Download 2026

[Galactus]

Was anyone expecting The Cure to play Nova? I really wouldn't be surprised if GNR are a DL European/UK exclusive. The whole LB and LP prediction from whoever said it really checks out now. Why would they randomly throw in GNR too?

[Marka23]

20 minutes ago, Galactus said:

Was anyone expecting The Cure to play Nova? I really wouldn't be surprised if GNR are a DL European/UK exclusive. The whole LB and LP prediction from whoever said it really checks out now. Why would they randomly throw in GNR too?

They were thrown in because they'd been told GnR were headlining Nova. With that no longer being the case we can safely rule them out of Download as they're not a band Download would bother wasting an exclusivity deal on. 

[sw25]

hoping we get The Offspring

[OllieJ77]

2 hours ago, TWY2911 said:

If Download are gonna get a European exclusive headliner I don't understand why they'd waste that on GNR lol 

Assume they the bookers, think they’ll be a big draw and what the fans want is my only guess.

[OllieJ77]

26 minutes ago, Marka23 said:

They were thrown in because they'd been told GnR were headlining Nova. With that no longer being the case we can safely rule them out of Download as they're not a band Download would bother wasting an exclusivity deal on. 

I had been told Linkin Park and two clues. One of which is basically Limp Bizkit which seems likely given the other announcements. I can’t think of many other bands who debut album was before 1991 that’ll play. It’ll be GnR and likely an exclusive deal. 

[TWY2911]

11 minutes ago, OllieJ77 said:

I had been told Linkin Park and two clues. One of which is basically Limp Bizkit which seems likely given the other announcements. I can’t think of many other bands who debut album was before 1991 that’ll play. It’ll be GnR and likely an exclusive deal. 

 

A NIN exclusive sounds better to me 

[NorthernSoul52]

On paper, Linkin Park, Guns 'N Roses and Limp Bizkit is kinda strong, I guess? Linkin Park as an only UK-type deal and first festival back together is a big draw, and GNR in a European exclusive feels like a big deal too.

 

But on the other hand, GNR were only down the road in Birmingham this year and struggled with sluggish sales, while Limp Bizkit is just a bit of a joke pick if we're assessing headliners on traditional live merits. (They will, however, be an immense nostalgia booking and go down very well - it's more a case to me that I don't quite get what pulls a day punter in for them.)

[craigcharles420]

GNR/LP/LB is incredibly strong in terms of how big the names are and how big the crowds would be. It would be the strongest headliners in a while in that regard really. Quality is always up for debate but ultimately it is about getting the big names and they are big names.

[TWY2911]

With a strong undercard I think it's a decent trio 

 

But the latter two won't be cheap and I hope the undercard doesn't suffer as a result 

[kjvffm]

On 13/07/2025 at 20:18, kjvffm said:

Been told by a mate who has no reason to lie that Linkin Park and GnR are confirmed. Take with a huge pinch of salt as I know what his connections are and they’re tenuous at best but don’t know why he’d make it up when anything he’s hinted to me before has been true. 

Maybe my mate was right!

[OllieJ77]

1 hour ago, TWY2911 said:

 

A NIN exclusive sounds better to me 

Anything is better than GnR to me!!

[OllieJ77]

46 minutes ago, craigcharles420 said:

GNR/LP/LB is incredibly strong in terms of how big the names are and how big the crowds would be. It would be the strongest headliners in a while in that regard really. Quality is always up for debate but ultimately it is about getting the big names and they are big names.

Big names yes. Quality of GnR not so much. LB will be fun and are headliners I just would have liked them to wait a year or two.  But maybe that’s all they could afford or get. 

[OllieJ77]

21 minutes ago, kjvffm said:

Maybe my mate was right!

Think he was!!!

[TWY2911]

The Limp Bizkit day should be most fun day I've had at download since I started going if the obvious run of LB, Papa Roach and Electric Callboy happens 

 

That would be worth the ticket money alone for me 

[OllieJ77]

Given whose been announced wonder if we’ll get something like this.

[northernangel]

12 minutes ago, OllieJ77 said:

Given whose been announced wonder if we’ll get something like this.

