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Download festival 2026 mayhem in 18 photos

Isaac AsheEast Midlands
News imageGetty Images Music fans at Download Festival 2026 at Donington ParkGetty Images
For those about to flock - a man in a seagull costume crowd surfs at Download 2026

The 2026 edition of Download Festival is well under way - and this year it truly is a monster of rock.

With Glastonbury on a fallow year, Donington Park in Leicestershire is hosting the biggest festival in the UK this summer.

Headliners Limp Bizkit performed on Friday, with Guns N' Roses topping the bill on Saturday and Linkin Park set to close out the three days in the arena on Sunday.

And with an almost total sell-out, it's been a busy one, as our photo gallery shows.

News imageGetty Images A woman singing on stage. She has long brown hair and is wearing a black leather jacket and holding a red guitarGetty Images
Lzzy Hale of Halestorm performs onstage at the festival
News imageGetty Images Music fans at Download Festival 2026 at Donington ParkGetty Images
Fans manning the barricades at the front of the Apex Stage
News imageGetty Images Music fans at Download Festival 2026 at Donington ParkGetty Images
A colourful fan throwing their horns
News imageGetty Images Limp Bizkit on stageGetty Images
Limp Bizkit's Wes Borland and Fred Durst put on a headline show
News imageGetty Images Music fans at Download Festival 2026 at Donington ParkGetty Images
There was a sea of red hats on Friday for Limp Bizkit
News imageGetty Images An urn with a cowbot hat perched on top opf it. The hat displays a logo of two crossed swords, and the urn, which is black, displays the words Ian 'Lemmy' Kilmister and the dated December 24 1945 to December 28 2015Getty Images
A miniature custom urn with some of Lemmy's ashes is contained inside a fruit machine that will be on permanent display in Manchester after the festival
News imageGetty Images A woman performing on stage. She has black hair and is wearing red face paint and a red jumper. He is holding a microphone. She looks like she is dancing and is smiling.Getty Images
Charlie Rolfe of As Everything Unfolds
News imageGetty Images Music fans at Download Festival 2026 at Donington ParkGetty Images
A 'lotl fun in the crowd
News imageGetty Images Harmony Cavelle of South ArcadeGetty Images
Harmony Cavelle and South Arcade took the stage
News imageGetty Images A man stands on a stage holding a guitar. He has dreadlocked hair and is wearing a bandana, sunglasses, a black leather jacket with metal studs, and a leopard-print shirt. He has tattoos on his hands, arms and neckGetty Images
Ginger Wildheart of The Wildhearts
News imageGetty Images Music fans at Download Festival 2026Getty Images
Battle jackets at the ready for the Apex Stage
News imageGetty Images A music fan at Download Festival 2026Getty Images
An alternative view from the crowd
News imageGetty Images A view of the arena with the main Apex Stage visibleGetty Images
This year's arena has been packed with metalheads
News imageGetty Images A person in a large, white rat costume stands in the middle of a crowd of people, many of whom are holding up their mobile phonesGetty Images
A rat (or is it a mouse?) enjoys the music alongside fellow fans
News imageGetty Images Fans at the barriers watching onGetty Images
Despite showers in the run-up to the festival, the sun has been shining for most of the acts
News imageGetty Images Behemoth performing with flames shooting into the airGetty Images
Behemoth were hot stuff on the Apex Stage
News imageGetty Images Fans in the arenaGetty Images
Music fans have been rocking a variety of looks

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