2026’s edition saw phenomenal demand due to its headline acts Limp Bizkit, Guns ‘n’ Roses and Linkin Park, generating great waves of nostalgia for ‘80s rock and ‘00s nu metal. Known as the most popular British festival for rock, heavy metal and alternative music, the site at Donington Park in Leicester welcomes over 100,000 attendees every June.

Since this years event ended, speculation online identified Blink-182 and Bring Me The Horizon as likely bookings. California pop-punk trio Blink-182 have never played at Donington before, but when they were announced to be headlining Germany’s Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals next June, the rumour mill marked them out as a potential candidate. Sheffield quartet Bring Me The Horizon are now one of the biggest names in alternative music, having had their first chance to headline Download at its 20th anniversary special in 2023 alongside Metallica and Slipknot. Since then, their profile has only continued to grow, with fans agreeing that 4 years away from Donington would be a long enough break for them to be a bookkeeper’s favourite for next year.

The 2027 lineup was announced at 9pm this evening during an exclusive launch event at London’s Alexandra Palace Theatre, the ‘Dark Banquet’. In a gaming-inspired trailer full of music from 2027 acts like Pierce The Veil and The Prodigy, Blink-182 were confirmed to top Friday night, with Bring Me The Horizon headlining the coveted Saturday slot before Evanescence close out the Sunday.

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Arkansas goth rockers Evanescence last played a headline slot on the festival’s Opus stage, its second largest, in 2023. Download has faced many public calls for a female main stage headline act throughout its history, which have only amplified in recent years. 2026 headliners Linkin Park were the first with their current singer Emily Armstrong, who replaced the late Chester Bennington after his passing – however, many community voices were not satisfied. Evanescence and frontwoman Amy Lee earned a UK Number One Single with 2003 hit ‘Bring Me To Life’ and continue to pull festival crowds over 20 years on, making them one of the biggest female-led bands in rock.

Immediately below the top three in the list of over 100 hundred acts are The Prodigy, Motley Crue and Faith No More. British dance maestros The Prodigy continue to be a staple favourite with rock and metal fans, and have persevered following the passing of legendary vocalist Keith Flint in 2019. Los Angeles glam rock masters Motley Crue return to Download for the first time since 2015, their last UK festival set to date. US alternative rock mavericks Faith No More headlined the 2009 edition, and this will also be their first time at Donington since 2015.

Next up are California emo rock’s Pierce The Veil, who have enjoyed a new dose of social media virality after their 2023 single ‘So Far So Fake’ was used in trends on TikTok and Instagram last year. Baltimore hardcore breakouts Turnstile’s rise is still unstoppable following their two Grammy wins from 2025 album ‘Never Enough’, while Australian metalcore titans Parkway Drive are back for the first time since their crushing secret set in 2024.

Elsewhere in the main billing are British masked metal project President, who released their debut album ‘Blood of Your Enemy’ this September to strong reviews, and US country/pop/rock one-man-band Bilmuri, whose 2026 LP ‘Kinda Hard’ was one of the most unique releases of the year. Australian pop rock chart-toppers may be set to be this year’s wildcard selection, following Scooter and Five in 2026. Also here are US metalcore act I Prevail, Swedish noise-makers The Hives, plus rapper and actor Ice-T’s metal group Body Count.

With all these acts and so many more, Download Festival 2027 is set to be one hell of a show. Due to incredible demand, early bird tickets flew out within the first two weeks of sale. Tickets for DLXXIV are available now at their website – but be warned, they will sell out!

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The trio of vocalist Jack Voss, guitarist Mason Clifford and bassist Todd Groome have been on the grind since 2019, working day jobs while touring relentlessly and uploading rebellious alternative rock singles. After a strong run of singles and EPs, Mouth Culture broke into the British festival circuit with appearances at Download, Reading & Leeds, 2000Trees and Slam Dunk in recent years.

