We said with their first announcement that the Download Festival team certainly weren’t messing around with their plans for 2019. Having dropped all three headliners and another dozen plus bands in the first announcement, they’ve followed it up with another mammoth helping of bands for next year.
There’s only one place we can start, and that is of course with Slayer. Having laid waste to the UK on their farewell tour earlier this month (read our review of the London show right here) alongside Lamb of God, Anthrax and Obituary, Slayer are back for one last dance in the UK on the hallowed Donington turf next June. This appearance at Download 2019 has been confirmed as Slayer’s last ever UK show, and it reunites them with their 2004 Unholy Alliance tour friends Slipknot. As they did fifteen years ago, Slayer’s final UK show will serve as the ultimate preparation for Slipknot’s headline set – a prospect we still can’t quite get our heads round a few days after the announcement was made. And Slayer are only the first band we’ve talked about! Their friends from their farewell UK tour Lamb of God and Anthrax are also returning to Download along with them (days tbc).
Something that’s a huge deal to a great many people – The Smashing Pumpkins are finally coming to Download in 2019! Billy Corgan and co will serve as main support to Tool at the close of the festival on Sunday in what promises to be something very special not yet seen before at Download. Prog metal icons Dream Theater are also returning to Download for the first time in a decade in what is a return long overdue. There’s also the Download Festival debut of Eagles Of Death Metal, the return of party rockers Royal Republic, and the mysterious Japanese outfit Man With A Mission.
Arguably the brightest young heavy metal talent in the entire world, Alien Weaponry, are coming all the way from New Zealand to Download for their Donington debut in 2019 – something not to be missed! If pop punk is more your thing, then State Champs return is going to be most welcome, or if you like things heavier and on the more technical side, Jinjer are coming to blow your ears off.
Rounding off the announcement we have the assorted talents of Blackberry Smoke, Bad Flower, Black Futures, I Prevail, Our Last Night, Riding The Low, The Interrupters, Underside, Whitechapel, Yours Truly and Slam Dunk Festival’s house band are making a detour this year – Zebrahead are coming to Download! Last but least, and to avoid a mix up with the commas Nothing, Nowhere will also be playing Download Festival 2019!
All these bands join headliners Tool, Slipknot and Def Leppard and the already announced likes of Whitesnake, Trivium, Slash w/ Myles Kennedy, Amon Amarth, Die Antwoord, Rob Zombie, Opeth, Carcass and many more.
Tickets for the 2019 Download Festival are now available in a variety of formats including payment instalments. For those who want to pick up some tickets, head over to the official Download online ticketing store now!
