Festival Preview: Download Festival 2026

It’s that time of year when the gates of Donington Park open up to welcome a legion of rock, metal, and punk fans from all over the world. Over the past 20 years, the Download Festival has become the UK’s premier rock and metal event, with the former home of ‘Monsters of Rock’ hosting a plethora of bands, and 2026 is no different.

Over the course of three days (or five if you’re heading there on Wednesday), Download XXIII will see bona fide modern rock legends, future headliners, longtime favourites, and up-and-coming names serve up plenty of guitar solos, breakdowns, and mosh pits. Oh, and there’s a dose of German happy hardcore to make Download 2026 even more weird and wonderful.

To give you a taster of what to expect this weekend, we’ve broken down what and who to see at Download Festival 2026.

Friday June 12th

Friday sets the tone with a bill that leans into nostalgia without surrendering to it entirely. Limp Bizkit headline the Apex Stage in what promises to be a characteristically chaotic set. Whether it’s a result of 2000s nostalgia, Gen-Z discovery momentum, or both, Limp Bizkit are finally headlining at Donington. Whatever you think of Fred Durst, the band’s ability to command a festival crowd at this scale is difficult to argue with.

Before them, there’s a variety of names that are well worth checking out. For starters, Electric Callboy have become festival standouts in recent years, bringing their euphoric brand of party metal to Donington once again. Pendulum playing before them will serve as a suitable taster. Elsewhere, you can see Creeper perform the first of two sets of the weekend on the Opus Stage (they’ve stepped in to replace Static-X‘s headline on the Dogtooth stage on Sunday. Joining them on the Opus Stage will be rising heavy hitters Paleface Swiss, as well as Silent Planet, Caskets, and genre-shifting prog metallers Periphery.

The Avalanche stage will see names such as Sleep Theory, Native James, nu-metal revivalists Silly Goose, and Californian hardcore crew Drain entertain, before veterans Feeder and Story of the Year close out the stage. While over in the Dogtooth stage tent, you catch sets from Aussie metalcore mob Headwreck, genre-blending favourites Lake Malice, and the hotly Vianova.

Saturday June 13th

Saturday is undoubtedly stacked top to bottom with acts carrying genuine weight. Guns N’ Roses may top the Apex stage with an ungodly long set, but with Architects and Blood Incantation closing out the Opus and Dogtooth stage’s respectivly, there’s enough to keep you entertained. Before all of that, though, the Apex stage will see sets from Thornhil, the fast-rising South Arcade, and French metalcore faves Landmvrks. Many will be praying to the fox gods for the weather to be on BabyMetal‘s side after their 2024 was paused due to heavy rain. Whereas Trivium are always a reliable name whenever they visit Donington.

The Wildhearts will open the Opus stage. It could be a poignant outing after Ginger Wildheart was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma earlier this year and has chosen not to seek treatment. The nostalgia factor will be maintained by Bush, Drowning Pool, and Snot.

If you’re heading to the Avalanche stage, you’ll be witnessing emerging names such as Frozemode, Nevertel, Mouth Culture, and Melrose Avenue, before As It Is and Marmozets make welcome returns to Download. The stage will be topped by Hot Milk and The All-American Rejects.

Joining Blood Incantation on the Dogtooth stage will be a diverse range of bands. From Middle Eastern progressive doom from Lowen, to genre-blending alt-rockers Tropic Gold, to anthemic modern metal from Self Deception. It’ll also be home to two of the UK’s brightest names to emerge in recent years, Conjurer and As Everything Unfolds. Both have been building momentum with new albums in the past 12 months, with past appearances at festivals like Download merely helping both bands grow. Conjurer continues to specialise in being as heavy as possible. While As Everything Unfolds has been pushing genre boundaries beyond their alt-metal confines.