Back in September, they released the song ‘Growing Pains’, a sombre Brit-pop jam that wouldn’t be out of place in Oasis or Stereophonics’ back catalogue. With lyrics about rainy days, traffic jams and tea, it’s a quintessentially English experience with a modern indie rock twist from Voss’s vocals.

Fast-forward to today, and Mouth Culture have finally announced their debut album including ‘Growing Pains’ and brand new single ‘Fool’. Their latest track is an angsty hard-rock anthem, led by heavy riffs building into a huge anthemic chorus. In terms of inspiration, Jack Voss says ‘Fool’ is about “the kind of attraction that makes you completely lose your head. It’s that push and pull of wanting someone so badly, even when you know they’re probably not good for you. There’s a real sense of back and forth throughout the song, where someone can make you feel like the best version of yourself one minute, then completely knock you down the next. I think there’s something quite universal about knowingly putting yourself in that position, convincing yourself it’ll be different this time, even when you know exactly how it’s going to end. Sometimes you just can’t help being a fool for someone.”

Their maiden studio album, ‘The Wire’ will release on April 2 2027 through independent UK label Killabop, co-produced by former You Me At Six guitarist Max Helyer and the band’s long-term friend Jamie Ward. It is also reported by Killabop to feature comedian and Celebrity Traitors star Romesh Ranganathan on unreleased track ‘Dying To Stay’. The full listing for ‘The Wire’ looks like this:

1. Growing Pains
2. Outta Here!
3. Fool
4. Dying To Stay
5. I Don’t Care
6. Spiralling
7. Lucky Number (925)
8. Dive
9. Brisbane
10. Never Been Closer

The social media announcement for The Wire includes a message saying “it’s been a hell of a journey so far – thanks to each and every person that has been part of the ride to get to this milestone. hope you love it as much as we do. the wires just getting started ragers.”

Ahead of the April launch for ‘The Wire’, Mouth Culture are set to support Oxford rockers South Arcade on all dates of their Welcome To The Real World Tour in February. The tour kicks off in Belfast with shows in Dublin, Manchester, Birmingham, London and more – check out the dates below:

FEBRUARY 2027:

7 – Limelight, Belfast
8 – 3Olympia, Dublin
10 – O2 Academy, Leeds
12 – Academy 1, Manchester
13 – NX, Newcastle
14 – Barrowlands, Glasgow
16 – O2 Academy, Birmingham
18 – Rock City, Nottingham
19 – UEA, Norwich
21 – Great Hall, Cardiff
22 – O2 Academy, Bristol
25 – O2 Academy Brixton, London

Mouth Culture’s debut album ‘The Wire’ releases through Killabop Records on April 2 2027, with singles ‘Fool’ and ‘Growing Pains’ out now. You can pre-order the album now on their official site, which also has a fun little wire-walking game to play while you browse.

The shows are listed below in their Instagram announcement from this morning, along with the support acts confirmed so far and which dates they appear:

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More names are still to be announced for the Hyde Park and Roundhay shows, with Muse being the third headliner confirmed for BST Hyde Park 2027, joining Bon Jovi on June 24th and RAYE on July 10th. The Leeds show marks the band’s first gig in the city in ten years, and Muse are the first headliner confirmed for the second edition of Roundhay Festival.

Chvrches will play both Cardiff and London, at a good time, with the Scottish synth pop trio preparing to release their fifth album, ‘All The King’s Men’, in January 2027. Nothing But Thieves, from Southend, have had four UK top 10 albums, including their 2023 number one ‘Dead Club City’, and released their latest album, ‘Stray Dogs’, in September. The show will give a chance for a wide crowd enjoy their new music when the sun’s out.

The announcement follows the release of ‘The Wow! Signal’, the tenth studio album from the Teignmouth trio of Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme. It went straight to number one on the UK Official Albums Chart in June 2026, giving the band their eighth consecutive chart topping record. The band are known for ambitious stage productions, and they have said their upcoming tour will be even more elaborate than before!

