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Liquid Death Presents Download 2024 – line-up deep dive
Your ultimate guide to the names playing the biggest and best heavy music festival around
Following an epic four-day 20th birthday party last year, Download Festival is once again set to take over Donington Park this summer. Reverting back to its standard three-day format, the festival will take place from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 June, playing host to artists from all corners of the heavy music world.
Widening the net with their most eclectic line-up to date, this year Download have sent the internet into meltdown, with 2000s pop heartthrobs Busted sharing the same poster as heavy metal icons such as Pantera and Machine Head. With several bookings as bold as they are brilliant, it’s set to be one of the wildest festivals of the year, with something for old school metalheads, next-gen pop-punk fans and everyone in between.
There’s a hell of a lot to unpack, and with only a few months to go until thousands descend on Donington for another weekend of riffs, hits, and mosh pits – here’s a 101 guide to the Download Festival 2024 line-up.
The headliners
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Queens Of The Stone Age
Friday, Apex Stage
Making their return to Castle Donington for their first ever headline slot, Queens Of The Stone Age are poised to close out the first night of Download 2024 with an almighty bang. With a career spanning over two decades and fresh from the release of 2023 album In Times New Roman… – one of their darkest, rawest efforts to date – the Washington band are bringing their signature blend of spine-tingling riffs and infectious grooves to the main stage. Get your singing voices ready to join Josh Homme’s croon on ‘Go With The Flow’ and ‘No One Knows’, and prepare to kickstart the festival season with a night of anthemic alt rock thrills.
Fall Out Boy
Saturday, Apex Stage
Download may have thrown festival-goers a slight curveball with their Saturday headliner, but there’s no doubt Fall Out Boy know how to close out an evening of live music in style. Making their first appearance at the festival since 2014 (where they served as main support to Linkin Park) the Chicago band have risen to emo titan status over the last two decades with their unique brand of heart-on-sleeve pop punk. Having cemented their position as one of rock’s biggest-selling bands, the four-piece are also self-proclaimed die-hard fans of heavy music, growing up watching videos of Metallica dominating the Donington grounds. Rest assured, they may sound a little different to your average Download headliner, but you can be sure Fall Out Boy’s bill-topping set will honour the remarkable legacy of the festival in style.
Avenged Sevenfold
Sunday, Apex Stage
As the only main stage headliner whose set won’t be a slight step into the unknown, Avenged Sevenfold are already Donington veterans. Previously topping the bill in 2014 and 2016, the Californian metal kings are returning to the Apex Stage in celebration of their experimental eighth album, Life Is But A Dream. An avant-garde metal gem bending the rules of genre and songwriting, over 25 years into their career the quintet remain focused on evolution. Known for their explosive live shows and having repeatedly filled the top spot at the biggest rock festivals around the world, expect the unexpected for Download 2024’s final party.
The old guard
Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images
Machine Head
Sunday, Opus Stage
Whilst there are a whole host of new names to look out for across the weekend, there’s no shortage of festival favourites returning to Download in 2024. Firing on all cylinders since 1991, Machine Head are the undisputed masters of bone-crushing riffs and belligerent grooves. Redefining what it means to be a heavy band throughout their career, the Oakland outfit have continually evolved their sound whilst remaining true to their old school, no-nonsense roots. Known for their electrifying live show led by enigmatic frontman Robb Flynn, whether it’s your first time seeing Machine Head or your 10th – prepare for a wild ride.
Pantera
Saturday, Opus Stage
Disbanding in 2003 shortly before the tragic murder of guitarist Dimebag Darrell, Download Festival 2014 brought the heavy metal scene the closest thing to a Pantera reunion in a decade. With bassist Rex Brown showcasing his latest project Kill Devil Hill at the festival, the band’s set culminated in a rendition of Pantera’s ‘Mouth for War’, with Phil Anselmo striding onstage to raucous cheers to perform vocal duties. It’s a moment that Pantera fans have spoken about extensively since, but a decade later it’s time for the real thing. Returning to Donington for their first UK show in 20 years, the pioneers of groove metal are back. One of the most influential and uncompromising bands in the history of heavy metal, get ready to mosh, headbang, and scream as Pantera commemorate their legendary status in the metal pantheon.
