Download Festival has confirmed Polish blackened death metal titans BEHEMOTH and British metalcore innovators ARCHITECTS as the latest high-profile additions to its 2026 lineup at the legendary Donington Park in Leicestershire, UK, scheduled for June 12-14. The additions significantly strengthen what is already shaping up to be one of the strongest and most diverse editions in the festival's storied history, cementing Download's position as the premier rock and metal festival in the United Kingdom and one of the most important in the world.
BEHEMOTH, led by the charismatic and controversial frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski, will perform on the second stage on Saturday, bringing their spectacular theatrical production and three decades of blasphemous extreme metal excellence to a prominent afternoon slot. The band's elaborate live performances, featuring ornate costumes inspired by religious iconography, pyrotechnic displays, and ritualistic stage craft that transforms each show into a dark ceremony, have made them one of the most visually compelling and talked-about acts in extreme metal worldwide. Their Donington appearance is expected to draw one of the largest second-stage audiences of the entire weekend.
Brighton metalcore innovators ARCHITECTS take a coveted main stage slot on Sunday afternoon, reflecting their meteoric rise over the past decade from UK underground favorites to arena-filling international headliners. The band's ambitious blend of progressive metalcore, atmospheric electronic elements, and emotionally charged songwriting has earned them a massive and devoted global following, particularly in the wake of their 2021 breakthrough album "For Those That Wish to Exist," which debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and established the band as one of British metal's most commercially successful exports.
The festival previously announced a formidable trio of headliners: SLIPKNOT, BRING ME THE HORIZON, and AVENGED SEVENFOLD. Other confirmed acts include MASTODON, PARKWAY DRIVE, SLEEP TOKEN, and KNOCKED LOOSE, creating a bill that spans the full spectrum from progressive sludge metal to modern hardcore. Weekend camping tickets remain available through the official website, though organizers have warned that overall capacity is approaching its limit.