Music
Your ticket to Download Festival
Everything you need to know about what to expect at Download 2026
If you’re a budding or lifelong fan of metal, hard rock and all things heavy, Download Festival is the place for you. Founded in 2003, Download festival is the premier open-air rock festival that takes place in Donington Park each June. It is the largest rock festival in the UK, with an 80,000-person capacity, and has seen past headliners such as Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Green Day – and even McFly.
Genres played at Download span punk, metal, pop rock, alternative rock, classic rock, metal, progressive rock, hip hop and metal techno. So even if you’re newer to the scene, there really is something for every rock fan at Download. And if you need help planning for this year’s edition, we’ve got you covered with all the information you’ll need to make your Download Festival experience one for the ages.
When and where is Download Festival 2026
Who’s on the line-up for Download Festival 2026
Types of tickets at Download Festival
Camping at Download Festival
How to get to Download Festival
Accessibility at Download Festival
On-site experience
Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Download Festival
Top tips for surviving Download Festival 2026
FAQs
When and where is Download Festival 2026
Download is held at Donington Park, Leicestershire/Derbyshire, DE74 2RP, and the 2026 edition will take place on Wednesday 10 June – Sunday 14 June. Donington Park has long been associated with rock music festivals including Monsters of Rock (1980 – 1986), The Rock and Blues Festival in 2001 and Ozzfest in 2002.
Castle Donington, Leicestershire is the closest town to Download, but there are many locations nearby that are easy to get to such as Nottingham, Derby, Loughborough, Repton and Beeston. Donington Park’s location also sits in the Peak District and Derbyshire, and is not far from East Midlands Airport.
Who’s on the lineup for Download Festival 2026?
This year’s headliners are Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses and Linkin Park – all of which are UK exclusive, so if you want to see any of these bands as a UK fan? You need to head to Download. The first headliners for the festival in 2003 were Iron Maiden and Audioslave and since then, Download has expanded the genres represented at the festival to include more niche metal bands such as Suicide Silence, but also pop rock bands such as Kids in Glass Houses. Plus, smaller stages have been curated for ambient post hardcore acts, and hip hip and grime acts such as Lethal Bizzle and Ho99o9.
Also on the line-up for 2026 are The Pretty Reckless, Bad Omens, Cypress Hill, The All-American Rejects, Mastodon, Electric Callboy and Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar. Check out the full line-up below:
Types of tickets at Download
There are four types of tickets that you can purchase for Download, which are:
- Day Tickets – If you can only make it to one day or maybe the Day Split of a specific date is more enticing to you, you can book a Day Ticket. This is a General Admission non-camping ticket that gives you access to the festival arena, and the Co-Op and the Megastore located in District X South on the chosen date of your Day Ticket.
- Weekend Arena Tickets – This is a General Admission non-camping ticket that gives visitors access to the festival arena, and the Co-Op and the Megastore located in District X South on Friday 12 June, Saturday 13 June and Sunday 14 June. Perfect for non-camping festival-goers and and families who are staying around the Castle Donington area.
- Camping Tickets – This is a General Admission camping ticket that gives visitors access to the General Admission festival grounds, and the specific camping site you select with you ticket. There are three camping sites that you can choose from with a General Admission Camping Ticket: General, Eco and Quiet. You can only purchase one campsite per booking.
- RIP Packages – For the fancy few, these are the VIP packages that give you even more access around campsites and festival grounds. There are four camping sites that you can choose from with an RIP Ticket: Metal Meadow 1, Metal Meadow 2, Thunder Valley, and Park Farm, Sleepy Hollow.
- Accessibility Tickets – Festival goers who require accessible facilities can buy a ticket of their choice and then apply for an accessibility pass on the Download festival website. VIP guests can also email [email protected] to book accessible facilities.
Extras
Missed out on general sale? Bought tickets and can’t make it anymore? You can use our handy resale platform. You can also purchase parking passes for either a car, a motorbike or a camper van. The parking pass must be purchased before arrival at the festival, and is exclusive to parking. It does not grant access to the festival grounds on its own.
You can also purchase charging packs if you don’t have your own power banks. It includes a fully charged portable charger that you can pre-book, and swap once per day for a new fully charged portable charger.
All tickets are digital and will be scanned on entrance, but if you’d like a physical memento, you can buy a souvenir ticket. It’s physical keepsake that is not a valid ticket, so you will still need to purchase a digital ticket first. But you will have the memory for your scrapbooks after, and that’s rock and roll.
