Steel Panther

Download 2025: Headliners and 90+ bands revealed

by
Download Festival, the greatest rock and metal festival of all time, returns for its 22nd edition, reborn and recharged in 2025 as DLXXII. Announced today are three first-time headliners—Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn—alongside over 90 more colossal names spanning the full spectrum of rock, metal, punk, emo, hardcore, alternative and classic rock.

This year’s festival will take place on 13-15 June 2025 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire.

 General tickets are onsale at 9pm on Thursday 14 November at www.downloadfestival.co.uk.
 
For the first time in Download Festival’s history, next year’s edition will showcase a trio of headliners who are entirely new to topping the main stage. This exciting milestone underscores Download’s unwavering commitment to delivering a fresh, groundbreaking lineup year after year, giving fans even more reasons to be part of this unmissable experience.
 
Also announced today are UK and international heavyweights Weezer, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, Jimmy Eat World, Within Temptation, Eagles Of Death Metal, The Darkness, Poppy, Loathe, Spiritbox, Meshuggah, Steel Panther, Airbourne, Jerry Cantrell, Cradle Of Filth, Alien Ant Farm, CKY, McFly, Don Broco, Mallory Knox, The Ghost Inside, Turbonegro, Sylosis, Whitechapel, Fit For An Autopsy, Lorna Shore, Kittie, Jinjer and so many more.
 
Punk-rock royalty Green Day are set to make their long-awaited debut at Download Festival, headlining for the first time in their 37-year career. Known for their high-energy performances and a career that’s shaped the landscape of rock, Green Day has built a legacy of unforgettable live shows that will electrify the crowd on Friday night. The band are fresh off celebrating two major milestones—the 30th anniversary of their trailblazing album Dookie and the 20th anniversary of the culture-shaping American Idiot—Green Day continues to prove why they’re one of the most iconic and influential bands in the world.
 
The mysterious Sleep Token have skyrocketed since their inception in 2016, and the anonymous masked collective have gone from strength to strength, headlining arenas this month and now about to embark on their very first Download headline set. Clocking up millions of monthly listeners, the alternative rock outfit are set to play the performance of their life at the hallowed grounds of Donington on Saturday.
 
The festival’s grand finale will come at the hands of nu-metal legends Korn, who will also be headlining Download for the very first time. The Californian five-piece formed in 1993 but have never been more relevant, and their recent shows have caused a huge buzz in the rock community. Having inspired the likes of Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Machine Head and Sepultura during their 31 years of being a band, Korn are well and truly ready to finally headline Download.
 
Download Festival’s Andy Copping says: “Following on from last year’s sold out 21st edition, Download’s legacy not only includes the incredible artists who have performed at the hallowed grounds over the years, but also our unrivalled community, safe and warm atmosphere, and fantastic afterhours entertainment at District X, with something for truly everyone.”
 
The DLXXII line up was announced at a very special Metal Gala launch event at One Marylebone this evening, where the rock and metal elite gathered under one roof. The one and only Paddy Considine (House Of The Dragon, Peaky Blinders), who will be playing at this year’s Download with his band Riding The Low, stars in this year’s announcement video, alongside other Humans Of Download. Like he says in the short film titled ‘Est Momentum’, Download is “a place where legends are born. This is where you belong.”
 
This is only the beginning for DLXXII, with many more acts and surprises yet to be announced. Book your tickets now: www.downloadfestival.co.uk.
 

Download Festival 2021 announce headliners and more

by

Download Festival, the world’s premier rock event, has announced KISS, BIFFY CLYRO and SYSTEM OF A DOWN as its 2021 headliners, plus many more of the world’s most exciting bands in rock, punk, hardcore and metal including Deftones, KORN, Steel Panther and The Distillers will return for Download 2021, with even more yet to be announced. The three-day festival takes place on 4-6 June 2021 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire. Tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday 7 August via downloadfestival.co.uk/tickets.

After an epic and well documented 45-year career that launched an era of rock’n’roll, the legendary KISS will perform in the UK at Download Festival 2021, in a UK Exclusive. They embarked on their final ever tour in 2019 under the appropriately named END OF THE ROAD, and known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS have proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock’n’roll, and one of the best headliners Donington has ever seen. With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, 2020 was due to be their final ever Download appearance, but due to COVID-19 they’ll be bringing their spellbinding show to the hallowed grounds in 2021 instead.

Also headlining Download Festival 2020 will be SYSTEM OF A DOWN, also in a UK Exclusive. With just five studio albums, the Californian/Armenian band have earned themselves a worldwide following, never failing to put on a mind-blowing performance.