Their UK and European arena tour begins this week in Manchester, with shows on November 12th and 13th. It then visits London, Berlin, Milan, Düsseldorf, Paris La Défense, Amsterdam, Zurich and Montpellier, before continuing into January 2027 with dates in Lisbon, Bordeaux, Madrid and Valencia.

Tickets for Hyde Park and Roundhay have several stages of sale: An American Express presale began this morning, at 10am on November 9th, followed by an artist presale going live on November 11th and an AEG presale on November 12th. General sale opens at 10am on Friday, November 13th, here at their official website! The Cardiff show follows a similar schedule, with its presale on November 12th and general sale on November 13th.

The Manchester band will play six headline shows at castles, parks and open air venues. They also appear at two festivals, Neighbourhood Weekender in Warrington on May 30th and the Isle of Wight Festival on June 20th. The full list of headline dates is below in their recent Instagram announcement:

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The Sheffield show has the largest bill, with support from The Vaccines, The Lathums, The Guest List and Girl In The Year Above, with more acts still to be announced.

Tickets went on general sale at 10am on Friday, November 6th, following a series of venue and ticket presales earlier last week.

The shows follow the release of ‘God Bless The Band’, a best of album marking 20 years of the band. It came out on August 28th, 2026, and reached number two on the UK Official Albums Chart. It includes songs from across their seven studio albums, as well as two new tracks, ‘The Luckiest Man Alive’ and ‘Plus One Forever’. Both were released as singles earlier this year prior to the release of the album.

Led by singer and songwriter Liam Fray, Courteeners have built one of the most loyal followings in British indie music. They are known for turning large venues into mass singalongs, and their outdoor shows in recent summers have become major events in the cities they visit.

The summer dates come soon after a UK arena tour that began in Leeds on November 6th and visits Cardiff, Liverpool, London, Glasgow and Birmingham, finishing on November 21th. The band also played an intimate show at Night and Day Café in Manchester to launch the album.

With a mix of old favourites and recent songs, the 2027 shows are expected to look back on two decades of the band’s career. Fans can find ticket links and venue information on the band’s official website here!

Formed in 1986, PWEI will celebrate its 40th anniversary with the upcoming release of ‘PWEI.40‘, due on 19th February 2027. A collaboration and celebration involving band members Graham Crabb and Adam Mole, the project brings together the band’s past and present, with four live appearances offering a chance to experience that history first-hand.

The band will be performing at Shiiine On Festival in Minehead on 13th November, followed by a show at 93 Feet East in London on 26th November, with special guests So Good. They will then head to Network in Sheffield on 27th November, also joined by So Good, before finishing up at Stourbridge Town Hall on 5th December, returning to their hometown for the final show.

Following their tour in early May, these additional appearances mark another opportunity to catch PWEI live within the same year. However, these shows are from a traditional performance. Alongside guest appearances, including John and Rat as Ned’s Acoustic Dustbin, there will be live painting taking place on stage during the band’s set. Additionally, vintage PWEI live and backstage footage will also be featured, taken from their performance at Aston Villa Leisure Centre on 12th and 13th March 1994.

Renowned for their chaotic alternative rock sound, the band have never turned away from exploring politics, science fiction themes and anti-corporate rebellion. Four decades on, those ideals still resonate. In a world where anti-establishment attitudes remain prominent, PWEI’s return feels immensely relevant, bringing together longtime supporters who grew up with their music and a younger generation discovering it for the first time.

The upcoming PWEI.40 release reflects a mixture of nostalgia and reinvention. Instead of simply re-examining their past tracks, the band have given their familiar tracks a refresher. Songs including ‘Kill the Baddies’, ‘There Is A Psychopath in My Soup’, ‘Bulletproof’ and ‘1000 X no’ have been reworked, breathing new life into old material that has been associated with the band for years.