Camping at Download Festival
General Admission Campsites
There are three campsites to choose from with a general admission ticket. The General camping grounds, which is where most GA visitors camp. The Eco camping grounds, which is the greenest way to camp at Download. And for people who want party during the day and rest peacefully at night, the Quiet camping ground is for you. You can also choose Circular Camping, which is a GA camping package with sustainable pre-pitched tents. For those of you who want to skip the trip to Decathlon and head straight into the action without hassle, Download’s Circular Camping package is for you. Arrive, camp and leave, without worrying about pitching or packing away your tent.
RIP Package Campsites
You can choose between a camping huts, yurts, country wagons, cabins, airstream motorhomes and glamping tents all across different RIP campsites. There are four campsites to choose from with RIP tickets: Metal Meadow 1, Metal Meadow 2, Thunder Valley, and Park Farm, Sleepy Hollow. RIP packages also give you access to more of the festival grounds, including the exclusive Guest Area, the RIP Village, goodie bags, parking at either Metal Car Park 1 or 2, access to luxury showers and toilets, pamper areas and more. Book an RIP package to Download and see for yourself.
Hotels
Sometimes, camping just isn’t your thing, whether you’re in an airstream or in a six-person tent from a charity shop. Well fear not, because you can book a hotel as part of your RIP Package if you’d prefer your hard rock with a side of room service. The hotel packages include Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel, Crowne Plaza East Midlands Airport, Hilton Hotel East Midlands Airport, Holiday Inn Express East Midlands Airport, Leonardo Hotel East Midlands Airport and Radisson Blu Hotel East Midlands Airport. All hotels are no further than six miles away from the festival site, and each hotel package gives guests access to all RIP package goodies such as RIP Village entry and goodie bags.
How do I get to Download?
Car
There is a drop-off and pick-up area located at the Transport Hub at Download Festival, which will have road signs directing you to it. The Transport Hub is located by the East Entrance, and the dedicated Transport Team can help with any and all queries. Drivers can only pick up and drop off guests from the Transport Hub, so please make sure you put the right location into the Sat-Nav! If you’d like to park your car at the festival, you’ll need to purchase a Car Park Pass or a Camping Car Park Pass alongside your ticket. For more information on car parks and routes to to the festival, check out the Driving To Download Guide.
Coach
Big Green Coach is Download Festival’s official partner, providing return services from one of 75 UK pick-up locations directly to the festival’s coach park. You can purchase a weekend return coach ticket, which arrives Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. All coaches return on Monday. Alternatively if you’re only there for the day, you can day return coach ticket, where you travel Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday. The coach arrives at Download before the music starts and leaves after the headline act, so you won’t have to miss a beat. Book your coach ticket here.
Train
If the train is your travel choice, the closest mainline railway stations to the festival are East Midlands Parkway and Derby. There are regular official Download Festival transfer buses from both stations to the Transport Hub and back. The bus ride from East Midlands Parkway station to the festival can take 20 minutes, and 30 minutes from Derby station.
Is the festival accessible?
Yes it is! Fans with accessibility requirements can purchase a standard or RIP ticket first, then apply for accessible facilities on the Download Festival accessibility page. If you require an essential companion, you only have to purchase a separate ticket for them if you choose an RIP or Rock Retreat ticket. Essential companion tickets are handled through the accessibility application process.
All general campsites have accessible toilets plus, there are accessible viewing areas and facilities across the festival grounds.
It’s important to note that the terrain at Download is mostly grass with slopes, and can become muddy after heavy rain. For any assistance or queries on accessibility needs, you can contact the Download Accessibility team on [email protected]. The team is available to answer questions all year round, and can assist with any questions you may have.
On-site experience
So you’ve bought your ticket, you’ve booked your camping site, and you’re ready to roll. But what’s the festival like once you’re there? First and foremost, get the app. The official app provides site maps, set times and festival updates in real time, so you can prepare yourself for each day and plan your routes from campsites to the stage.
Maps will be released closer to the festival, but at Download, fans can expect to see acts in the Main Arena and smaller stages. If you want a break from the moshpits but you’d still love some entertainment, Download’s District X is the place for you. It’s the onsite entertainment village where you can enjoy DJ sets, activities such as as axe-throwing and alternative bingo, and even activities to keep the “Mini Moshers” (the kids) happy. Plus, there are over 160 vendors of food and drink on the festival grounds, so you can party on a full stomach.
Weekend Arena and Day ticket holders have access to District X South, which includes the Co-op and the Megastore.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Bag restrictions
You can bring bags into the main arena, but they must be A4 size (30cm height X 8cm depth X 21 cm width) or under. All bags brought to the arena will be searched and prohibited items will be confiscated. For a comprehensive list of what you can bring in your bags to Download, you can visit their handy Bag Restrictions guide. If you need to bring a bigger bag as an accessibility measure, please contact the Download Festival Accessibility team at [email protected].