System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian says: “We’re disappointed we weren’t able to make it over this year, but we’re looking forward to next.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  Mostly, we all just want to make sure everyone is provided with a safe and secure environment, so we were prepared to wait as long as we needed to.”

Returning to Donington after their fantastic headline set in 2017 are Scottish rock titans Biffy Clyro, who will headline the festival once again in 2021. With the band set to release their ninth studio album, A Celebration Of Endings, this month, the trio will be keen to show off new tracks as well as some of their most well-known hits, including ‘The Captain’, ‘Mountains’ and ‘Many Of Horror’.

In addition to the brilliant acts who have continued over from 2020, Download are delighted to announce several new additions to the line up, along with Biffy Clyro, including the mighty Steel Panther, pop punk kings A Day To Remember, the mysterious Creeper, who have recently returned from hiatus, punk legends Rise Against, internet sensation Poppy, and many more.

Returning to Donington in 2021 are Deftones. Since their inception, the multi-platinum, Grammy-Winning alternative rock band from Sacramento have released seven albums and sold over 10 million albums worldwide which include fan-favourite tracks ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’, ‘Change (House Of Flies)’, and ‘Swerve City’.

Biffy Clyro said: “We can’t wait to return to headline Download in 2021! It’s a highlight of the festival calendar and a big part of our history as a band. Headlining in 2017 was special and now it’s time to celebrate again! Fuck on!”

With 13 albums behind them already, KORN will be back too. The two-time Grammy Award winning band have toured the world countless times and have continued to push the limits of the rock, alternative and metal genres, while remaining a pillar of influence for legions of fans and generations of artists around the globe.

Also returning are the one and only The Darkness, LA punk rockers The Distillers, Hollywood favourites Black Veil Brides, Scottish pirate metallers Alestorm, Maryland death metallers Dying Fetus, metalcore heroes Killswitch Engage, Brazilian heavy metallers Sepultura, Welsh icons Funeral For A Friend in their last ever festival appearance, and many more.

2021 Lineup

KISS
Biffy Clyro
System Of A Down A.A. Williams
A Day To Remember
Airbourne
Alestorm
Anchor Lane
Baroness
Blackout Problems
Black Veil Brides
Bleed From Within
Blues Pills
Bokassa
Bush
Cellar Door Moon Crow
Cemetery Sun
Control The Storm
Creeper
Daughtry
Dead Label
Dead Posey
Deftones
Dirty Honey
Dying Fetus
Electric Wizard
Employed To Serve
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
Funeral For A Friend
Gender Roles
Gojira
Haken
Hatari
Higher Power
Holding Absence
Hot Milk
Killswitch Engage
Kill The Lights
KORN
Jamie Lenman
JJ Wilde
Joyous Wolf
Lacuna Coil
Loathe
Lotus Eater
Marianas Trench
Mastodon
Modern Error
Myles Kennedy & Company
Obituary
Of Mice & Men
Phoxjaw
P.O.D.
Poppy
Powerwolf
Press Club
Rise Against
Sepultura
Skillet
Sleep Token
Spiritbox
Steel Panther
Stone Broken
Temples On Mars
Tempt
Theory 
The Darkness
The Distillers
The Faim
The Hara
The Pretty Reckless
The Wildhearts
Those Damn Crows
Tiny Moving Parts
Twin Temple
Volbeat
Wage War
Wargasm
Wayward Sons
Will Haven

Download announce 48 banks for its 2017 lineup

by

Download Festival, the world’s premier rock and metal event has made an unprecedented announcement, adding over forty of the world’s biggest bands to an unparalled bill including Steel Panther, A Day To Remember, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Suicidal Tendencies and In Flames.

Download Festival’s Andy Copping said: “We’re committed to delivering the best in rock and metal year on year for the Download fans, and this year is no exception. We’re thrilled to have core acts in the likes of Steel Panther, A Day To Remember, Dillinger Escape Plan, The Cadillac Three, Suicidal Tendencies and more, along with some of the most exciting new talent in the game such as Creeper, Red Sun Rising and Hacktivist. Right through from The Dogtooth Stage, all the way to the top, fans are guaranteed to witness an incredible weekend of music from their trusted favourites, and discover new favourite bands of the future.”

Download Festival’s Dave Bradley said: “We’re stoked to represent the many facets of rock in this announcement. We’ve always been invested in booking bands across every stage that have the grit and determination to step up and be headliners of the future. The Avalanche Stage is really exciting this year, promising three days of unapologetic rock, pop punk and metal from the likes of State Champs, As It Is, Moose Blood and Trash Boat. Festival goers better get in that tent early – we’ve got face melting riffs and one hell of a weekend in store.”

