus: Alice In Chains / Acid Bath

Avalanche: Bloodhound Gang

Dogtooth: Cavalera performing Chaos A.D.

_____

Saturday

 

Apex: Twenty One Pilots / Wolf Alice / Turnstile / Hot Milk

Opus: Volbeat / The Pretty Reckless

Avalanche: While She Sleeps

Dogtooth: Chimaira

____

Sunday

 

Apex: Linkin Park / Bad Omens / Motionless In White / Malevolence

Opus: Trivium / Mastodon

Avalanche: Yellowcard

Dogtooth: Bloodbath

Fantastic lineup, this. Would be over the moon if it ended up like this. 

[TWY2911]

I know people would complain because of the amount of times they've headlined but Slipknot is a safe bet and sells tickets 

 

Ghost, Slipknot, Linkin Park would be decent imo 

[Mstuart2499]

7 minutes ago, TWY2911 said:

I know people would complain because of the amount of times they've headlined but Slipknot is a safe bet and sells tickets 

 

Ghost, Slipknot, Linkin Park would be decent imo 

The slipknot that played in download in 2023 isnt the same slipknot currently on tour atm. Definitely got their spark back with Eloy on the drums 

Edited September 11, 2025 by Mstuart2499

[TWY2911]

3 minutes ago, Mstuart2499 said:

The slipknot that played in download in 2023 isnt the same slipknot currently on tour atm. Definitely got their spark back with Eloy on the drums 

 

I'd love them to play Iowa in full but Download don't seem to do that very often with headliners, the only ones I can think of are LP Hybrid Theory in 2014, Metallica Black album in 2012 and Def Leppard Hysteria 2019 

Edited September 11, 2025 by TWY2911

[Judas Yeast]

Slipknot at Graspop were absolutely incredible, amongst the best I've ever seen them

[Andre91]

Slipknot with Eloy doing IOWA in full in 2026 for its 25th anniversary would be more than acceptable. 

[northernangel]

3 hours ago, craigcharles420 said:

LP, Ghost and NIN then if there is no Maiden

 

That with no Maiden massively brings it down. Day ticket only.

3 hours ago, gabrielomachado said:

In a no Ghost and no Maiden scenario:

 

Friday

 

Apex: Blink-182 / Yungblud / Ice Nine Kills / President.

Opus: Alice In Chains / Acid Bath

Avalanche: Bloodhound Gang

Dogtooth: Cavalera performing Chaos A.D.

_____

Saturday

 

Apex: Twenty One Pilots / Wolf Alice / Turnstile / Hot Milk

Opus: Volbeat / The Pretty Reckless

Avalanche: While She Sleeps

Dogtooth: Chimaira

____

Sunday

 

Apex: Linkin Park / Bad Omens / Motionless In White / Malevolence

Opus: Trivium / Mastodon

Avalanche: Yellowcard

Dogtooth: Bloodbath

 

If Download booked TOP to headline then they have struggled to get them. I know they have to big up promotion but state how they did about their headliners and end up with that would be poor. I'd be there Friday and Sunday on later cheaper tickets if just for the top two/three.

1 hour ago, TWY2911 said:

I know people would complain because of the amount of times they've headlined but Slipknot is a safe bet and sells tickets 

 

Ghost, Slipknot, Linkin Park would be decent imo 

Slipknot is way too early again.

[TWY2911]

I think them doing Iowa in full and with Eloy would be enough to make it feel fresh 

[foolee]

Gonna be Ghost, Twenty One Pilots & Linkin Park then isn’t it if no Maiden. Nine Inch Nails would get me there though ngl. I still need to see a European date for me to believe Blink are still going to be touring again next summer. 

[craigcharles420]

Slipknot doing Iowa in full would be epic

[northernangel]

25 minutes ago, foolee said:

Gonna be Ghost, Twenty One Pilots & Linkin Park then isn’t it if no Maiden. Nine Inch Nails would get me there though ngl. I still need to see a European date for me to believe Blink are still going to be touring again next summer. 

