Festival News: Download Festival 2026 Unleashes Limp Bizkit, Guns N' Roses, and Linkin Park as UK Exclusive Headliners
Download Festival 2026 Unleashes Limp Bizkit, Guns N' Roses, and Linkin Park as UK Exclusive Headliners.
After months of speculation, Download Festival has officially dropped its first colossal lineup announcement for the 2026 edition (DLXXIII), confirming a powerful throwback to the golden age of alternative rock, with Limp Bizkit, Guns N' Roses, and a newly-reformed Linkin Park set to headline the main Apex Stage in what are billed as their only UK shows of the year.
The festival, set for June 10th to 14th at Donington Park, has made a bold statement by elevating nu-metal legends Limp Bizkit to their first-ever headlining slot on the Friday, an honour long awaited by the ‘Download Family.’ Saturday will see the return of rock gods Guns N' Roses, with Axl, Slash, and Duff commanding the stage for their third Donington headlining appearance. Capping off the weekend will be the highly-anticipated return of Linkin Park, marking their first festival closing slot with new vocalist Emily Armstrong, securing a legacy-defining position for the band who have continually pushed the boundaries of modern rock.
Beyond the trio of massive headliners, the first wave of over 90 acts features a stunning breadth of talent spanning multiple generations of heavy music. Key main stage and major acts include the anthemic metalcore of Architects and Bad Omens, the theatrical showmanship of Electric Callboy, and the global sensation BABYMETAL.
Arena rock powerhouses like Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless join the bill, alongside metal veterans Trivium and Mastodon, ensuring the crowd will be well-served with blistering riffs all weekend. Also confirmed are hip-hop veterans Cypress Hill, former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, and the surprise inclusion of actor Keanu Reeves' band, Dogstar. With other fan favourites such as Ice Nine Kills, Pendulum, Black Veil Brides, and a host of emerging talent also announced, the 2026 bill is being hailed by organisers as an "unashamedly metal-focused" affair, setting the tone for what is shaping up to be a true celebration of the genre's past, present, and future. To buy tickets for the 2026 edition, click here for more information.
Words by Oliver Evans
