Download 2026: Festival Adds 14 New Acts Including A Day To Remember and THE PRIMALS as Day Tickets Go On Sale
Download 2026 has announced a second wave of artists for the Donington Park festival running from June 10 to 14, adding 14 names to an already stacked DLXXIII bill. The follow-up announcement has prompted organisers to put day tickets on sale, with a 48-hour PayPal presale opening at 10am on 23. 02. 26 ahead of a general on-sale at 10am on Wednesday 25 February.
Download 2026 Second Wave: 14 New Names
The newly confirmed acts are A Day To Remember, THE PRIMALS, Daughtry, Creeper, Hot Milk, DECESSUS, Silly Goose, Marmozets, BAND‑MAID, Stampin’ Ground, Frozemode, Conjurer, Annisokay and Private School. Those 14 additions join a lineup already topped by headliners Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses and Linkin Park and a roster that includes Scooter, Electric Callboy, Pendulum, Bad Omens, The Pretty Reckless, Cypress Hill, Trivium, Halestorm, BABYMETAL and Tom Morello.
A Day To Remember, THE PRIMALS and Organiser Commentary from Kamran Haq
Festival booker Kamran Haq described the second announcement as adding "further depth and diversity to DLXXIII, " highlighting A Day To Remember, Daughtry, Creeper and Hot Milk among the arrivals and noting the significance of THE PRIMALS coming to the UK for their first show outside Asia. Haq also warned that tickets are selling faster than usual and indicated more announcements may still be to come.
Marmozets, BAND‑MAID, Stampin’ Ground and DECESSUS
The wave mixes established names with genre variety: Marmozets are described as a UK math‑rock band; BAND‑MAID are a Japanese five‑piece; Stampin’ Ground are characterised as hardcore veterans; and Frozemode are listed as an experimental punk‑rap trio. Organisers singled out DECESSUS, a Chilean death‑metal group fronted by current Miss World Chile Ignacia Fernández, whose unexpected growls earlier this year went viral — a surge in demand that organisers said helped secure the band’s inclusion.
Tickets and Presale: PayPal Window Starts 10am on 23. 02. 26
With the second announcement confirmed, day tickets have gone on sale. PayPal customers receive a 48‑hour exclusive presale beginning at 10am on 23. 02. 26; the general sale opens at 10am on Wednesday 25 February. Organisers placed the presale and day tickets live in response to strong demand and faster-than-usual sales activity.
Past Download Moments, Debuts and Expectations for Breakouts
The second announcement comes after organisers had teased news for just over a week and follows a first wave that previously contained roughly 90 bands. Commentary around the bill has already invoked past Download moments: Trivium’s 2005 main‑stage rise, Alien Weaponry’s 2019 appearance and Bloodywood’s day‑stealing set in 2023 are cited as examples of acts that used early or surprise slots to leap forward. Independently, Blood Incantation is noted to be making its Download debut this year and is a "logo band" on the poster, underlining the range from legacy headliners to emerging names.
What makes this notable is how the second wave balances headline‑grade draws with niche and international additions, from Final Fantasy XIV’s official band THE PRIMALS making a first‑ever appearance outside Asia to the viral momentum behind DECESSUS. The timing matters because the 48‑hour PayPal window begins immediately, compressing purchase opportunity and shaping who can secure day tickets before the general sale on 25 February.
Download Festival, in its 23rd year, will stage the event at Donington Park across June 10–14. With the new confirmations and the ticket schedule now in motion, organisers have signalled both ongoing curation of the DLXXIII lineup and an expectation that demand will remain high as the festival approaches.
