Download Festival will take place this weekend and fans are abuzz with speculation after it was revealed a “big band” will be playing a secret set.
This year’s event will mark the 21st edition of Download, which has long been considered Britain’s premier metal festival, with headliners including Queens of the Stone Age, Fall Out Boy and Avenged Sevenfold.
Despite a number of acts dropping out due to the festival being sponsored by Barclaycard, other bands set to perform include Royal Blood, The Offspring, and Limp Bizkit.
In addition, Ireland’s Eurovision entry Bambie Thug is on the lineup as well as Pantera, who will make their first UK appearance in 20 years at Download.
Ahead of Download 2024, event booker Andy Copping revealed that there will be secret sets at the festival – including a “big band”.
In an interview with Planet Rock, Copping said: “One thing’s for sure, you’ve got to keep your eyes and ears peeled for this year at Download because, yes, we have another band coming in doing a secret set. Something very, very special. Big band. So look out for that.”
Bands who have previously performed secret sets at the festival include Metallica, Enter Shikari, Creeper and Black Stone Cherry. With the festival running from Friday, June 14 to Sunday, June 16, thousands of fans are already flocking to the event in the East Midlands.
But which acts are being rumoured to perform a secret set at Download 2024? Here we take a look at some of the bands which could perform at this year’s festival – including Paramore.
9. Bring Me The Horizon
Currently playing festivals around Europe, fans are also speculating that Bring Me The Horizon could be the band playing Download’s secret set. With a small gap in their current dates, the British band could make an appearance. | AFP via Getty Images
10. Sex Pistols + Frank Carter
Meanwhile, despite Frank Carter already being on the Download lineup, fans think that he could team up with the Sex Pistols for a secret set. Frank Carter will be joining Glen Matlock, Paul Cook and Steve Jones to play ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ in full across three nights in August – but could he also do this at Download? | Getty Images for Fender Musical
11. Nickelback
Currently touring Europe – and having recently played in the UK – Nickelback could perform a secret set at Download, with a decent gap in their schedule. | Getty Images for CMT
12. Parkway Drive
With Parkway Drive on European soil ahead of Download 2024, and with a gap in their schedule on Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16, fans hope the secret set could be from Parkway Drive. | Getty Images