Download Festival organisers are about to confirm the second wave of bands for this summer’s line-up. They’ll join the dozens of artists announced back in November – including headliners Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot and Metallica.
When the news breaks at 4pm Thursday 16th February, we’ll also learn how the Download line-up breaks down day-by-day – and the long-awaited day tickets will go on sale.
Additionally, organisers have promised even more VIP options will be revealed.
UPDATE: “Leaked” line-up poster claims to reveal Thursday’s announcement
Claimed new additions including Neck Deep and Bob Vylan – with day splits also shown
There are now just over 100 days until the festival gets underway. It’s a special 20th-anniversary edition of Download this summer with four days of headline slots, taking place from Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th June – and as usual, you can turn up and start partying from Wednesday with a 5 nights camping ticket.
Metallica will headline both Thursday and Saturday nights with the promise of no repeated songs between the two sets, with Bring Me The Horizon on Saturday and Slipknot seeing out the festival on Sunday night.
Download organisers rolled out some changes last year and among the most notable were the changes to the layout. This meant the campsites were now much closer to the arena than in previous years. They also made further efforts on sustainability, using more bio-fuels and getting rid of single-use plastic.
In the weeks after the festival, the official Download 2022 aftermovie was revealed. Offering the chance to relive the best bits from this year at Donington, it features a killer soundtrack with Those Damn Crows, Cassyette and Sleep Token along with highlights from headliners KISS, Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro.
Download Festival returned last summer after a two-year break during the pandemic. Taking place relatively early in the festival season on the second weekend of June, it was one of the first events to announce its cancellation when Covid first struck, confirmed three days after the UK went into lockdown in March 2020.
Though the full-size Download couldn’t happen in 2021 either, the festival made history by holding a downscaled pilot event as part of the UK Government’s Events Research Programme. Bands played for expenses and a drastically reduced capacity meant fans camped in the arena – meaning it was just a few minutes’ walk to the arena. Check out our full review here.
To check prices or buy tickets for Download 2023, visit the official Download Ticketmaster page.
Image credit: James Bridle / Download Festival
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