Sunday June 14th

All good things must come to an end. Nevertheless, Download XXIII promises to end on a high as they welcome back Linkin Park for the first time in 12 years. Whatever your position on the band’s current chapter, this will be a significant moment for many people in that crowd. Before them, Bad Omens and Ice Nine Kills make strong cases for their place on the Apex Stage, while Bloodywood bring their fusion of traditional Indian instrumentation and heavy riffs to Donington, RØRY kicks off a new chapter ahead of ‘Bloodletting’, and Unpeople make the jump from the Avalanche Stage to opening the Apex, having played the festival last year.

The Opus Stage is equally impressive. A Day To Remember close things out just before Linkin Park, with Mastodon making an emotional return to the UK following the passing of former guitarist Brent Hinds. The Plot In You and Tom Morello round out a strong afternoon, with sets from Catch Your Breath, Mammoth, and Dogstar (featuring Keanu Reeves) earlier in the day.

As for Sunday’s Avalanche Stage, the choice of Scooter to headline is certainly peculiar. Nevertheless, with the likes of Letlive., Ash, Dinosaur Pile-Up, and Magnolia Park precedingthem, we’ll let the Download Festival bookers off. Add to that list TX2, The Pretty Wild and Zero 9:36, and you’re left with an impressive bill.

Finally, the Dogtooth stage will feature Creeper‘s second set of the weekend, albeit going up against A Day To Remember. Throughout the day, it’ll feature a mixed bag that includes Chilean death metallers Decessus, German metalcore from Annisokay, Catalonia-based alt-rockers Ankor, metallic hardcore from Boundaries, death metal beasts Gatecreeper, and industrial nu-metal veterans Spineshank.

Download Festival 2026 Stage Times

Fri 12 June

Sat 13 June

Sun 14 June

Time	Artist	Stage
13:00 – 13:20	Headwreck	Dogtooth
13:00 – 13:25	Caskets	Opus
13:00 – 13:25	Native James	Avalanche
13:00 – 13:30	Scene Queen	Apex
13:45 – 14:05	Slay Squad	Dogtooth
13:50 – 14:15	Silly Goose	Avalanche
13:50 – 14:30	Silent Planet	Opus
14:00 – 14:30	P.O.D	Apex
14:30 – 14:55	James and the Cold Gun	Dogtooth
14:40 – 15:05	Holywatr	Avalanche
14:55 – 15:25	Paleface Swiss	Opus
15:00 – 15:40	Hollywood Undead	Apex
15:20 – 15:45	Vianova	Dogtooth
15:30 – 15:55	Lakeview	Avalanche
15:50 – 16:30	Creeper	Opus
16:10 – 16:35	Nasty	Dogtooth
16:10 – 17:00	Pendulum	Apex
16:20 – 16:45	Drain	Avalanche
17:00 – 17:25	Lake Malice	Dogtooth
17:00 – 17:45	Periphery	Opus
17:10 – 17:35	Rain City Drive	Avalanche
17:30 – 18:30	Electric Callboy	Apex
17:50 – 18:20	The Primals	Dogtooth
18:00 – 18:30	Sleep Theory	Avalanche
18:15 – 19:05	Daughtry	Opus
18:45 – 19:15	Stampin’ Ground	Dogtooth
18:55 – 19:25	Story of the Year	Avalanche
19:00 – 20:10	Cypress Hill	Apex
19:35 – 20:50	Halestorm	Opus
19:40 – 20:15	Band-Maid	Dogtooth
19:55 – 20:55	Feeder	Avalanche
20:45 – 21:20	Corrosion of Conformity	Dogtooth
20:50 – 22:30	Limp Bizkit	Apex
21:50 – 22:50	Cavalera Chaos AD	Dogtooth