This project also brings together musicians from across a range of genres, with contributions from Stephen Mallinder of Cabaret Voltaire, solo artist Meryl Streek and Clams Baker of Warmdaschur, among others. And, despite initially intending to avoid recording new tracks, PWEI admit they “got carried away”, resulting in two new tracks: ‘I Don’t Wanna Dance’ and ‘Night Shift Riot’

This new chapter proves that even after 40 years, PWEI have retained their rebellious spirit and creative energy. Between the exclusive live appearances, unexpected collaborations and upcoming release, the anniversary is about far more than simply looking back at the past. Instead, it is an opportunity to reinvent their sound, bring their music to a new generation and reconnect with the longtime fans who have supported them from the beginning. For those wanting to be part of PWEI’s continuing story and experience the celebrations first-hand, tickets for the upcoming live appearances are available here.

Smith concluded the voicemail with a promise: “I’m looking forward to more Cure concerts in 2027. Of course, I’m not allowed to say where or when yet, but I’m confident they’ll be bursting with new songs.” While details have yet to be announced, Smith assures fans they have something to look forward to in the coming year after playing 31 shows in support of their album ‘Songs of a Lost World’ this year.

Back in 2024, The Cure released ‘Songs of a Lost World’ after 16 years of no albums, but that was not all. Smith announced to fans this summer that The Cure had recorded “three albums worth of songs” in an interview with BBC Radio 6 Music. With two more LP’s on the way, he claimed that the next album was “more dismal than ‘Songs of a Lost World'”, while “the third one’s really really upbeat. It’s really poppy.” Although a release date hasn’t been confirmed, Smith suggested that the next record will be “quite dark” as “it’s related to ‘Songs of a Lost World’” with “a different perspective on things.” Listen to the full interview below to get more details on the process behind his artistry.

For now, you can sign up to The Cure’s mailing list to get all updates regarding tour announcements and album releases.

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Meshuggah formed in Umeå, Sweden in 1987, and over the past 40 years they have revolutionised the typically rough, raw death metal template. Their application of odd time signatures, frantic syncopated riffs, and the introduction of previously-uncommon 8-string guitars combined to create a new strain of chaotic, but meticulously constructed progressive metal.

While their influence crept into the metal consciousness off the back of genre-redefining albums like 1995’s ‘Destroy, Erase, Improve’ and 1998’s ‘Chaosphere’, the explosion of the ‘djent’ subgenre through the mid-2000s had Meshuggah’s fingerprints all over it. Named by their guitarist Fredrik Thordenal after an onomatopoeia of their signature down-tuned guitar bursts, djent became an umbrella term for acts like US progressive metal collective Periphery, whose founder Misha Mansoor has openly cited Meshuggah as one of his biggest inspirations. Shortly after, Swedish contemporaries Vildhjarta took the sound a different way, coining their own Meshuggah-adjacent subgenre they dubbed ‘thall’.

Celebrating 40 years since the band’s formation, Meshuggah announced the Forty Year Anomaly tour of North America at the end of October, scheduled for Spring 2027. Their partners for the US and Canada leg will be old-school US thrashers Testament, plus modern American death metal revivalists Blood Incantation.

In an announcement this week, Meshuggah revealed they will be taking both Periphery and Vildhjarta along for all 20 dates of the new European stage of the tour next autumn, kicking off in Copenhagen on September 29. After Paris on October 24, it comes to Dublin’s 3 Arena on October 27. The run ends with its two England shows, visiting Aviva Studios in Manchester on October 29 and ending at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on October 30.

Tickets for the European Forty Year Anomaly tour are available now on O2 pre-sale, ahead of general sale going live at 11am this Friday, November 6. Check the full dates on the poster below:

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As the BBC’s flagship music-first station, Radio 6 Music operates without pigeon-holing itself into only the biggest chart singles or nostalgic classics like its BBC sister platforms. In its eclectic 2025 Artist of the Year list, it identified acts who had a huge influence on the year, many of whom have continued to have a big impact into 2026 like Turnstile, CMAT, Geese and Pulp. The previous list also shone light on underappreciated and emerging acts, including British singer-songwriters Blood Orange and Jasmine.4.t.

