Download Festival 2026 roars back to its spiritual home at Donington Park, Leicestershire from 12 – 14 June 2026, a three-day rock and metal pilgrimage where riffs roll over the airfield next to East Midlands Airport and the Download Dog stands guard over a small city of die-hard fans. Expect colossal stage design, precision sound and that unmistakable Donington energy from the first campsite beer to the last cymbal crash.

Born in 2003 as the heir to Monsters of Rock, Download has grown into the UK’s premier heavy music weekender, hosting everything from classic titans to modern mosh-pit leaders across multiple stages. 2026 line-ups will land closer to summer, but the festival’s track record speaks for itself: hundreds of bands spanning hard rock, metalcore, punk and more, delivered with pyro, LEDs and a sea of black T-shirts as far as the eye can see.

While the 2026 line-up will be revealed closer to summer, Download’s pedigree makes the wait exciting: across two decades at Donington it has hosted era-defining headliners including Metallica (who delivered two no-repeat sets for the 20th anniversary in 2023), Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Rammstein, Black Sabbath, System of a Down, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park, Tool, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, and more; the most recent editions have also featured Queens of the Stone Age, Fall Out Boy and Avenged Sevenfold (2024), with Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn topping 2025 — a snapshot of how the bill stretches from classic heavyweights to modern torch-bearers, supported by deep undercards that regularly include the likes of Machine Head, Limp Bizkit, The Used, Creeper, Code Orange and beyond.

Life on site is part of the legend. Choose General, Eco or Quiet Camping, upgrade to Camping Plus for hot showers and a pamper area, or roll in with a Campervan. Premium fans can step up to RIP (Lite) Thunder Valley or escape to the serene Rock Retreat at Melbourne Hall; pre-pitched Ready to Rock and partner options make travelling light a breeze. Whatever your base, it’s an easy stroll to the arenas and late-night haunts.

When the main stages pause, the festival doesn’t. District X takes the after-hours spotlight with DJs, special guests, podcasts and left-field surprises — a tongue-in-cheek playground that keeps Donington buzzing long after midnight. Between blasts of distortion you’ll also find wellness and chill zones, market stalls and a broad spread of food from loaded fries to vegan comfort eats, plus craft bars to toast another day in the pit.

Getting there is straightforward. Big Green Coach runs direct services from major UK cities to the festival coach park, syncing with campsite opening days for a car-free arrival. Drivers should note Donington’s handy links off the M1/A42 beside East Midlands Airport, with local authorities issuing traffic guidance each year to smooth the flow. Trains to the region (Derby, Nottingham, East Midlands Parkway) pair with onward buses or taxis for the final hop.

Whether you’re chasing your first circle-pit or returning for another chapter, Download Festival 2026 promises five ferocious days of community, catharsis and colossal guitar music — the UK’s loudest rite of summer, written in power chords at Donington Park.