Download Festival's Andy Copping reveals the headliners he still wants to book

Download Festival organiser Andy Copping has revealed the headliners that are still on his wish list.

This year’s 20th anniversary event saw the main arena open for four days for the first time ever with Metallica headlining twice alongside Friday bill-toppers Bring Me The Horizon and Sunday headliners Slipknot.

In an interview with Planet Rock, we asked Andy Copping if there are there any bands he’s never managed to book but still wishes he could.

Copping said: “There are a few bands. I would have loved to have booked the original Van Halen... the David Lee Roth fronted Van Halen. That's been well documented because I've been asked that question before.”

Naming some acts he would love to book, Copping continued: “Pearl Jam. Green Day. Foo Fighters. blink-182. I mean, there's a few at the kind of the top... Bon Jovi.

“But then you get into some of the other acts that you think that could come through that have played the festival before that have got themselves to a level of potentially headlining. I think Fall Out Boy could be one. Paramore. And when you start looking at other acts that are starting to come through now – Ghost, Parkway Drive, Architects.

“There's a few acts I think we could see as headliners but certainly acts that have never played before. Those first (bands) I mentioned (Pearl Jam, Green Day, Foo Fighters, blink-182 and Bon Jovi), yeah, I would have loved to have booked any of those.”

Who is headlining Download Festival 2024?

Asked by Wyatt backstage at Download Festival how he’s getting on with booking the headliners for 2024, Copping replied: “I’m already quite the way down the line with three headliners.

“Nobody is 100% locked in yet. We probably won’t announce until probably October time. Yeah, I quite a way down the line with three. Fingers crossed it will all come through for me.”

Download Festival will return to its traditional format of three days next year, and it takes place from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th June 2024.

Early bird tickets are on sale from the Download Festival website now.

Metallica and more rock Saturday at Download Festival 2023:

Thursday at Download Festival 2023 in photos

Friday at Download Festival 2023 in photos

Sunday at Download Festival 2023 in photos

Listen to Planet Rock on DAB nationwide, on our Rayo app, online or via your smart speaker (“Play Planet Rock”).

• Download Festival
• Foo Fighters
• Green Day
• Bon Jovi