The first Download Festival announcement of the year is on the way… but who’s going to be joining the likes of Fall Out Boy, Bad Omens, Limp Bizkit, Avenged Sevenfold, Machine Head and Queens Of The Stone Age in June?
It’s been a little while since we were hit with the one-two punch of Download Festival’s first wave of bands in November, and then the surprise addition of Limp Bizkit before Christmas.
And now the Donington fest will be making its third announcement for this year’s line-up, with the unveiling coming later today (Monday, January 29) at 5pm UK time. Download haven’t teased anything else, though, so we have no idea how many more bands will be added this time around – basically, it’s all just going to be one lovely big surprise.
What we do know, though, is that a load of amazing bands have already been announced – from new headliners Queens Of The Stone Age and Fall Out Boy, to third-time headliners Avenged Sevenfold, to the likes of Bad Omens, Machine Head, Corey Taylor and BABYMETAL.
Late last year, we asked FOB frontman Patrick Stump about headlining Download for the first time this summer. “No pressure!” he joked. “I feel like it’s a little bit scary as it’s a big deal. But we’re also at this point when we’ve done a lot of big deals and somehow, it’s worked out, so I’m also amazed to see that. I’m not a sports fan, but the Chicago Cubs had not been in the World Series for 109 years, but the year that we were in the series, they asked me to sing the national anthem before the game! I don’t even like the anthem, but I’d do it for the Cubs. When I got up there and the lights hit me, it was terrifying. I thought I’d suck, but also thought enough people think I do okay at this that they asked me to do it, so we’ll see what happens. I did it and it was fine, so that’s how I feel about Download. Part of me is like, ‘Really?!’ but here we are, 22 years after we started, going from playing in a cafeteria to Download. I’m waiting to see what happens.”
Download Festival takes place from June 14 – 16 at Donington Park. Get your tickets now.