This year’s list was unveiled by 6 Music DJ Nick Grimshaw on his breakfast show this morning. Standout names include international synthpop superstar Charli xcx; Irish indie rockers on a meteoric rise, Fontaines D.C.; and The Cure, with frontman Robert Smith continuing to have a big presence 50 years since the band’s formation. The complete list looks like this:

• beabadoobee
• Charli xcx
• corto.alto
• Erykah Badu
• Fontaines D.C.
• Madra Salach
• Mandy, Indiana
• Phoebe Bridgers
• Robyn
• Show Me The Body
• Shygirl
• The Cure

Charli xcx’s place needs no explanation – this year saw her set a UK Album’s Chart record as the first female artist to have two UK Number One Albums in the same year. Her soundtrack for Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation hit the top spot in February, before her eighth studio album ‘Music, Fashion Film’ did the same in August.

The Cure are enjoying a significant renaissance, with a string of outdoor shows and festival appearances including headlining this year’s Isle of Wight festival. Their founding lead singer Robert Smith has also curated a programme of popular concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in support of Teenage Cancer Trust, as well as appearing on US popstar Olivia Rodrigo’s single ‘What’s Wrong with Me’.

Swedish pop singer Robyn returned with her first album in 8 years with ‘Sexistential’, which scored her first ever UK Top 10 Album. American star Phoebe Bridgers also romped back into the spotlight with ‘Lost Weekend’, her first LP in 6 years and first UK Number One. The last long-awaited return was that of genre-crossing singer Erykah Badu, whose collaboration with the Alchemist, ‘Before the World Blows’, was her first full album since 2010.

Filipino-British singer-songwriter Beabadoobee cemented her spot at the top of the alternative scene with her second consecutive UK Number One Album ‘Pylons’ this year, and is currently conquering the world with her Powerlines Tour which starts its UK leg later in November. After headlining this August’s Reading & Leeds Festival, Dublin indie rock giants Fontaines D.C. built on the wild success from 2024’s ‘Romance’ and also landed their second UK Number One Album with ‘Dopamine Chamber’.

Also on the list are Scottish experimental jazz group corto.alto, project of multi-instrumentalist maverick Liam Shortall, who the Official Chart Company report have played over 200 shows around the world in the last 3 years. Irish folk act Madra Salach are part of the growing movement of traditional folk revival, while Manchester and Berlin-based Mandy, Indiana are making serious waves with their second noise rock album ‘URGH’. The list is rounded out by NYC hardcore trio Show Me the Body, whose 2026 release ‘Alone Together’ is packed with the sounds of many of New York’s renowned music scenes; and London DJ and singer-songwriter Shygirl, whose eagerly-anticipated second album ‘Swallow!’ releases this Friday, November 6.

Radio 6 Music have made posts recognising each act on their official Instagram account, with several of them including messages of thanks from the artists. Robert Smith writes “This is Robert from The Cure. Very excited that we have made the 6 Music Artist of the Year shortlist. Excellent! Thank you! I am adding it to my personal musical highlights list of 2026 so far…”, while Robyn says “I feel so flattered to be one of 6 Music’s Artists of the Year. To be considered for having in some way defined 2026 with my album Sexistential is so special and I’m really excited you feel that way.”

BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds will be continuing to champion the winners throughout this week, with special shows featuring highlights of the year, interviews with fans and peers of the artists, and more. Part 1 is available here, covering Beabadoobee, Charli xcx, The Cure, corto.alto, Erykah Badu and Fontaines D.C.

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Twain is the best-selling female country artist of all time, and one of the top singers for overall record sales, having shifted over 100 million units in a career spanning five decades. She is best known in the UK for singles like ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’, ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ and ‘You’re Still The One’, all tracks on the best-selling country album of all time, 1997’s ‘Come On Over’.

