Bring Me The Horizon, blink-182, Evanescence and 90+ More Announced For Download Festival 2027

Download Festival has made its first lineup announcement for 2027, raising the bar for the UK’s festival calendar as it often tends to do. The headliners alone speak to that, encompassing the ever-growing array of sounds and styles welcomed to Donington Park. blink-182 are the perfect indicator of that—modern pop-punk’s figureheads that probably would’ve raised some hackles in its all-metal days, but seem like a no-brainer now (especially when their European festival schedule meant that everyone called it months ago). Evanescence could be more ‘standard’ as one of the biggest and most enduring names in alt-metal, but this is also their first time headlining, for a deservedly sizable leap up. Funnily enough, when they last played in 2023, Bring Me The Horizon also topped the bill then, too. For a band that seems to insist they’ll be taking a break, they sure don’t seem to be getting around to it, though for the name in modern rock today, encompassing its genre exploration and futuristic aesthetic, why wouldn’t you want them here?

Altogether, it’s a good encapsulation of what this first announcement brings—longstanding favourites, the key names of today, and a whole host of bands who wouldn’t have been caught dead here not even a decade ago. Case in point: 5 Seconds Of Summer, who might be a dicey booking even by these current standards, but given the faithful’s overwhelmingly warm reception to 5ive and The Vengaboys recently, who’s to say that pop-punk’s premier boyband won’t do similar? It isn’t ground covered too extensively, but it’s still worth highlighting, especially when you’ve got Pierce The Veil and PVRIS billed so prominently, and Honey Revenge and Waterparks feeling like such conspicuous bookings. It’s fun to see, though, a good representation of that widening variety that’s bringing along strong, high=profile names.

Of course, the Monsters Of Rock days still have their representation, albeit in the same current, muted capacity. Even so, to bring in the oldies, Faith No More are nothing to sniff at, as one of the most creative and diverse alternative bands of the ‘90s who, not all that long ago, insinuated they might never play again. A must-see, for sure. (And why not chuck in Primus as another ambassador of the era’s alt-metal weirdos?) On the other side of the coin—the mouldy, rusted side—Mötley Crüe are…a choice. Doubtless that Vince Neil will give a performance akin to this year’s from Axl Rose, but hey, it’s your time.

At least the classic crowd isn’t limited to just that; the true fossils haven’t been dug up again, but the classics still see some love. In metal, Kreator, Carcass and Napalm Death still rip to this day, and Down and Body Count are still held in high esteem. There’s also The Prodigy, an honorary metal band who can slot in literally anywhere, such is the impact of their redefining of countercultures that can be felt to this day. And of course there’s nu-metal and old-school emo to sate those impulses, the former seen by Soil and Static Dress, while Hawthorne Heights and Senses Fail take the latter.

For the real interesting stuff, though, it doesn’t take more than a cursory glance to see how all-in Download have gone on the apogee of current and evergreen names. A festival like this almost seems alien for Turnstile these days, such is the momentousness of their current profile. But they’re still a hardcore band at heart, leading a pleasingly deep bench of the genre all the way down. After two fantastic albums this year, of course Converge are playing, alongside the always-excellent Cancer Bats and Comeback Kid, and filled out by SPEED, Guilt Trip, Terror, Better Lovers, Trash Talk, NASTY and Pain Of Truth.

As for metal, it’s trending heavily towards metalcore, and while that can throw up some less-than-spectacular choices—PRESIDENT, sace6 and Cenobia? It’s like Christmas…—the others are more understandable. I Prevail are a big band with a big show, so naturally they’re taking pride of place, while The Devil Wears Prada, Currents, Dayseeker, Fit For A King, Windwaker and Showing Teeth round out the contemporary crop. In ‘proper’ metal, it’s always wonderful to have Parkway Drive show up anywhere (as it is with Malevolence), while Orbit Culture, Jinjer and Cage Fight play to big, abrasive sensibilities, and Hanabie. and Dogma lend something a bit quirkier to proceedings. Worth bringing up are Heaven’s Basement, who’ve been teasing their return quite a lot lately and still feel like a great fit for Download as an all-around solid hard rock band.

To round out the main stylistic branches, there’s the current, exciting names, of which there’s (as always) a ton. Bilmuri will rule here; that goes without saying. A less self-serious Donington crowd has entrenched itself in these fields, and a bro-country / alt-metal combo is a pretty perfect way to crystallise that. The contingent of British names is pretty well fleshed-out, too, with Static Dress, Holding Absence, Soft Play, High Vis, Basement, Split Chain and Deaf Havana all being among the most reliable live names around. Then there are staples like The Hives and Murderdolls, the sort of bands you can count on to clean house at a moment’s notice.

The genre-bending acts also strike a pretty good note, between Carpenter Brut’s synthwave; HEALTH’s decimating industrial noise; DeathbyRomy’s clashing alt-pop; the long-lived trap-metal of Ghostemane; and the high-flying alt-metal of Comastatic. Finally, there’s some strong emo from Hot Mulligan and Winona Fighter; larger-than-life metal from Castle Rat; plucky punk from Karen Dió; and some classic-leaning fare from Split Dogs and Villainelle.

And even after all that, there’s still more. It just speaks to how extensive the Download lineup is, to where ‘something for everyone’ has never felt less like a trite platitude. So, to round it out, there’s Clutch, GWAR, Highly Suspect, SKYND, Dragged Under, Nails, The Raven Age, Paledusk, Reclus.É, Riff Wood, XCOMM, Point North, The Dark.FM, The Howling, Big Ass Truck I.E., Bodysnatcher, Ando San, Dexter And The Moonrocks, Ally Nicholas, Asava, Breakkaway, Hollow Path, Locked Shut, Maple’s Pet Dinosaur, Never Easy and Violent Vira.

Download Festival takes place at Donington Park, Derby from 9th-13th June 2027. For more information, visit downloadfestival.co.uk.

Words by Luke Nuttall