Georgia Levy-CollinsBBC Newsbeat
Getty ImagesLinkin Park, Limp Bizkit and Guns N’ Roses have been announced as headliners of next year’s Download festival.
The trio are among 90 rock and metal acts set to play the three-day event held at Donington Park, Leicestershire.
Other acts on the bill include Pendulum, Cypress Hill, Babymetal and Black Veil Brides.
They’ll be joined by metal heavyweights Trivium, Mastodon and Architects, alongside indie-rockers Feeder and Ash, across the weekend of 10 to 14 June.
Linkin Park’s presence at the top of the bill will mark the first time a female-fronted band has headlined the three-day rock and metal event since its launch in 2023.
The nu-metal group reformed last year with Emily Armstrong as their new lead singer.
They have gone on a world tour and recorded their first new material since the death of former frontman Chester Bennington, who took his own life in 2017.
The choice of Emily upset some fans, who pointed to her alleged ties to the Church of Scientology and past support for convicted rapist Danny Masterson.
Chester Bennington’s family also criticised the band with his son, Jaime, accusing remaining members of “quietly erasing” his father’s “life and legacy”.
Emily has distanced herself from Masterson, while Linkin Park founding member Mike Shinoda has insisted she is not trying to replace anyone.
Next year’s Download will also be a first for Limp Bizkit, who have never headlined the festival.
Their appearance at this year’s Leeds Festival was the last time they performed live with founding member and bassist Sam Rivers, who died last month aged 48.
Rock legends Guns N’ Roses are currently in the middle of a world tour, and recently appeared at Ozzy Osbourne’s final live show in his hometown of Birmingham.
Download bills itself as a festival “spanning the full spectrum of rock, metal, punk, emo, hardcore, alternative and classic rock”.
In recent years Download has also featured pop acts and surprise guests, with the Vengaboys an unlikely addition to 2024’s line-up.
And Dogstar – the band formed by actor Keanu Reeves – are due to perform in 2026.
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