After a hugely popular Sunday Legend slot at the 2024 Glastonbury Festival, Twain was hand-picked by British pop superstar Harry Styles to open all 12 nights of his 2026 Together, Together  tour at London’s Wembley Stadium. The residency ran through June and July, and set a Guinness World Record for the longest residency at Wembley. Also in July, Shania Twain released her seventh LP ‘Little Miss Twain’, a deeply nostalgic return to her country music roots.

The new deluxe edition ‘Little Miss Twain: The Places I’ll Go’ released on October 9, adding six bonus tracks which Twain describes as “six more stories that paint the full picture leading up-to me signing my recording contract in Nashville.” Now with 21 more tracks to play live, she has announced a 2027 summer tour of the UK and Ireland, bringing the sunny country sounds to an assortment of beautiful outdoor venues including palaces and castles.

The Places I’ll Go Tour kicks off on June 16 at Scarborough Open Air Theatre. From there, Twain plays Glasgow Summer Sessions at Bellahouston Park and Chelmsford State Fayre, which Ticketmaster names “the UK’s largest music and BBQ festival”. Next up is Cardiff’s Blackweir Fields, and a trip down to Exeter for Live at Powderham Castle’s summer programme, before travelling to Dublin’s Marlay Park and Belfast’s Belsonic Festival. The tour wraps with a date at Blenheim Palace Festival in Oxfordshire. Check below for full dates:

JUNE 2027

16 – Scarborough, Open Air Theatre
17 – Glasgow Summer Sessions, Bellahouston Park
19 – Chelmsford, State Fayre
22 – Cardiff, Blackweir Fields
24 – Exeter, Live at Powderham
26 – Dublin, Marlay Park
27 – Belfast, Belsonic
29 – Oxfordshire, Blenheim Palace Festival

In an Instagram post announcing the tour, Twain wrote “The Places I’ll Go Tour is coming to the UK & Ireland next June! Help me build the songbook? I want to play your favourite songs from any time in my musical journey. It’s big anniversaries for Up! And Come On Over next year too, there are a lot of memories to squeeze into one show. I would like to play some golden oldies and some new things too…” ‘Come On Over’ will be turning 30 next year, while 2002’s ‘Up!’ celebrates 25 years. Fans can expect all the hits, plus new cuts from ‘The Places I’ll Go’.

Catch Shania Twain on The Places I’ll Go Tour in June 2027 – pre-sales begin at 9am on Wednesday November 4, accessed with a purchase of ‘Little Miss Twain’, ahead of general sale at 9am on Friday November 6.

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Only tickets for Newcastle, St. James’ Park were affected, while the other shows had no issues. According to the announcement, “a very limited number of fans were able to buy tickets in the original St. James’ Park presale this morning prior to the website crash- these tickets remain valid.” Those who received a confirmation email remain unaffected, and those who were unsuccessful can still use the same code to buy tickets. You can read the full post below for further information.

 

 

 

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This comes not long after Fender’s outrage at ticket prices, stating, “It got inflated well more than I’d had in mind.” Fans were disappointed not only by the pricing, but by the separation of front and back sections with standing tickets. Fender immediately responded, “I’ve managed to get front standing tickets removed from the UK stadium tour. Whoever buys a standing ticket gets as much chance as anyone to be at the front. No more 120 quid standing tickets either.”

Devoted to his fans, Fender has made an effort to combat the controversy around ticketing prices that many artists have also had to face, whilst also fighting internet bots. Although it has been a chaotic turn of events, both Sam Fender and Gigantic guarantee equal opportunity for fans to get fairly priced tickets. Fans can now rest assured and look forward to attending the highly anticipated show as general sale will kick off tomorrow on the 30^th of October.

2027 Tour dates:

June:

3- St. James’ Park, Newcastle
5- St. James’ Park, Newcastle
10- Principality Stadium, Cardiff
18- Wembley Stadium, London
20- Wembley Stadium, London

July:

1- Marlay Park, Dublin
8- Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
15- Etihad Stadium, Manchester
17- Etihad Stadium, Manchester