You can also bring trolleys to the Main Arena, but bag restrictions still apply. Trolleys must be no bigger than 120cm x 60cm, and will be emptied for the security check.
Medication guidance
You can bring prescription medication to Download, as long as it’s in its original packaging with the dispensary sticker intact. If you need to bring in medication that’s not in its original packaging, please bring the original prescription form with you. If your medication requires refrigerated storage, that’s no problem! Refrigerated medication storage is available in the accessible campsite, the arena, and District X. For more information on medication storage, email [email protected].
Prescribed medical marijuana can also be brought into the festival, as long as you bring the original prescription form along with you. You may be asked to present it upon on entry, along with identification that matches the name on the prescription form.
Water stations
As part of the festival’s sustainability charter, there is no pre-bottled water onsite. Instead, you can purchase canned water from the bar, or you can use one of the refillable water stations across the festival grounds. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own refillable water bottle, and there are also refillable bottles available to purchase onsite.
Support staff
If you feel unwell or require any assistance, you can speak to a member of the Security and Stewarding team who will be wearing numbered tabards/shirts. They will be able to help with your query or direct you to the correct facility to help you.
Medical and welfare facilities are also available across the festival site, with doctors, paramedics, first aiders and fully equipped ambulances based at the medical centre.
Please note that smoke machines, strobe lights, lasers and other effects may be used during festival performances. If you are affected by these, please bear this in mind and locate welfare facilities if needed.
Top tips for surviving Download Festival 2026
Packing Checklist
So you’ve bought your ticket, you’ve picked your accommodation, and now you’re thinking; “what should I pack?” Well, the greatest thing about Download is that at its heart, its a festival that fosters community. So much so that someone on the r/DownloadFestival subreddit has created a public spreadsheet with everything you could possibly need at the festival. But if you’d also like our two cents, these are some things we think will be handy at Download:
- Your ticket – Yes, it is a digital ticket and should be easier to remember than a physical one. That being said, have it locked and loaded in a place with good signal before arriving at the festival, and make sure the device its on is fully charged and able to be scanned.
- Ponchos and wellies – This is England. Prepare for rain even when the weather forecast says otherwise.
- Sunscreen – Even though this is England, SPF is always important.
- Sleeping bags and travel pillows – Comfort is key. You’ll need your rest!
- ID – Important if you’d like to purchase alcohol, and also for entry to the festival.
- Clothes that are easy to layer – The weather at Download is known to be unpredictable. It’s always good to be prepared to layer up for the cold, or remove layers during the heatwaves.
- Camping chairs
- Baby wipes
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Hand sanitiser
- Refillable water bottle
- First Aid Kit
- Head Torch – Finding your tent at night after a long day of great music is a hard task, but a head torch can help light the path to a good night’s sleep.
- Deodorant
- Ear Plugs
Weather
Download is known to have some extreme weather. Some years, people have talked about the scorching-hot sun, while other years boasted mudslides. The terrain at Donington Park is grassy with slopes, which can be dry in the heat but very muddy when it rains. Pack for all contingencies: wellies, ponchos, sunscreen and hats.
Handling the crowds
Download can have a capacity of up to 80,000 people. There are welfare and wellbeing facilities around the festival grounds if big crowds can overwhelm you, or if you need a break. Plus places to relax in District X and at the campsites. Also, make sure you keep track of your personal belongings; in crowds this big, things can easily fall out of pockets. Keep valuables safe in bags that close properly, and be safe out there!
FAQs
- Is Download Festival family friendly?
- Yes! You can purchase adult tickets and child tickets. Child tickets are for kids aged 5-12, and can only be purchased in conjunction with an adult ticket. Kids aged 0-4 can go for free, and kids aged 13+ must purchase an adult ticket. Kids aged 0-15 must be accompanied by an adult (parent or guardian) aged 18+, but visitors aged 16-17 do not need adult accompaniment.
- Can you attend without camping?
- Yes – you can purchase either a Weekend Arena Ticket, a Day Ticket, or an RIP Hotel Package ticket. Weekend Arena Tickets are General Admission tickets for the weekend, Day Tickets are General Admission tickets for a specific festival date, and Hotel Package tickets are VIP tickets that include a room booking at a nearby hotel.
- How many people attend?
- Attendance typically reaches about to 80,000 people each year.
- How accessible is the site?
- The site has accessible viewing platforms, facilities and toilets across general admission and VIP sections. There is an on-site accessibility team that are available to help visitors with anything they may need. The terrain of the grounds are grassy with slopes, and can become quite muddy after heavy rain. For any enquiries about accessibility needs, contact the Download support staff at [email protected].
- Can tickets be resold?
- Yes, tickets can be resold via the official Ticketmaster resale platform. Find more information about Download here.
Tickets to Download Festival 2026 are on sale now