Time	Artist	Stage
11:00 – 11:20	Pussyliquor	Dogtooth
11:00 – 11:25	Passionflower	Avalanche
11:00 – 11:30	The Wildhearts	Opus
11:00 – 11:35	Thornhill	Apex
11:45 – 12:05	Tropic Gold	Dogtooth
11:50 – 12:20	Frozemode	Avalanche
11:55 – 12:20	Snot	Opus
12:05 – 12:45	South Arcade	Apex
12:30 – 12:55	Tailgunner	Dogtooth
12:45 – 13:15	Drowning Pool	Opus
12:45 – 13:15	Nevertel	Avalanche
13:15 – 14:00	Landmvrks	Apex
13:20 – 13:45	Lowen	Dogtooth
13:40 – 14:10	Die Spitz	Avalanche
13:40 – 14:15	We Came As Romans	Opus
14:10 – 14:35	Conjurer	Dogtooth
14:30 – 15:20	Black Veil Brides	Apex
14:35 – 15:05	Mouth Culture	Avalanche
14:45 – 15:25	Those Damn Crows	Opus
15:00 – 15:25	Return To Dust	Dogtooth
15:30 – 16:00	Melrose Avenue	Avalanche
15:50 – 16:15	As Everything Unfolds	Dogtooth
15:50 – 16:30	Set It Off	Opus
15:50 – 16:45	Babymetal	Apex
16:25 – 16:55	As It Is	Avalanche
16:40 – 17:05	Self Deception	Dogtooth
17:00 – 17:40	Bush	Opus
17:20 – 18:00	Marmozets	Avalanche
17:20 – 18:30	Trivium	Apex
17:30 – 18:00	Sweet Savage	Dogtooth
18:10 – 19:00	Behemoth	Opus
18:25 – 19:00	Elder	Dogtooth
18:30 – 19:10	Hot Milk	Avalanche
19:25 – 20:00	Decapitated	Dogtooth
19:35 – 22:55	Guns N’ Roses	Apex
19:40 – 20:40	The All American Rejects	Avalanche
19:45 – 21:00	Architects	Opus
20:30 – 21:30	Blood Incantation	Dogtooth

Time	Artist	Stage
11:00 – 11:20	Spitting Glass	Dogtooth
11:00 – 11:25	Mould	Avalanche
11:00 – 11:25	Ego Kill Talent	Opus
11:00 – 11:30	Unpeople	Apex
11:45 – 12:05	Private School	Dogtooth
11:50 – 12:15	Catch Your Breath	Opus
11:50 – 12:20	Zero 9:36	Avalanche
12:00 – 12:40	Kublai Khan TX	Apex
12:30 – 12:55	Wayside	Dogtooth
12:40 – 13:15	Mammoth	Opus
12:50 – 13:20	Ivri	Avalanche
13:10 – 13:55	Røry	Apex
13:20 – 13:45	Decessus	Dogtooth
13:40 – 14:10	Dogstar	Opus
13:50 – 14:20	The Pretty Wild	Avalanche
14:10 – 14:35	Last Train	Dogtooth
14:25 – 15:10	Bloodywood	Apex
14:35 – 15:05	Thrown	Opus
14:50 – 15:20	TX2	Avalanche
15:00 – 15:25	Annisokay	Dogtooth
15:30 – 16:00	The Plot In You	Opus
15:40 – 16:30	The Pretty Reckless	Apex
15:50 – 16:20	Magnolia Park	Avalanche
16:25 – 17:05	Social Distortion	Opus
16:40 – 17:05	Ankor	Dogtooth
16:50 – 17:30	Dinosaur Pile-Up	Avalanche
17:05 – 18:05	Ice Nine Kills	Apex
17:30 – 18:00	Boundaries	Dogtooth
17:35 – 18:15	Tom Morello	Opus
18:00 – 18:40	Ash	Avalanche
18:25 – 18:55	Gatecreeper	Dogtooth
18:45 – 19:30	Mastodon	Opus
19:00 – 20:10	Bad Omens	Apex
19:10 – 19:50	Letlive.	Avalanche
19:25 – 20:00	Spineshank	Dogtooth
20:10 – 21:20	A Day To Remember	Opus
20:20 – 21:20	Scooter	Avalanche
20:30 – 21:30	Creeper	Dogtooth
21:25 – 22:55	Linkin Park	Apex