It’s official: Download 2012 was our biggest year EVER, and saw 100,000 of you rocking out to over 140 incredible bands.
To celebrate such an awesome weekend, we’re thrilled to announce that the festival will return to Donington Park next year from June 14th – 16th.
Early Bird tickets to Download 2013 (at 2012 prices) will go on sale this Friday at 9am, with a new deposit scheme being introduced to make it even easier to pay.
Festival promoter Andy Copping has revealed that one headliner has already been confirmed, so now’s the time to fire up the rumour mill!
Alice Cooper
Returning for its third year, Alice Cooper’s Halloween Night of Fear is a celebration of gore and an all out rock 'n roll fright fest! Each night turns into a giant costume party, with cash prizes for the most ghoulish outfit and outrageous Halloween outfit. Support from from Duff McKagan's Loaded on selected dates and Ugly Kid Joe.
Refused
Following a storming Download 2012 set last weekend, Swedish hardcore band Refused have announced a series of shows scheduled for summer 2012 - their first headline tour since splitting up in the late ‘90s. It WILL get loud.
Trivium Matt Heafy and co did a phenomenal job tearing it up on the Jim Marshall Stage at Download last weekend, and have announced a set of UK dates for October. Support will come from As I Lay Dying, Caliban and the brutal Upon A Burning Body.
Down
Last seen at Download in 2011, heavy metal masters Down have revealed that they’ll play three special UK shows in October. The band will be lifting the roof off at venues in Manchester, Birmingham and London – get ready for the noise.
Nightwish Download 2012 provided Nightwish a chance to show off the breath-taking vocals of new lead singer Anette Olzon. The band put on a storming show in Donington last weekend, and will be heading out on a string of headline gigs this November.
Opeth
Currently on tour promoting new album Heritage, Opeth will be stopping off in Glasgow and London in November to showcase tracks from the new album live. They killed it at Download 2012 – do NOT miss Opeth in these more intimite settings later in the year.
August Burns Red
New dates across the UK this October have been announced for the Pennsylvanian metal’ers. They'll be playing new songs off latest album Leveler as well as hits from previous records as well.
Danny and Ben from Thunder
Following their hugely successful sell out 15 date tour in January, Danny & Ben from Thunder will return in 2013 for more intimate evenings of 2 man mirth, music and musings. Sticking with the same format, they’ll be spreading the joy with new road stories, acoustic versions of Thunder songs and more of their favourite covers, all wrapped up in some general D&B silliness. What better way to cheer up January?
More Metal
Relive Download 2012
Asking Alexandria
The metalcore masters have just added shows across the UK, including London’s O2 Academy Brixton in January. Tickets go on presale this Thursday.
Lower Than Atlantis
If you couldn’t get enough of them at Download this year, catch the LTA boys across the country on their 10-date UK tour this Autumn.
Turbonegro
Shows in London and Manchester have been announced for the bizarre and brilliant Turbonegro.
