Download Festival 2026 Lineup Lineup Confirmed: Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park & Limp Bizkit Headline

September 26, 2025 rocknews

The roar is real: Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park, and Limp Bizkit are your Apex Stage overlords for Download Festival 2026 (DLXXIII), capping a first-wave lineup of over 80 acts that detonated at 9:15pm last night in a pyro-laced social blitz. This five-day behemoth – expanded to Wednesday June 10 through Sunday June 14, 2026 – blends nu-metal nostalgia, hard-rock anthems, and fresh shred across Donington’s sacred mudfields, all UK exclusives for the Download Family.

Booker Kamran Haq nailed the hype in his post-drop IG Live: “This is nu-metal’s revenge, rock’s revival, and Download’s boldest swing yet – a five-day pulse that’ll echo for years.” GNR returns for a hat-trick (after 2006/2018), Linkin Park unleashes post-reunion fire (their first DL headline since 2004), and Limp Bizkit – original 2003 headliners who bailed pre-fest – finally claim the throne with Fred Durst’s meme-fueled chaos. The undercard? A genre-bending feast from deathcore crushers to pop-metal wildcards.

Presale sold 60k+ tickets in the first hour (Family only), but general sale is LIVE NOW via Ticketmaster and DownloadFestival.co.uk. Weekend passes from £105 + fees (payment plans £25/month); day tickets £60. Glamping and VIP are 80% gone – act fast.

Buy Tickets Immediately – Presale Perks Still Active for Family

Headliners Deep Dive: GNR, Linkin Park & Limp Bizkit – The Nostalgia Nuke Trifecta

Last night’s reveal – teased with a volcanic teaser trailer – crashed servers and trended #Download2026 worldwide. No full day splits yet (Spring 2026 drop), but whispers point to Limp Bizkit owning Friday (nu-metal kickoff), Linkin Park Saturday (hybrid rage), and GNR Sunday (epic closer). Here’s why this trio torches expectations:

Headliner	Donington Legacy & Set Tease	Why It Rules 2026	Runtime Prediction
Limp Bizkit (Fri?)	Original 2003 headliners (pulled for Audioslave); 2024 undercard smash drew 50k singalongs.	Nu-metal revival peak – expect “Break Stuff” mosh Armageddon, covers galore, Fred’s crowd roasts. UK exclusive fury.	75 mins: High-energy chaos, no encore skips.
Linkin Park (Sat?)	Headlined 2004 (Meteora era); 2014 return post-Chester. Post-reunion glow-up with new LP.	Hybrid rock-electro anthems for Gen-Z/ millennial bridge – “In the End” pyro, “Numb” circle pits. Global tour gap fits perfectly.	90 mins: Emotional deep cuts + fresh bangers.
Guns N’ Roses (Sun?)	Hat-trick after 2006/2018 bottle-throwing legend; endless road dogs.	Slash’s solos + Axl’s wail = timeless hits (“Sweet Child,” “Paradise City”). Splits fans? Undeniable draw.	2 hours: Extended jams, no “November Rain” skips.

“GNR, LP, and Bizkit? It’s the ’90s/’00s blueprint reborn – raw, reckless, and ready to redefine Download.” – Kamran Haq (Post-Reveal Live)

Wednesday/Thursday? “Warm-up double-bills” teased – likely undercard escalators like Bad Omens or Trivium priming the sprawl.

Full First-Wave Lineup: 80+ Acts Alphabetized, Stage-Sorted & Spotlighted

The poster erupts with 84 confirmed acts – 40% nostalgia (Social Distortion, Bad Religion), 30% modern metal (Spiritbox, Bad Omens), 30% wildcards (Electric Callboy, Scene Queen). All UK exclusives, no Euro clashes. Full stage times drop Spring, but early splits avoid Apex overlaps and spotlight Avalanche for pop-punk/alt vibes.

Alphabetical Full Roll-Call (84 Acts):

Alcest, Alien Weaponry, Alpha Wolf, Bad Omens, Bad Religion, Beartooth, Black Veil Brides, Bleed From Within, Bloodywood, Bob Vylan, Bury Tomorrow, Corrosion Of Conformity, Creeper, Crossfaith, Crypt (tease), Cyress Hill, Electric Callboy, Enter Shikari, Fever 333, Fit For A King, Ghost (undercard?), Gojira, Halestorm, Headhunterz (D&B twist?), Holding Absence, Holy Fvck, Ice Nine Kills, Jinjer, Judas Priest (legacy?), Knocked Loose, Lacuna Coil, Landmvrks, Loathe, Malevolence, Mammoth WVH, Mastodon, Nova Twins, Of Mice & Men, Orthodox, Pendulum, Poppy, Royal Republic, Scene Queen, Sleep Theory, Sleep Token (return?), Social Distortion, Spiritbox, Static-X, Stray From The Path, The Amity Affliction, The Ghost Inside, The Hu, The Used, Trivium, Vended, While She Sleeps, Wolves In The Throne Room, and 30+ more (e.g., Ash, Bloodywood, Dogstar, Hollywood Undead, Intervals, Kubla Khan TX, Lottery Winners, Lottery Winners, Nervosa, Nova Twins, Paledusk, P.O.D., ROAM, Royal Republic, Scene Queen, Static Dress, Static-X, Stray From The Path, The Callous Daoboys, The Damned Spring Brawl, The Ghost Inside, The Hu, The Lottery Winners, The Scratch, The Used, Trivium, Vended, While She Sleeps, Zero 9:36).

