Download Festival 2026 adds 14 bands and reveals day splits

Day tickets are also on sale this week

Creeper
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 23rd Feb 2026

Download Festival has added 14 bands to its blockbuster 2026 line-up.

Newly confirmed for the Donington extravaganza today are Creeper, Daughtry, A Day to Remember, The Primals, Hot Milk, Silly Goose, Marmozets, BAND-MAID, Stampin’ Ground, Frozemode, Conjurer, Annisokay, Private School and DECESSUS, the Santiago death metal band fronted by the current Miss World Chile, Ignacia Fernández.

The new additions join impressive Download line up headlined by Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses and Linkin Park, and also boasting the likes of Scooter, Electric Callboy, Pendulum, Bad Omens, The Pretty Reckless, Cypress Hill, Trivium, Halestorm, and Tom Morello.

In addition to the second wave of bands, Download Festival has revealed the day splits and confirmed that day tickets will go on sale at 10am on Wednesday 25th February.

Daughtry

Download Festival booker Kamran Haq says: “We’re really proud of our line-up this year, and our second announcement brings further depth and diversity to DLXXIII.

“We have huge artists like A Day To Remember, Daughtry, Creeper and Hot Milk, as well as bringing Final Fantasy XIV’s official band THE PRIMALS to Download for their very first show outside of Asia.

“And due to popular demand, Miss World Chile - Ignacia Fernández - will be performing with her band DECESSUS after surprising the world with her incredible death metal vocals a few months ago.

“We have even more surprises to come, and tickets are selling out faster than ever this year, so this is your last chance to snap up the final remaining tickets.”

The 23rd Download Festival takes place from Wednesday 10th to Sunday 14th June 2026 on the hallowed fields of Donington Park.

Download Festival 2026 day splits:

Download Festival 2026 day splits poster

The 20 greatest Donington headliners:

20 – ZZ Top

ZZ Top headlined Monsters of Rock in 1985

19 – System of a Down

System of a Down headlined Download Festival in 2005, 2011 and 2017

18 – Def Leppard

Def Leppard headlined Download Festival in 2009, 2011 and 2019

17 – Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne headlined Monsters of Rock in 1986 and co-headlined with KISS in 1996
He also topped the bill at Download Festival in 2018

16 – The Prodigy

The Prodigy headlined Download Festival in 2012

15 – Muse

Muse headlined Download Festival in 2015

14 – Status Quo

Status Quo headlined Monsters of Rock in 1982

13 – Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi headlined Monsters of Rock in 1987

12 – Guns N’ Roses

Guns N' Roses headlined Download Festival in 2006 and 2018

11 – Linkin Park

Linkin Park headlined Download Festival in 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2014

10 – KISS

KISS co-headlined Monsters of Rock with Ozzy Osbourne in 1996
They went on to headline Download Festival in 2008, 2015 and 2022

9 – Rainbow

Rainbow headlined Monsters of Rock in 1980

8 – Aerosmith

Aerosmith headlined Monsters of Rock in 1994

7 – Whitesnake

Whitesnake headlined Monsters of Rock in 1983 and 1990

6 – Slipknot

Slipknot headlined Download Festival in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2023

5 – Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath headlined Download Festival in 2005, 2012 and 2016

4 – Rammstein

Rammstein headlined Download Festival in 2013 and 2016

3 – Metallica

Metallica headlined Monsters of Rock in 1995
They also headlined Download Festival in 2004, 2006, 2012 and 2023 (twice)

2 – AC/DC

AC/DC headlined Monsters of Rock in 1981, 1984, 1991
They headlined Download Festival in 2010

1 – Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden headlined Monsters of Rock in 1988, 1992
They also headlined Download Festival in 2003, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2022

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