In a festival first, Download will be hosting four days of live music in celebration of it’s 20th anniversary next year, with Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot and Metallica – who will be playing two fully unique sets – headlining the weekend. On top of this, the festival has also announced a further 60 plus acts that celebrate the multi-generational appeal and focus of the legendary festival. Joining like of Metallica, Bring Me The Horizon and Slipknot are Alexisonfire, Architects, Disturbed, The Distillers, Ghost, Evanescence, Parkway Drive, Pendulum, Placebo, Fever 333, VV, Gwar, The Blackout and a massive assortment of acts who have helped forge the legacy of this now legendary festival.
On the subject of tonight’s announcement, Metallica state: “We are next-level honoured to once again come back and partake in the Download shenanigans on the hallowed grounds of Castle Donington, which has an unparalleled place in rock history. On top of that, to be able to share our double show format with two completely unique sets with no repeat songs for the first time ever in the U.K is way fuckin’ cool. Bring it on!”
Apart from the juggernauts topping the mammoth lineup, tonight’s announcement also boasts some of the best and freshest new talent from the global scene. Joining the bill tonight are the likes Pupil Slicer, Brutus, As December Falls, Graphic Nature, Soul Glo, Nova Twins, Kid Bookie, SiM, Crashface, Hawxx, Ingested, Lake Malice and loads others who are set to represent the best of the global underground and emerging scene. The festival will also be hosting new attractions next year too, with Download set to host a new megastore and much more in 2023.
“This year marks a huge milestone for Download, celebrating the incredible 20 years of the festival is no small feat”, says head organiser Andy Copping. “We really wanted to up the ante for this special anniversary, adding an extra day for the fans to experience the unforgettable lineup, that once again brings together unparalleled talent from the rock music world back to Donington Park.”
As always, Download Festival 2023 will take place at Donington Park, Castle Donington, between the 9th – 11th June 2023. Tickets and additional information can be found here. For the mean time though, check the full lineup thus far below.
