Download Festival 2026 line-up announced

The wait is over, and the first announcement for Download Festival 2026 has just dropped.
Next year’s Donington Park bash will be headlined by Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park and Keanu Reeves – with the last one making his Download bill-topping debuts.

There are also many heavyweights inhabiting stages beyond the headliners. When Bad Omens, Cypress Hill, Trivium, Architects, Electric Callboy and Halestorm take the stage, they will no doubt pack in enormous crowds, surrounded by a roll-call of rock’s best in the form of Ice Nine Kills, BABYMETAL, Pendulum, The Pretty Reckless, Black Veil Brides, Behemoth, Mastodon, The All-American Rejects, Static-X, Feeder and Blood Incantation.

It’s fairly remarkable to see bands that both shaped and bear the title of classic rock icons like Ash, Bush and Social Distortion on the same bill as next-generation bands like Periphery, Silent Planet and Drowning Pool while also highlighting offspring bands like We Came As Romans and Die Spitz, especially when groups like Cradle of Filth and Loadstar, and even John Wick’s bass is on the latest album from Dogstar, join in to set a festival vibe. If you’re keeping track, 90 plus acts are now confirmed.

Download 2026 is on from June 10-14 at Donington Park, both in its familiar hinterland. The festival organizers consider this line-up to be a “statement of intent”. Also, here we are, in 2026, living the meme of the fire-breathing display of what rock and metal culture is.