Download Festival 2026

Download Festival 2026 is a major rock and metal festival held at Donington Park, near Castle Donington in Leicestershire. It is one of the UK’s best-known heavy music festivals and is strongly associated with rock, metal, punk, alternative, emo, hardcore and classic rock.

Location: Donington Park, near Castle Donington
County: Leicestershire
Festival type: Rock, metal, punk, alternative and heavy music
Last checked: June 2026

The 2026 festival runs from Wednesday 10 June to Sunday 14 June 2026

Line-Up Highlights

Download Festival 2026 is headlined by Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses and Linkin Park. The official Download announcement says all three headline the Apex Stage, alongside a line-up of more than 90 artists.

Other major names announced include:

Bad Omens
Cypress Hill
Trivium
Architects
Electric Callboy
Halestorm
Ice Nine Kills
BABYMETAL
Pendulum
The Pretty Reckless
Black Veil Brides
Behemoth
Mastodon
The All-American Rejects
Feeder
Cavalera
Static-X
Blood Incantation

Festival line-ups, ticket availability, prices, parking, camping and travel arrangements can change. Always check the official festival or ticket provider before booking.

Tickets and Prices

Download Festival has several ticket types, including camping tickets, day tickets, coach packages, parking passes and premium options.

The official ticket page currently shows the 2026 event as Wednesday 10 to Sunday 14 June 2026 at Donington Park, with several camping options shown as sold out. It also lists Big Green Coach day ticket packages and other ticket options depending on availability.

Ticket prices and availability can change quickly, especially when camping or premium options sell out. Before booking, check:

Weekend camping tickets
Day tickets
Big Green Coach packages
Parking passes
RIP or VIP options
Accessible ticket arrangements
Refund and resale rules

Tickets TBA

Getting There

Download Festival is held at Donington Park, close to Castle Donington and East Midlands Airport.

Because it is a large festival, travel planning matters. Visitors may arrive by car, coach, shuttle, taxi or rail connection depending on where they are travelling from.

Useful travel points to check before setting off:

Nearest suitable railway stations
Official shuttle buses
Big Green Coach packages
Drop-off and pick-up points
Taxi arrangements
Road closures or traffic controls
Festival entrance gates
Arrival times for camping and day visitors

The official Download information includes travel guidance and ticket options with return coach travel from multiple UK pick-up locations.

Parking

If you are driving, do not assume you can simply turn up and park without planning.

Download’s FAQ says you need to pre-purchase a car park or motorbike parking pass to park at the festival. It also points visitors towards Ticketmaster or the travel page for parking and travel options.

Before travelling, check:

Which car park you need
Whether your ticket includes parking
Whether parking passes are still available
Accessible parking arrangements
Arrival routes
Drop-off and pick-up rules
Whether your campsite affects where you should park

For a festival of this size, it is worth printing or saving your travel instructions before leaving home.

Camping

Download is a major camping festival, with different camping options depending on ticket type and availability.

The official ticket page lists general camping, eco camping, quiet camping, coach and camping packages, and RIP options. At the time checked, several camping options were shown as sold out, so availability should be checked carefully before making plans.

Common camping options may include:

General camping
Quiet camping
Eco camping
RIP or VIP camping
Coach and camping packages
Campervan or specialist camping options if available

The official information also notes changes to some camping arrangements, such as Circular Camping moving from Eco Camping to General Camping because of demand.

If camping is important to your visit, book early and check exactly what your ticket includes.

Food and Facilities

Download is not just bands on stages. The official festival site highlights extras such as film screenings, cooking demos, skate ramps and more than 160 food traders.

You can usually expect a large festival site with food traders, bars, toilets, water points, welfare areas and accessibility arrangements, but the exact layout and rules should be checked before travelling.

Before you go, check:

Food and drink rules
Reusable bottle rules
Toilet and shower arrangements
Cashless payment information if used
Accessibility facilities
Welfare and medical points
What you can and cannot bring
Bag restrictions
Phone charging options
Official festival app or map

Large festivals can involve a lot of walking, so comfortable footwear and weather-appropriate clothing are important.

Good to Know Before You Go

Download is a large outdoor festival, so preparation makes a big difference.

Before travelling, check:

Your ticket type
Camping access dates
Arena opening times
Stage times
Car park or coach ticket
Weather forecast
Footwear and waterproofs
Bag rules
ID or age requirements
Re-entry or pass-out rules
Food and drink restrictions
Phone battery and charging options

The official site states that festival dates, licence status and set times are subject to change, so treat current details as something to check again before travelling.

Where to Stay

If you are travelling from outside the area and are not camping, it is worth arranging accommodation early, especially for a major festival weekend.

For hotels, cottages, holiday parks, last-minute breaks and other accommodation ideas, see our Where to Stay section.

Nearby Attractions and Alternatives

Download Festival is the main reason to visit during the festival weekend, but there are other places nearby if you are staying longer or travelling with people who are not attending every day.

Nearby ideas include:

Donington Park circuit
East Midlands Aeropark
Melbourne Hall and Gardens
Calke Abbey
Derby
Nottingham
Leicester
National Space Centre
Conkers
Bradgate Park

If the weather is poor, city museums, shopping centres, cafés, cinemas and indoor attractions in Derby, Nottingham or Leicester may be useful before or after the festival.