Corey Taylor
Sunday, Opus Stage
A man who deserves serious praise for his contributions to Download history, Corey Taylor needs little introduction. The frontman of five-time headliners Slipknot, Stone Sour, and an uncompromising, unfiltered solo artist, the Des Moines legend just can’t seem to stay away from Donington – and that’s far from a bad thing. Fresh from the release of his second solo album, CMF2, expect a set of career-spanning hits, sing-alongs, and belly laughs with the king of Download.
Looking for more classic heavy metal brilliance? Don’t miss Fear Factory, Dying Fetus, Asinhell, and Mr. Bungle, also performing across the weekend.
The ones you didn’t think you’d ever see at Download
Busted
Friday, The Avalanche Stage
No, you’re not mis-reading the line-up poster. Your Friday Avalanche Stage headliner is none other than 2000’s pop icons, Busted, and the tent is set to be rammed for this one. Whilst it’s a booking likely to ruffle a few feathers in the heavy music world, there’s no denying that the spiky-haired bad boy trio have served as a gateway to rock music for many who grew up with their anthems of teen angst and non-conformity. Love them or hate them, they’re set to make their Download debut, and we’re confidently predicting that ‘Thunderbirds Are Go!’ will bring the best mosh pit of the weekend.
The Hunna
Saturday, Apex Stage
Another name on this year’s line-up which may raise a few eyebrows is The Hunna, bringing their infectious blend of indie rock and anthemic pop to Donington Park for the first time. A band who have risen to international rock stardom with their infectious hooks and poignant lyrics, the Watford four-piece are ready to take on Download after exploring their heavier side on their self-titled fourth album. They might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re looking for some high-energy, ballsy rock anthems to swig your afternoon pints to, The Hunna have got you covered.
Royal Blood
This won’t be Royal Blood‘s first Download appearance (they played the festival in 2014), but they might still seem a slightly rogue booking to some, having since catapulted to the upper echelons of the mainstream rock scene. Following the release of their self-produced fourth studio album, Back To The Water Below, they’re bringing their tightly-wound riffing and deeply-ingrained rock and roll instincts to the main stage, warming up the crowd before Queens Of The Stone Age round off the evening.
Looking for something else a little different? Don’t miss Frozemode, HEALTH, Oxymorrons, AViVA, MISSIO, and Cemetery Sun, also performing across the weekend.
The nostalgia kicks
Photo by Burak Cingi/Redferns
Wheatus
Friday, The Avalanche Stage
Discovering the next big thing at a festival is always a magical moment, but there’s also something incredibly special about standing in a field with your friends singing along to songs that make you feel sixteen again. If that sounds like your idea of a good time, Download have got your sense of nostalgia covered this year, so prepare to throw it back to the year 2000. Best known for their hit single ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ – as well as a vibrant cover of Erasure’s ‘A Little Respect’ – few bands encapsulate awkward adolescence and schoolboy crushes quite like Wheatus. Get your vocal chords warmed up, and pile into the tent to reminisce on the best (and worst) moments of your teen years.
Hoobastank
Sunday, The Avalanche Stage
With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of their band, Californian four-piece Hoobastank will be celebrating by playing their acclaimed 2003 album The Reason in full at this year’s festival. A staple of every teenager’s MP3 player in the early 2000s, ‘Out Of Control’ and ‘Same Direction’ will transport you straight back to playing video games in your childhood bedroom, whilst the album’s title ballad will bring one of the most wholesome singalongs of the weekend. Make sure to pack some tissues.
Sum 41
Sunday, Apex Stage
You’ve just seen Bowling For Soup bring their high-spirited pop-punk mayhem to the main stage and the afternoon beers are starting to take effect, where to next? Well, your best bet is to stay right where you are. Making their final UK festival appearance as part of their farewell world tour, Canada’s Sum 41 will be one of the final bands taking to the Apex Stage at this year’s festival. With almost three decades of hits to rattle through, from their platinum-selling 2001 debut album All Killer No Filler to their soon-to-be-released parting gift of double album Heaven :x: Hell, prepare to say a bittersweet goodbye to one of the best-loved rock bands of the century.
Looking for more throwback singalongs? Don’t miss 311, The Offspring, Zebrahead, The Used, Billy Talent, and Karnivool, also performing across the weekend.
