Download Festival 2026 Reveals Second Artist Wave

Organizers of the Download Festival have announced a second wave of artists for the 2026 edition, bolstering an already expansive lineup at the UK's premier rock and metal event. The festival, set for June 10 to 14 at Donington Park in Leicestershire, will be headlined by Limp Bizkit, Guns N' Roses and Linkin Park, with new additions including A Day To Remember, The Primals, Creeper, Daughtry and Hot Milk.

The latest confirmations bring the total number of acts to more than 100, following an initial announcement last year that featured Bad Omens, Cypress Hill, Tom Morello, Trivium, Halestorm, Pendulum, Mastodon, BABYMETAL, Architects, The All-American Rejects and Feeder. Among the fresh names are the Japanese rock band Band-Maid, UK math-rock outfit Marmozets, hardcore group Stampin' Ground, experimental punk-rap trio Frozemode, metal acts Conjurer, Annisokay and Silly Goose, as well as Private School. A notable debut comes from The Primals, the official metal band for the video game Final Fantasy XIV, composed by Masayoshi Soken and featuring game developers. The group will perform heavy metal covers of game anthems for the first time outside Asia. "Normally the artist onstage...