Glam superstars Steel Panther will be hitting the Main Stage with their tongues firmly in cheek. The crew renowned for their debaucherous live shows are back to melt faces and hearts once more.

Steel Panther frontman Michael Starr said: “I'm so happy to be back at Download Festival. Download Festival 2009 was our very first show in the UK, so this Festival holds a special place in my heart! Hell yea.” 

Following a sold-out Wembley show last week, arena smashers A Day To Remember will be bringing the party to Donington, buoyed by the triumphant success of their new album Bad Vibrations. Following the announcement of their retirement, pioneers of their genre The Dillinger Escape Plan will be making their last ever UK festival appearance at Download this year. The genre defining legends have been pushing musical boundaries and demolishing stages with assured anarchy for 20 years – this is a set not to be missed. 

The fathers of cross-over thrash, Suicidal Tendencies have been leading the charge and inciting mosh pits for over 30 years; the hardcore hall of famers are back to tear Download apart this summer. Rising punk stars Creeper will capitalise on a year of huge successes and deliver the biggest horror-punk set of their lives as they take to the Download Festival Main Stage. Joining them are Baroness, who rightfully earned themselves a Grammy nomination for ‘Best Metal Performance’ with their intensely progressive heavy metal masterpiece ‘Shock Me’; and the enigmatic and ever-evolving Anathema, who are ready to dish out their lithe and muscular alternative metal to the Download Festival crowd. Legendary forefathers of melodic death-metal outfitIn Flames also join the bill; having toured the planet countless times and influencing many of today's biggest metal acts.

Wednesday 13 – also known as legend Joseph Poole of Murderdolls fame – is returning for the first time in 12 years for all the zombie themed, horror-punk that fans can handle. Scottish pirate metallers Alestorm will be regaling Download fans with tales of unforgettable swashbuckling adventures, whilst it’ll be riffs aplenty as Nordic hard rockers Kvelertak pack a truly head banging worthy punch following the release of last year’s anthemic album Nattesferd. The Charm The Fury are one of the brightest prospects in metalcore, and are set to take the crowd on a ride of crushingly heavy breakdowns and high-energy monstrous anthems this June.

Australian metalcore mob Northlane have instilled themselves as one of the most exciting acts to emerge in the genre, rapidly growing their international fanbase with their groove laden technical take on the scene. Straight out of Ohio; metalcore legends The Devil Wears Prada return to Download with their incomparable powerful sound – they’re set for one hell of an exciting live show. Joining them will be grime-metal crew Hacktvist who are set to rage Download with their fiery, genre-melding anthems.

As It Is are one of the hottest current names in pop punk. Led by Patty Walters, the Brighton four-piece’s popularity has sky rocketed after touring with the previously announced Sum 41 and Sleeping With Sirens. State Champs are ready to rock Donington Park with their energetic and infectious party vibes, whilst Trash Boat will provide amped-up fast paced punk bangers and posi jumps galore. Emo revivalists Moose Blood will deliver their unapologetic heartfelt hooks for the Avalanche Stage masses, whilst pro wrestler Mark Andrew will be making his Download musical debut in his pop punk outfit Junior.

London activists The King Blues are officially back and will be sending the Download crowd wild with anthems like ‘I Got Love’. Swedish alt-rock act Normandie are destined to fill arenas in the future having impressed with their soaring and hugely ambitious sound. Post-hardcore stalwarts Touché Amore have been capturing the hearts and minds of the rock world over the last few years with a leaden mix of serrated guitar leads and frontman Jeremy Bolm’s impassioned screams. They join the incomparable line up, alongside the uplifting and hard-hitting Southern rock sound of The Cadillac Three, South London’s alternative rockers Wallflower, and Grove Street Families; the serious thrash crossover unit who’ll be bringing hardcore hooks and buckets of bounce to Donington Park.

Everyone’s favourite rock chanteuses, The Lounge Kittens are making their grand Download return, bringing with them their unique jazzy spin on metal’s biggest hits. Aaron Buchanan & The Cult Classics will blow the lid off Download Festival in style, featuring the show-stopping vocals of the former Heaven’s Basement frontman in his new outfit. Leeds three piece Dinosaur Pile-Up are sure to shake things up with their alternative riffs and grunge tinged melodies, whilst Bristol up-and-comers IDLES are set to unleash a torrent of brash and belligerent post-punk on their debut Download appearance.