The unmissable sets
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Enter Shikari
Saturday, Apex Stage
Known for their triumphant live sets that double as visually spectacular light shows, you’re always in for a hell of a time at an Enter Shikari show. Kickstarting 2024 with a UK arena tour of epic proportions following the release of 2023 album of the year contender A Kiss From The Whole World, the politically-charged alt-rock kings are undoubtedly at the top of their game. Cementing their place as one of British rock’s finest modern exports, the St. Albans noisemakers will be bringing their arena rock chaos to the Apex Stage on Saturday evening for a set that could well be one for the history books.
Bad Omens
Friday, Opus Stage
Also launching into 2024 with a UK arena tour (in support of Bring Me The Horizon), Virginia metalcore outfit Bad Omens have swiftly risen to the dizzy heights of the scene following the release of their 2022 album The Death Of Piece Of Mind. Merging synths and electronic elements with crushing riffs and thundering breakdowns, the quartet will bring their cinematic production and boundary-pushing heaviness to a landmark headline set on the Opus Stage this year. Don’t sleep on this one.
Holding Absence
Saturday, Avalanche Stage
Download 2024 brings countless chances to relive your emo youth with the likes of Silverstein, The Used, and Billy Talent, but there are also plenty of artists bearing the torch for sweeping fringes and skinny jeans in the modern scene. Wales’ Holding Absence are just one of those bands, with 2023 album The Noble Art Of Self Destruction serving as an enigmatic and emotional slab of alt-rock magic. Inspired by My Chemical Romance’s flair for dramatics yet radiating a candid sense of vulnerability, this may be the last time you’ll see the four-piece on a Download stage this small.
Looking for more unmissable bands? Check out While She Sleeps, Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, Pinkshift, and ERRA, also performing across the weekend.
The party starters
Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage
Limp Bizkit
Sunday, Apex Stage
They may be nu-metal elders these days, but Fred Durst’s crew still know how to party. One of the biggest bands of the late 90s and early 2000s, over the last two decades the Florida quintet have played some of the biggest stages across the world, opening up countless mosh pits and sending millions of pints airborne in the process. With a whole host of rock club floor-fillers under their belt, from angst-ridden ‘Break Stuff’ to their impassioned 1997 cover of George Michael’s ‘Faith’, there’s no doubt Limp Bizkit‘s set will transform the Apex Stage into a total frenzy.
Electric Callboy
Sunday, Opus Stage
It’s not Download Festival without a bit of silliness, and German electronicore masters Electric Callboy know that better than anyone else. With their 2023 Avalanche Stage headline set seeing the silver and red tent overflowing beyond belief, this year the riotous crowd-pleasers are upgrading the party to the Opus Stage. From 90s pop synths to deathcore riffs and everything in between, Electric Callboy have been pushing aside convention in favour of sheer chaos since they began. Expect flames, lasers, sparkles, ridiculous outfits, and a whole host of brilliant madness.
BABYMETAL
Saturday, Apex Stage
The first Japanese artists to headline Wembley Arena back in 2016, BABYMETAL have spent over a decade proving that they’re much more than a flash-in-the-pan gimmick. Following the release of their lore-filled concept album THE OTHER ONE and a 2023 world tour, they’re making their return to Donington Park, ready to bring their intricate choreography and rousing heavy tunes to the Apex Stage. A wickedly hyperactive trio fuelled by infectious joy and sheer passion for all they do, there’s something here for every metal fan.
Looking for more party starters? Don’t miss WARGASM, Scene Queen, Royal Republic, and Lord of the Lost, also performing across the weekend.
Hardcore’s new breed
GEL
Saturday, The Dogtooth Stage
Right now, hardcore has a lot to celebrate. Historically the music of the underground, bands like Turnstile and Code Orange have granted the genre a new kind of crossover success, spawning a fresh breed of exciting artists. With gritty riffs and lyrics that explore mental health and the struggles of life as a musician, New Jersey quintet GEL have swiftly proved themselves as one of hardcore’s most progressive and cathartic new voices. Unleashing their raging debut album Only Constant in 2023, they’re delivering short, sharp doses of exhilarating noise sure to spark a joyous response from The Dogtooth Stage crowd.
