Download are no strangers to pushing the limits of what to expect from them as the UK's biggest rock and metal festivals.
This year saw them welcome one of their biggest curveballs to the hallowed ground of Donington Park in the form of The Vengaboys, who were greeted by a crowd that spilt out of the Doghouse Tent when they performed on the Thursday evening.
This connection between metalheads loving cheesy euro-pop has become increasingly prevalent over the last few years, thanks to the likes of the Rocktail Cocktail bar in the festival's arena, which allows acts like Hang The DJs to blast everything from pop and disco to drum and bass and donk to the battle-jacket-wearing masses. A change of pace from the riffs and breakdowns, so to speak.
And that's not to say that dance music has had its place on the line-up in the past, with The Prodigy headlining in 2012 and the likes of Modestep, Pendulum, and Perturbator all plying their trade over the years.
Well, now, such a phenomenon has been taken to the next level, with the announcement that one of Europe's leading lights in big room techno has been invited to join the party. That is the one and only Scooter, responsible for such iconic lyrical turns as "I am the captain, my name is Dave", "When we walk in the door we cause panic, like the last few minutes on the Titanic" and "Respect to the man in the ice cream van". Though, in all seriousness, few acts in dance music history have had a career as long-lasting as H.P. Baxxter and his merry men, topping charts across the continent and managing to find their place in every ebb and flow of electronic music over the last 30 years.
Now, they will be ticking another field off their list as they be "taking over The Avalanche Stage," as the official announcement video states. So, surely, after the success of The Vengaboys, this will be a headline set on that stage? It's going to be busy either way.
The band join headliners Guns N' Roses, Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park alongside the likes of BABYMETAL, Bad Omens, Electric Callboy, Halestorm, Ice Nine Kills, Mastodon, Paleface Swiss, Blood Incantation and many, MANY more.
Download 2026 takes place Wednesday June 10 - Sunday June 14 at Donington Park in the UK. Tickets are on sale now - for more information, head to the official Download website.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
