Scooter announced as curveball act at Download Festival 2026
They headline The Avalanche Stage
Last updated 26th Nov 2025
Scooter, Germany’s most successful techno act, have been confirmed as the curveball act performing at Download Festival 2026.
Speaking to Planet Rock earlier this month, Download Festival booker Kam Haq confirmed he was working on a “massive curveball” act for Download Festival, adding: “People have asked for it online over and over. And this year we’re going to finally deliver it.”
Now it’s been confirmed that Scooter will headline The Avalanche Stage hosted by Kerrang! Radio at Download Festival, which takes place from Wednesday 10th to Sunday 14th June 2026 at the world-famous Donington Park.
Led by frontman H. P. Baxxter, Scooter have sold over 30 million records, scored over 2.5 billion streams, and sold out more than 1000 shows worldwide.
Download Festival says: With classics like ‘The Logical Song’, ‘Hyper Hyper’, ‘How Much Is The Fish?’ and newer anthems like ‘For Those About To Rave’, one thing is clear: Scooter are not nostalgia; they're a phenomenon.
‘After years of Download-goers requesting Scooter on the line-up, it is finally happening. With their iconic sounds and high-energy live shows, they are sure to go down a storm at Download XXIII.’
Scooter appear on a Download Festival 2026 line-up that boasts Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park, Electric Callboy, Those Damn Crows, Pendulum, Cypress Hill, Trivium, Bad Omens, Halestorm, The All-American Rejects, BABYMETAL, Ice Nine Kills, Tom Morello, Bush, Feeder, Ash, The Pretty Reckless, Dogstar and many more.
The 20 greatest Donington headliners ever:
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