Download Festival 2026 teases first line-up announcement
Who will be playing Donington next June?!
Last updated 17th Sep 2025
Download Festival 2026 has announced it will announce the date for the first line-up announcement next month.
Subscribers to the Download Family monthly newsletter have been told that details of exactly when the line-up will be revealed will be contained within the next mailer.
‘The family will find out first about the announcement time and date for DLXXIII here next month,’ the newsletter states.
‘Make sure you keep an eye on your inbox and tell your mates to join the Family if they haven’t already!’
Download Festival has made its first line-up announcement – including the three Apex Stage headliners - within the first half of November over the past three years, so fans shouldn’t have to wait too long to find out who is playing Donington next summer.
Immediately after this year’s triumphant weekend, Download Festival booker Kamran Haq confirmed he already had ‘incredible’ headliners locked in for 2026.
“Download this year was a big deal for me as it was my first year being at the helm and heading up the festival,” Haq wrote in an Instagram post.
“Huge thank you to @andycoppingofficial for passing on baton and the endless support! Thank you to the booking team @jennycotter @dannikawebber @pheehagan @liampatrickcarney for helping put this line up together!
“Loads of exciting things planned for 2026, we’ve already got some incredible headliners locked in! #downloadfestival”
The 23rd Download Festival takes place at Donington Park from Wednesday 10th to Sunday 14th June 2026.
You can subscribe to the Download Family newsletter here.
The greatest Donington headliners of all time:
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