Download Festival, returns for its 22nd edition, reborn and recharged in 2025 as DLXXII. Announced are three first-time headliners—Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn—alongside over 90 more names spanning the full spectrum of rock, metal, punk, emo, hardcore, alternative and classic rock. Next year’s festival will take place on 13-15 June 2025 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire. General tickets are on sale at 9pm on Thursday 14 November at www.downloadfestival.co.uk.
For the first time in Download Festival’s history, next year’s edition will showcase a trio of headliners who are entirely new to topping the main stage. This exciting milestone underscores Download’s commitment to delivering a fresh, groundbreaking lineup year after year.
Also announced are UK and international heavyweights Weezer, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, Jimmy Eat World, Within Temptation, Eagles Of Death Metal, The Darkness, Poppy, Loathe, Spiritbox, Meshuggah, Steel Panther, Lorna Shore, Airbourne, Jerry Cantrell, Cradle Of Filth, Alien Ant Farm, CKY, McFly, Don Broco, Mallory Knox, The Ghost Inside, Turbonegro, Sylosis, Whitechapel, Fit For An Autopsy, Lorna Shore, Kittie, Jinjer and many more.
Punk-rock royalty Green Day are set to make their long-awaited debut at Download Festival, headlining for the first time in their 37-year career. Known for their high-energy performances and a career that’s shaped the landscape of rock, Green Day has built a legacy of unforgettable live shows that will electrify the crowd on Friday night. The band are fresh off celebrating two major milestones—the 30th anniversary of their trailblazing album Dookie and the 20th anniversary of the culture-shaping American Idiot—Green Day continues to prove why they’re one of the most iconic and influential bands in the world.
The mysterious Sleep Token have skyrocketed since their inception in 2016, and the anonymous masked collective have gone from strength to strength, headlining arenas this month and now about to embark on their very first Download headline set. Clocking up millions of monthly listeners, the alternative rock outfit are set to play the performance of their life at the hallowed grounds of Donington on Saturday.
The festival’s grand finale will come at the hands of nu-metal legends Korn, who will also be headlining Download for the very first time. The Californian five-piece formed in 1993 but have never been more relevant, and their recent shows have caused a huge buzz in the rock community. Having inspired the likes of Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Machine Head and Sepultura during their 31 years of being a band, Korn are well and truly ready to finally headline Download.
Download Festival’s Andy Copping says: “Following on from last year’s sold out 21st edition, Download’s legacy not only includes the incredible artists who have performed at the hallowed grounds over the years, but also our unrivalled community, safe and warm atmosphere, and fantastic afterhours entertainment at District X, with something for truly everyone.”
The DLXXII line up was announced at a very special Metal Gala launch event at One Marylebone this evening, where the rock and metal elite gathered under one roof. The one and only Paddy Considine (House Of The Dragon, Peaky Blinders), who will be playing at this year’s Download with his band Riding The Low, stars in this year’s announcement video, alongside other Humans Of Download. Like he says in the short film titled ‘Est Momentum’, Download is “a place where legends are born. This is where you belong.”
This is only the beginning for DLXXII, with many more acts and surprises yet to be announced. Book your tickets now: www.downloadfestival.co.uk.
Five key talking points after the announcement
This is the first time the festival has had three brand new headliners
It wasn’t that long ago people were moaning that Download booked the same few headline acts on repeat. 2023 saw Bring Me The Horizon as first timers topping the bill and they went down a storm. 2024 saw Queens Of The Stone Age and Fall Out Boy as two new acts topping the bill. So should it really be a surprise that 2025 will see a full house? Not really. But it’s a brave move none the less. Green Day are a genuine stadium band. Korn have earned the right to be there and some have been arguing are overdue. And that leaves plenty of wriggle room for the unexpected inclusion of Sleep Token.
Sleep Token
Who? A very few have asked on social media. Well this is a band who in 2023 sold out Wembley Arena in ten minutes and continue to sell out venues of this stature. They have clocked up tens of millions of views on YouTube and incredible figures on streaming platforms elsewhere. Formed in 2016 in London they have risen in popularity amazingly quickly and add an air of mystery by using monikers such as Vessel (vocals) and II (drums) etc. And we seem to love a bit of mystery don’t we? It’s a big call to install them as a headline act but with the stats they have, and a strong following surely they deserve a chance. This looks like a clear case of Download getting ahead of the game and laying down a bit of a marker at the same time.
The Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter
There were a few raised eyebrows from some quarters (looking at you old punks) when it was announced that Frank Carter would be joining former Sex Pistols Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock for a series of shows. But it was a huge success. It’s like the three had been waiting for Frank to come along to get together. You certainly couldn’t have picked a better person. He has so much fire and is a remarkable front man. This will be a rare opportunity to see three of the original members of a legendary band teamed up with someone with the energy they emitted back in the 70s. You’re getting the best of both worlds really.
McFly
So much attention was drawn by the headline acts that McFly almost crept under the radar. Almost! There were the usual tedious shouts of ‘but it’s a metal festival’ which Download has never been. But there was plenty of positivity too. 2024 saw Busted play to a rammed tent with people even trying to watch from a nearby hill. They like McFly are of a certain generation that may have moved on musically but still love those artists and that era. Timing they say is everything and this year and next looks to be hitting the sweet spot for the trips down memory lane that involve the lighter end of the music spectrum. One thing’s for sure, the band will have a huge crowd whichever stage they play on.
Kittie
This is the band on the announcement that must have gotten the most positivity judging by the reactions we saw. Put simply Kittie are legends. Formed in 1996 they put out three albums including the widely acclaimed ‘Spit’. The band split in 2017 but reformed in 2022 to much excitement by fans. Lzzy Hale has cited them as an inspiration while Poppy is a big fan. So it’s the very biggest of deals that Download has booked the Canadians for an appearance next year. Let’s hope they get the prominent position on the bill their contribution to metal richly deserves.