Download Festival 2026: Set Times, Lineup, Weather and Secret Sets

Right now, tens of thousands of metallers are in Leicestershire’s fields for a long weekend of moshing and head banging. Download, the UK’s greatest rock music festival, is back for 2026.

As ever, the festival’s lineup this year is full of rock and metal behemoths. Limp Bizkit are headlining the event for the very first time on Friday, Guns N' Roses will lead the bill for a third time on Saturday and Linkin Park are taking the headline slot for a fifth time (though the first time with new lead singer Emily Armstrong) on Sunday. They’re all exclusive headliners, meaning it’ll be your only chance to see each of those bands in the UK this year. 

Got tickets for this year’s event? Want to plan ahead? From how to get there to the acts predicted for the secret set, here’s your full guide to Download 2026. 

SKIP TO:
🎤 Lineup and set times.
🤫 Secret sets.
⛔️ Banned items.
⛅️ Weather forecast.

When is Download Festival 2026? 

Download 2026 is happening from Wednesday June 10 to Sunday June 14. The first two days had a much shorter lineup and were essentially a warm up for the main event, which runs from Friday to Sunday. 

RECOMMENDED: The best festivals in the UK in 2026. 

Where is Download Festival 2026 and how do I get there?

The festival is back at the ‘spiritual home of rock’, Donington Park in Leicestershire. The closest mainline railway stations to Donington Park are East Midlands Parkway (20 minutes away) and Derby (30 minutes away), which will both be served by regular transfer buses. 

Alternatively, you can book a spot on a coach. The festival’s official travel partner is Big Green Coach, which will be running services from 81 different UK locations. You can find your nearest stop here. 

If you’re planning on taking a car you’ll need a parking pass, but those are all sold out now. There is a pick-up and drop-off area for taxis or for people getting lifts from family or friends. 

Who are the headliners for Download 2026?

Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit and Guns N’ Roses top the bill this year. Other big names on the lineup include Cypress Hill, Architects, Babymetal, Behemoth, Pendulum and Mastodon. 

Full Download lineup and set times

Here’s the full lowdown on who’s playing this year’s event and when across the main music stages.

Wednesday June 10

District X

• 6pm: Download Pub Quiz

• 7pm: Boardie Takeover: Black Parade vs Chop Suey

• 10pm: Lucas Woodland (DJ Set)

• 11pm: Face Down

• 12am: Silent Disco

Thursday June 11

District X

• 1pm: Heavy Metal Sports

• 2.30pm: Download Family Feud

• 4pm: Sappenin' Podcast

• 5.15pm: James B Partridge: Primary School Bangers

• 6.30pm: Dune Rats

• 7.45pm: Dick & Dom (DJ Set)

• 9.15pm: Electric Six

• 10.30pm: Creeper (DJ Set)