The Contortionist will deliver an explosive set with expert precision and intensity, igniting a djent spark sure send the Download crowd wild. With a raucous mix of death and doom metal,Venom Prison’s righteous set will put them up there with the Download Festival greats, as will the effervescent rock ‘n’ roll of Fizzy Blood and the unique black metal sounds of She Must Burn.

London-based rock ’n’ roll four-piece M O S E S will have fans revved up with their boisterous and visceral sound. Casey are a tour de force of experimental post-hardcore who’ll be taking to the Download stage for the first time, as will the chunky riffs and stadium-sized choruses of Stone Broken and the London based group who are quickly establishing themselves as one of the hottest modern metal band of the moment; Brutai.

The LaFontaines will bring their socially-aware hip-hop infused rock to Donington, whilst melodic hardcore sounds will come from Cardiff’s Holding Absence and the fist-pounding circle-pit-ready metal of Dead Label. Get ready for a masterclass in head banging anthems from New Zealand hard rock behemoths Like A Storm. They’ll be joined by their fellow countrymenDevilskin, led by the incredible Jennie Skulander.

Lincoln mob Blood Youth, are ready to bring a set of high-octane and visceral melodic hardcore, alongside San Francisco quartet I The Mighty, who are guaranteed to impress with their blend of pop and piercing post hardcore. Hotly tipped as ‘ones-to-watch’, Emo punks Dead! are ready to show Donington what they’re made of, as are Swedish power-metal machine Sabaton and the grunge-tinged alt rock sounds of Red Sun Rising.

Download Festival 2017 Line Up

A DAY TO REMEMBER | AARON BUCHANAN & THE CULT CLASSICS | AEROSMITH | AFI | AIRBOURNE | ALESTORM | ALTER BRIDGE | ANATHEMA | AS IT IS | ASTROID BOYS | BARONESS | BASEMENT | BIFFY CLYRO | BLOOD YOUTH | BRUTAI | CASEY | CLUTCH | COHEED AND CAMBRIA | CREEPER | CROWN THE EMPIRE | DEAD LABEL | DEAD! | DEVILDRIVER | DEVILSKIN | DINOSAUR PILE-UP | EVERY TIME I DIE | EXODUS | FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH | FIZZY BLOOD | FOUR YEAR STRONG | FOZZY | GOD DAMN | GOOD CHARLOTTE | GREYWIND | GROVE STREET FAMILIES | HACKTIVIST | HOLDING ABSENCE | I THE MIGHTY | IDLES | IN FLAMES | ISSUES | JUNIOR | KNUCKLE PUCK | KVELERTAK | LIKE A STORM | LOST SOCIETY | MASTODON | MINISTRY | MOOSE BLOOD | M O S E S | MOTIONLESS IN WHITE | NORMANDIE | NORTHLANE | OF MICE & MEN | OPETH | PIERCE THE VEIL | PROPHETS OF RAGE | RED FANG | RED SUN RISING | ROB ZOMBIE | SABATON | SHE MUST BURN | SIMPLE PLAN | SLAYER | SLEEPING WITH SIRENS | STATE CHAMPS | STEEL PANTHER | STONE BROKEN | SUICIDAL TENDENCIES | SUM 41 | SYSTEM OF A DOWN | THE CADILLAC THREE | THE CHARM THE FURY | THE CONTORTIONIST | THE DEAD DAISIES | THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA | THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN | THE KING BLUES | THE LAFONTAINES | THE LOUNGE KITTENS | THE ONE HUNDRED | THE STORY SO FAR | TOUCHÉ AMORÉ | TRASH BOAT | VENOM PRISON | WAKRAT | WALLFLOWER | WEDNESDAY 13

 

The Offspring, Status Quo, Steel Panther and more for Download 2014

by

Download Festival’s 12th year is shaping up to be one of its best as the 2014 line up for Europe’s biggest rock festival continues to swarm over every inch of the rock, metal, punk and alternative music landscape like a zombie crusade.

Pop Punk royalty The Offspring will be returning to Download after a long absence from the festival, having appeared just once before in 2008.

The Offspring @ Download Festival 2014

Guitarist Noodles commented: It's been six years since we first played Download and we can't wait to return and rip it up. Stoked!

Rock legends Status Quo, who released their 100th single in 2013, make their Download Festival debut after over 50 years of producing some of the biggest guitar anthems in history and will be performing a purely greatest hits set.