I dont think Papa Roach will play. 

[OllieJ77]

2 minutes ago, northernangel said:

I dont think Papa Roach will play. 

Idk I think if they’re offered main sub they would say yes. They haven’t played in ages so feels right unless there’s some animosity behind the scenes.

[Andre91]

P Roach seem more likely than in previous years. They’re can command a a lot big enough ‘befitting’ of them. Subbing Main would be just right for them. 
 

I’m more worried we won’t get A Perfect Circle. 

[northernangel]

8 minutes ago, OllieJ77 said:

Idk I think if they’re offered main sub they would say yes. They haven’t played in ages so feels right unless there’s some animosity behind the scenes.

We shall see. I'm sure weekend tickets at rip start at €229 and rip included camping too? For £200 you can get travel over to Germany likely for the extra mount Download would cost.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

So the headliners that are ruled out now are: Metallica, SOAD, MCR, Maiden, Tool,  Def Leppard, Prodigy, QotSA, Paramore, Sleep Token, Korn, Green Day. - Not sure if Deftones and/or Biffy can be fully ruled out based on their Jan/Feb 26 tours? I’d assume so, but stranger things have happened. 

 

That leaves the list of ‘potentials’ as: Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Ghost, Gn’R, BMTH, The Cure, NIN, Twenty One Pilots, Pearl Jam, Blink 182, Foo Fighters, Slipknot, Slayer, Bad Omens, Parkway Drive, RHCP, Fall Out Boy, Avenged Sevenfold - obviously some of those don’t have any touring plans for 26 as of yet so could well be ruled out on that basis, some are also extremely unlikely regardless and some arguably not ‘big’ enough. 

 

Have I missed anyone out? 😅

Edited September 23, 2025 by Frankly Mr Shankly

[northernangel]

32 minutes ago, OllieJ77 said:

Given whose been announced wonder if we’ll get something like this.

Are we not thinking Yungblud now?, surely with doing hurricane he's in. I'd say Yungblud, Bad Omens and Volbeat is more likely.

[kitatus]

There is absolutely zero evidence of GnR and it just doesn't match up with the kind of line-ups we've had over the past couple years, I really don't see it happening. It feels like there's one or two here that really want it to happen so keep pushing it forward as an option but all the "they're a shoe-in if X" has amounted to diddly squat. If in theory it's unlikely and what little "evidence" we can get points to it being unlikely too, I would be very confident in ruling it out.

 

It's the same debate from this year before we had headliners, people kept putting money on a "denim crowd" band, something we haven't had since the soft-reboot of Download a couple years back.

[korokband]

GnR could do with taking a year off to be honest, kind of lost their lustre having been on tour basically every summer. They'd presumably be quite an expensive booking and probably not as appealing as someone a bit fresher.

 

I see Babymetal announced for some festivals, so I guess they might be around for this.

[Jos92]

15 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

So the headliners that are ruled out now are: Metallica, SOAD, MCR, Maiden, Tool,  Def Leppard, Prodigy, QotSA, Paramore, Sleep Token, Korn, Green Day. - Not sure if Deftones and/or Biffy can be fully ruled out based on their Jan/Feb 26 tours? I’d assume so, but stranger things have happened. 

 

That leaves the list of ‘potentials’ as: Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Ghost, Gn’R, BMTH, The Cure, NIN, Twenty One Pilots, Pearl Jam, Blink 182, Foo Fighters, Slipknot, Slayer, Bad Omens, Parkway Drive, RHCP, Fall Out Boy, Avenged Sevenfold - obviously some of those don’t have any touring plans for 26 as of yet so could well be ruled out on that basis, some are also extremely unlikely regardless and some arguably not ‘big’ enough. 

 

Have I missed anyone out? 😅

Be shocked if blink were there for an exclusive, would imagine Travis would want to get his money's worth if he's coming to Europe given his flying fear

[Andre91]

Just now, Jos92 said:

Be shocked if blink were there for an exclusive, would imagine Travis would want to get his money's worth if he's coming to Europe given his flying fear

He flies now.