Blink-182 and Evanescence to headline Download 2027

Blink-182, Evanescence and Bring Me The Horizon have been named as headliners of next year’s Download Festival, according to BBC News. The event will be held at Donington Park in Leicestershire from 9 to 13 June 2027.

The three headliners are among more than 100 acts booked for the rock and metal festival. Further names include The Prodigy and 5 Seconds of Summer. Heavy metal veterans Mötley Crüe will also appear in a dedicated set. The festival has indicated that more names will be confirmed later.

A debut for Blink-182 and a second female-fronted headliner

US pop-punk group Blink-182 will play Download for the first time. The band grew up in California’s skate punk scene during the 1990s. They have scored two UK top 10 singles, and their first number one album arrived in 2016, 21 years after their debut record.

Evanescence will be the festival’s second female-fronted headliner. The American band was formed by singer Amy Lee in the mid-1990s. Their best-known single, Bring Me to Life, reached UK number one in 2003. Linkin Park headlined the 2025 bill, so women-led acts have topped the lineup two years running.

Linkin Park’s new frontwoman draws criticism

Linkin Park reformed with Emily Armstrong as their lead singer following the death of Chester Bennington in 2017. Her appointment has upset some supporters of the band.

Critics have raised alleged links between Armstrong and the religious group Scientology. They have also pointed to her earlier backing of Danny Masterson, who was convicted of rape. Armstrong has said she distanced herself from Masterson.

Bring Me The Horizon marks 20 years of its debut

Sheffield-formed Bring Me The Horizon are better known to regular festival-goers. This will be their second headline slot in five years. The band plans to re-record Count Your Blessings, its 2006 debut album, to mark two decades since its release.

That early record sits in the deathcore genre, which is defined by weighty, aggressive music. The group has since shifted into metalcore, pop and electronic rock. Some listeners asked whether the early lyrics, which frontman Oli Sykes admitted could be read as misogynistic, still fit. Sykes, 39, told the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show that returning to the older material was “a lot of fun”.

What Download promises for 2027

Organisers say the line-up is larger, stronger and more daring than before. The festival describes its scope as covering rock, metal, punk, emo, hardcore, alternative and classic rock. Other acts confirmed so far include Turnstile, Faith No More, Body Count featuring Ice-T and Malevolence.

Wider ticket sales open on Sunday at 10 a.m. GMT, and some pre-sale tickets are already available. Download has also booked pop performers and surprise guests in recent years. The Vengaboys were an unexpected addition in 2024, and Dogstar, the band formed by actor Keanu Reeves, played in 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• BBC News: Blink-182 to make Download debut as 2027 festival headliners

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