• 11pm: Fat Lip

• 12am: Silent Disco

Friday June 12

Apex Stage

• 1pm: Scene Queen

• 2pm: P.O.D

• 3pm: Hollywood Undead

• 4.10pm: Pendulum

• 5.30pm: Electric Callboy

• 7pm: Cypress Hill

• 8.50pm: Limp Bizkit

Opus Stage

• 1pm: Caskets

• 1.50pm: Silent Planet

• 2.55pm: Paleface Swiss

• 3.50pm: Creeper

• 5pm: Periphery

• 6.15pm: Daughtry

• 7.35pm: Halestorm

Avalanche Stage

• 1pm: Native James

• 1.50pm: Silly Goose

• 2.40pm: Holywatr

• 3.30pm: Lakeview

• 4.20pm: Drain

• 5.10pm: Rain City Drive

• 6pm: Sleep Theory

• 6.55pm: Story of the Year

• 7.55pm: Feeder

Dogtooth Stage

• 1pm: Headwreck

• 1.45pm: Slay Squad

• 2.30pm: James and the Cold Gun

• 3.20pm: Vianova

• 4.10pm: Nasty

• 5pm: Lake Malice

• 5.50pm: The Primals

• 6.45pm: Stampin' Ground

• 7.40pm: Band-Maid

• 8.45pm: Corrosion of Conformity

• 9.50pm: Cavalera Chaos AD

Saturday June 13

Apex Stage

• 11am: Thornhill

• 12.05pm: South Arcade

• 1.15pm: Landmvrks

• 2.30pm: Black Veil Brides

• 3.50pm: Babymetal

• 5.20pm: Trivium

• 7.35pm: Guns N’ Roses

Opus Stage

• 11am: The Wildhearts

• 11.55am: Snot

• 12.45pm: Drowning Pool

• 1.40pm: We Came As Romans

• 2.45pm: Those Damn Crows

• 3.50pm: Set It Off

• 5pm: Bush

• 6.10pm: Behemoth

• 7.45pm: Architects

Avalanche Stage

• 11am: Passionflower

• 11.50am: Frozemode

• 12.45pm: Nevertel

• 1.40pm: Die Spitz

• 2.35pm: Mouth Culture

• 3.30pm: Melrose Avenue

• 4.25pm: As It Is

• 5.20pm: Marmozets

• 6.30pm: Hot Milk

• 7.40pm: The All American Rejects

Dogtooth Stage

• 11am: Pussyliquor

• 11.45am: Tropic Gold

• 12.30pm: Tailgunner

• 1.20pm: Lowen

• 2.10pm: Conjurer

• 3pm: Return To Dust

• 3.50pm: As Everything Unfolds

• 4.40pm: Self Deception

• 5.30pm: Sweet Savage

• 6.25pm: Elder

• 7.25pm: Decapitated

• 8.30pm: Blood Incantation

Sunday June 14

Apex Stage

• 11am: Unpeople

• 12pm: Kublai Khan TX

• 1.10pm: Røry

• 2.25pm: Bloodywood

• 3.40pm: The Pretty Reckless

• 5.05pm: Ice Nine Kills

• 7pm: Bad Omens

• 9.25pm: Linkin Park

Opus Stage

• 11am: Ego Kill Talent

• 11.50am: Catch Your Breath

• 12.40pm: Mammoth

• 1.40pm: Dogstar

• 2.35pm: Thrown

• 3.30pm: The Plot In You

• 4.25pm: Social Distortion

• 5.35pm: Tom Morello

• 6.45pm: Mastodon

• 8.10pm: A Day To Remember

Avalanche Stage

• 11am: Mould

• 11.50am: Zero 9:36

• 12.50pm: Ivri

• 1.50pm: The Pretty Wild

• 2.50pm: TX2

• 3.50pm: Magnolia Park

• 4.50pm: Dinosaur Pile Up

• 6pm: Ash

• 7.10pm: Letlive.

• 8.30pm: Scooter

Dogtooth Stage

• 11am: Spitting Glass

• 11.45am: Private School

• 12.30pm: Wayside

• 1.20pm: Decessus

• 2.10pm: Last Train

• 3pm: Annisokay

• 4.40pm: Ankor

• 5.30pm: Boundaries

• 6.25pm: Gatecreeper

• 7.25pm: Spineshank

• 8.30pm: Creeper

What about the secret sets? 

Secret sets have long been a staple of Download. In the past they’ve come from the likes of Metallica, Black Stone Cherry and Malevolence. This year, fans are speculating that there could be a secret set from Ghost, Parkway Drive or Don Bronco. 

Can I still buy tickets for Download Festival 2026?

The only tickets that are still available to buy for Download 2026 are Saturday Arena only tickets for £145. You can find them here. 

Banned items

Like most festivals, any weapons including aerosol cans and glass bottles are prohibited at the campsite and arena. Tin openers, umbrellas and small hammers for pitching tents are permitted at the campsite, but not in the arena, and for the whole list of items, read over Download’s official list here. 

Weather forecast

There’s rain forecast in Leicestershire for Wednesday and Thursday but it’ll mostly clear up in time for the festival’s main three days. Here’s the day-by-day forecast:

• Friday June 12 – highs of 21C, lows of 12C. Chance of rain throughout the day.
• Saturday June 13 – mostly sunny, with highs of 19C and lows of 10C. A bit windy.
• Sunday June 14 – the warmest, sunniest day. Highs of 22C, lows of 11C.

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