On the prospect of returning to Donington, frontman Francis Rossi said: When Status Quo once again take to the Donington stage, it will have been 32 years since we headlined the Monsters of Rock Festival on August 21st 1982. That year saw the Falklands War, the launch of the Commodore 64, Aston Villa winning the European Cup and the raising of the Mary Rose. You might say a lot has changed since then but we are still rocking, and still playing the Quo hits. See you there.

The Quo will be joined by Metal titans Trivium who return to Donington for a very special performance of the set they played at their legendary first Download Main Stage appearance in 2005.

Bassist Paolo Gregoletto said: We are thrilled to be returning to Download for our 5th time. In honour of both the festival and fans that embraced Trivium first, we have decided to play our 2005 set list from start to finish, preceded by a set of some our other festival favourite tunes.  However, to make it all the more unique,  we will be playing this "one time only" set on the Red Bull Stage,  the most intimate and intense setting possible for revisiting this special moment in time.  We have had some of our best experiences as a band on the hallowed grounds of Donington, and this is shaping up to be one of our most exciting ones yet!  Do not miss it!

Swedish metallers In Flames will also be joining the bill. Speaking on their return to the Home of Rock, frontman Anders Friden, added:

It has been a while since we last played the UK, so we are all excited and looking forward to coming back to play at Download Festival 2014.

Covering the classic metal end of the spectrum will be Steel Panther. A firm fan favourite, the spandex-clad, Sunset Strip rockers will be storming the sacred Donington stage for a fourth time.

Drummer Stix Zadinia said: Fish and chips. Tea and biscuits. Monty and Pythons. Steel Panther and Download Festival. These are four examples of how nature has been able to strike the perfect balance of harmony and elegance between two glorious and powerful things. We are so excited to come back and play Download Festival 2014. This was the place where we were truly introduced to the UK and it always feels like a homecoming to us. We in Steel Panther, are going to attempt to rock you so hard, that it will take you approximately one whole year to recover, only to muster enough energy to come back to DL2015 the following year to try to handle the power again! Roll on June!

Also joining the bill are melodic death metallers The Black Dahlia Murder,  Sheffield’s finest While She Sleeps, Arizona’s Blessthefall, Japanese electro metalcore outfit Crossfaith, Californian soul punks Letlive, Metalcore giants Miss May I and, of course, after the phenomenal demand of #whynotdyingfetus Dying Fetus .

All of these huge bands will join headliners Aerosmith, Avenged Sevenfold and Linkin Park – playing their celebrated debut album Hybrid Theory in full –  as well as special guests Alter Bridge, Rob Zombie and Fall Out Boy – all of whom were announced earlier this month.

Also check out Download’s latest viral campaign, Download Family Album. This crowd sourced photography collection will allow members of the scariest non-Addams family on the planet to share awesome rock iconography and Download memories over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Download team will use a tailored #Hashtag to set a new project every week, with themes including Thrash Tats, Air Guitar Antics, Rock Kids and Main Stage Mayhem, so get involved and get snapping!

Download Festival 2012 tickets on sale tomorrow 9am

by

Biffy ClyroWith a spectacular line up including headliners The Prodigy (Friday 8 June), Metallica (Saturday 9 June) and Black Sabbath (Sunday 10 June), plus an array of exciting acts such as Slash, Biffy Clyro, Steel Panther, Soundgarden, Lamb of God and You Me At Six, this year’s event at Donington Park is set to blow the top right off the roof!

Download promoter Andy Copping says “This year’s Download is going from strength to strength and the line up is shaping up nicely. We’ve had a phenomenal reaction to weekend tickets, and have decided to go on sale with day tickets early. Happy days!”

A further 60 + acts will be announced between now and June, and organisers continue to hit a home run by confirming American metalcore band KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, the multi-million selling SHINEDOWN, last year’s biggest rock newcomers BLACK VEIL BRIDES, DIY punk masters NOFX, epic progressive metallers OPETH and symphonic Scandinavians NIGHTWISH for thisyear’s Download.

Weekend with camping tickets are also available to purchase along with limited RIP packages – go to www.downloadfestival.co.uk for all ticket options.

This year’s Download will also see the debut of the RIP METAL HOTEL, the first of its kind indoor ‘pop up’ hotel located on the festival site, a mere hop skip and a jump to the main arena. Each room will have two beds, thermostatic climate control, an en-suite wet room with toilet, basin and shower, storage space, a flat screen TV, and secure card entry. Not only that, all rooms will be serviced with with quality linen, towels and toiletries by dedicated Metal Hotel personnel, as well as offering continental breakfast, providing a truly luxury experience to coincide with the festival’s 10th anniversary celebrations. Rooms will be available from the Download website.