Scowl
Friday, The Dogtooth Stage
Since the release of their 2021 debut album, How Flowers Grow, California’s Scowl have had a meteoric rise. Blazing a defiant trail that has already turned the heads of everyone from Hayley Williams to Post Malone, the five-piece are led by charismatic vocalist Kat Moss, a commanding frontwoman with a chilling growl. Seamlessly transitioning from sunny punk anthems to blasting classic hardcore, they’re one of the most electrifying artists in the genre at the moment.
Zulu
Friday, The Dogtooth Stage
Whipping up a bold mixture of beat-down hardcore and powerviolence, LA’s Zulu are in a league of their own. Dropping their ambitious debut album A New Tomorrow last year, they’ve swiftly been labelled one of the most vital voices of the modern scene, and their live shows push everything to the max. Tackling disenfranchisement, injustice, racism, and police brutality within explosive songs that flip many of the genre’s tropes on their head, they’re leading a powerful charge into the future of hardcore.
Looking for more kickass hardcore? Don’t miss SPEED, Guilt Trip, Counterparts, Dying Wish, and Code Orange also performing across the weekend.
The big riffs
Photo by Steve Thorne/Redferns
The Callous Daoboys
Friday, The Dogtooth Stage
If you’re looking for uncompromising, unconventional heavy music with riffs a-plenty, Atlanta’s resident metalcore weirdos The Callous Daoboys have got you covered. A free-spirited collective who play with a kind of high-strung extremity that feels like being repeatedly punched in the face, they swerve across every imaginable genre line with a ballsy glee, revelling in the ensuing mayhem. Brilliantly bizarre and impossible to categorise, their live show truly has to be seen to be believed.
Ithaca
Friday, The Dogtooth Stage
Crafting heavy music rich in meaning and depth, London’s Ithaca are a band focused on ambition and expression. Drawing influence from math rock, doom, and hardcore, they merge crushing grooves, jarring guitar lines, and haunting melodic passages to create a sonic blend unlike any other. Rising to prominence with their defiant second album They Fear Us, the five-piece are heading to The Dogtooth Stage this year to celebrate difference in blisteringly heavy style.
Heriot
Saturday, Opus Stage
Looking for something to keep you on your toes? Look no further than Birmingham’s Heriot. Seamlessly flickering between ethereal soundscapes and sheer aggression, the four-piece play with a free-flowing style that makes it impossible to predict their next step. Delivering a brutal take on metallic hardcore jam-packed with manic solos and downright disgusting breakdowns, they’re sure to set the Opus Stage alight.
Looking for more riffs? Don’t miss Tom Morello, Polyphia, Bleed From Within, Make Them Suffer, and Thy Art Is Murder, also performing across the weekend.
The up-and-comers
Harper
The youngest artist ever to perform at the festival, 12-year-old Harper’s Dogtooth Stage set will not only mark her first Download appearance, but her first ever live performance. Turning heads following her jaw-dropping rendition of Spiritbox’s ‘Holy Roller’ on the 2021 series of America’s Got Talent, the Somerset-born musician’s mind-blowing guttural screams astounded the world in a viral video. Now forging her own metalcore career and working with some of the biggest names in the scene, this will be one of the biggest talking points of this year’s festival.
NOAHFINNCE
Flying the flag high for the new breed of pop-punk, NOAHFINNCE is an artist who lives and breathes music. Cultivating a loyal following on YouTube over the last few years, the hyperactive newcomer’s debut album GROWING UP ON THE INTERNET documents his experiences as a young person with a growing online platform. Pushing back against TERFs, grind culture, and burnout with high-energy pop-rock anthems and a community-focused approach, if you’re a fan of bright, infectious tunes with an important message to share, don’t miss this one.
Brand Of Sacrifice
If you like your music a little (or a lot) heavier, you’ll probably want to check out these Canadian deathcore newcomers. Dealing in equal parts technicality and brutality, Brand Of Sacrifice have already proven themselves as masters of extreme music, with their pummelling approach turning heads all across the metal world. One of the most inventive bands in the modern deathcore scene, their Download Festival debut is set to burst eardrums and blow minds.
Looking for more new blood to check out? Don’t miss Alpha Wolf, Delilah Bon, Crystal Lake, RØRY, and Charlotte Sands, also performing across the weekend.
Additional photo credits: Peter Pakvis/Getty, Scott Legato/Getty, Katie Ogrin/Getty, Joseph Okpako/Getty