If it is it saves a lor of money. 

[Andre91]

Fully aboard the 21P train. Not the biggest fan of them but they put on an incredible show and they’re a new headliner for the festival. Might as well lean into Download 2.0 fully and book someone like them to headline. 

[Siddey1994]

TØP for Maiden is a win-win for me. Fantastic band who have come on leaps and bounds over the years and they’d smash a headline slot. Still not holding my breath mind, I’m still thinking Maiden unless info comes forward to confirm what’s been stated here.

[OllieJ77]

2 hours ago, TWY2911 said:

I know people would complain because of the amount of times they've headlined but Slipknot is a safe bet and sells tickets 

 

Ghost, Slipknot, Linkin Park would be decent imo 

I wouldn’t be against it.

[andyrhodes24]

26 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Fully aboard the 21P train. Not the biggest fan of them but they put on an incredible show and they’re a new headliner for the festival. Might as well lean into Download 2.0 fully and book someone like them to headline. 

It’s honestly mad they haven’t outright headlined something in the UK yet. They were excellent when they co-headlined R&L 2019 with Posty. Good collab cover of Don’t Look Back In Anger that day between them.

[northernangel]

1 hour ago, Judas Yeast said:

Slipknot at Graspop were absolutely incredible, amongst the best I've ever seen them

Slipknot at Download was great and being in the pit, but that's when I realised that a band like that at Download aren't going to suddenly be better than the usual because of where it is.

[Andre91]

14 minutes ago, andyrhodes24 said:

It’s honestly mad they haven’t outright headlined something in the UK yet. They were excellent when they co-headlined R&L 2019 with Posty. Good collab cover of Don’t Look Back In Anger that day between them.

I was blown away by that set at Leeds. So, so impressive. One of the best headline sets I’ve seen at R&L. 

[northernangel]

Having just listened to Stressed Out, Ride and Heathens again, there is no way they can surely be considered for Download to headline. People might say if FOB can they can, I would heavily disagree as FOB have much heavier rock roots in their catalogue.

 

Even who they got to by asking 21 bands goes nowhere near the level in pop of TOP and the complete opposite of what Download is, even woth the 2.0. You really steer towards Download being open to pop headliners by doing that and that can't be said about any bands that headlined this year, last year or the year before.

[andyrhodes24]

10 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

I was blown away by that set at Leeds. So, so impressive. One of the best headline sets I’ve seen at R&L. 

I left halfway through to watch someone else, a big Leeds regret that. Did you see them in the R1 tent in 2016? One of those sets you used to get where you think ‘how they hell have they managed to book this band for this stage?’

[andyrhodes24]

4 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Having just listened to Stressed Out, Ride and Heathens again, there is no way they can surely be considered for Download to headline. People might say if FOB can they can, I would heavily disagree as FOB have much heavier rock roots in their catalogue.

 

Even who they got to by asking 21 bands goes nowhere near the level in pop of TOP and the complete opposite of what Download is, even woth the 2.0. You really steer towards Download being open to pop headliners by doing that and that can't be said about any bands that headlined this year, last year or the year before.

I agree they’re on the poppier side but that’s compared to the metal this festival was built on. Those who come for 21P will have crossover into the rest of the lineup, and if someone like Alice In Chains headline the second stage then everyone’s happy. 21P would shift a lot of day tickets.

[Andre91]

And yet they’re all songs that have been played on rock radio for a decade now. They’re always on Kerrang Radio. They sound heavier live too. Not beat down heavy but the guitars sound heftier. Jumpsuit sounds amazing live. 

[Andre91]

21P have also played Download before. 
 

 

[craigcharles420]

I think they fall into the same category of someone like Prodigy. Not really rock but there is enough crossover appeal and enough of an "alternative" fanbase to say they can play something like Download. Maybe the live shows push the rock element forward a bit more too.

Edited September 11, 2025 by craigcharles420