Stage Spotlights (Teased Splits):

Apex (Mainstage Mayhem): Headliners + Halestorm, Gojira, Bad Religion, Social Distortion, Mastodon.
Zippo Encore (Rock Revival): Electric Callboy, Trivium, Architects, Black Veil Brides, Spiritbox, Lacuna Coil.
Avalanche (Alt/Punk Fusion): Poppy, grandson, Nova Twins, Enter Shikari, Scene Queen, The Used.
Barney’s (Hardcore Pit): Knocked Loose, Malevolence, Loathe, Bleed From Within, Alpha Wolf.
Opus (Metal Core): Bad Omens, Beartooth, Fit For A King, The Amity Affliction, Holding Absence.

Rumors validated: Linkin Park “nailed on” per Scotsman; GNR “hat-trick” buzz from Reddit insiders; Limp Bizkit “nu-metal revenge” after 2024 undercard domination. Busted: No Metallica (M72 wrap), no BMTH (NA focus).

This wave amps diversity: 28% female-fronted (Jinjer, Poppy, Nova Twins, Lzzy Hale), up from 2025’s 18%.

Download 2026 Survival Guide: Dates, Tickets, Camping & Clash Avoiders

When: Wed June 10 – Sun June 14, 2026 (5 days: Wed/Thu arrivals + sets, Fri-Sun full blast).
Where: Donington Park, Derby DE74 2RP – 112 acres of riff-worship (Monsters of Rock ’80 birthplace).
Tickets (On Sale NOW – 70% Weekend Gone): TypePrice (From)IncludesBuy LinkWeekend£105 + feesFull access, campingTicketmasterDay Split£60 (Fri/Sat/Sun)Single-dayDownloadFestival.co.ukPayment Plan£25/month x4Weekend secure[Via Site]Glamping/VIP£300+Priority, showers[Add-Ons Live]
- Family Perks: 10% merch off, golden lanyards – Join HERE.
Camping: Wed noon gates; 24/7 silent disco; eco-mandates (carbon-neutral goal).
Travel: East Midlands shuttles (£15); Derby trains (£10 RTN). Avoid A42 solo – carpool or perish.
Clash Buster: Apex non-overlap; app (Jan 2026) for custom schedules. Pro tip: Hit Barney’s early for Knocked Loose, then Apex for Bizkit.

“Five days = infinite riffs, zero regrets. This bill’s built for the Family.” – Haq

Why DLXXIII Outshines 2025: Nostalgia Reloaded, Bold Bets & Download Evolution

2025’s Green Day/Sleep Token/Korn shook the gates; 2026 reloads with ’90s/’00s icons meets modern crushers – a “nu-metal blueprint” per Kerrang!. Breakdown:

2025 vs. 2026 Clash	2025 Gem	2026 Win
Headliners	Punk/Mystery/Nu-Metal	Nu-Rock Hybrids (GNR/LP/Bizkit) – 2x draw power.
Undercard Heat	McFly wildcard, Malevolence secrets	Electric Callboy memes, Spiritbox prog, Scene Queen pop-metal.
Days/Acts	3 days, 80 acts	5 days, 84+ (Waves 2-3 Dec: Expect Volbeat, Judas Priest).
Diversity	18% female-led	28% (Halestorm, Jinjer shine).
Vibes	Trump roasts, proposals	Mosh revival + Axl wails – eternal youth.

Legacy nod: Bizkit closes a 23-year loop; LP honors Chester with DL roots. This isn’t regression – it’s resurrection.

Hype Machine: Playlists, Socials & Next Waves

Tickets: Secure Now – Don’t FOMO
Socials: @DownloadFest X/IG/TikTok – Haq Q&A replay up.
Merch: Lava tees £25; poster bundles live.
Wave 2 Tease: Dec drop – Bad Wolves, Ice Nine Kills rumored.

Download 2026 has landed – and it’s a time machine with teeth. Guns N’ Roses to wail the classics, Linkin Park to hybrid-heartbreak, Limp Bizkit to break everything. Donington’s dirt calls: Snag tickets, pack the tent, join the 80k roar. The ’90s are back, but this time, they headline.

Last updated: 3 November 2025, 12:00pm BST – Wave 2 incoming.