Even as the last notes of headliner's set Biffy Clyro died away on Sunday night, plans were well under way for next year's 20th anniversary Download festival celebrations. After a triumphant return after a three-year hiatus because of the Covid pandemic, Download is set to return in 2023 with a four-day festival - one day longer than normal.
It will start on Thursday, June 8 and end on Sunday, June 11. The four headlining acts have still to be announced although Andy Copping, the man responsible for booking the acts, said before the most recent festival at Donington Park that the main bands had already been booked for 2023, with some tickets already on sale.
When the festival was first launched in 2003, ironically one of the headliners - same as this year- was Iron Maiden - the other was Audioslave as the festival was initially held over just two days. This continued for two years before it was decided to turn it into a three-day festival in 2005, with headliners Feeder, Black Sabbath and System of a Down.
