Download Festival Announce Virtual 2020 Line-Up

Following the cancellation of this year's edition of the festival, Download TV have announced the line-up for their virtual event taking place next month.

2020 headliners Iron Maiden, KISS and System Of A Down will be taking part in Download's virtual event on June 12-14, with other huge names on the bill like Deftones, BABYMETAL, Alter Bridge and Korn also getting involved in the festivities.

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The festival promise "hours of music, special interviews, unseen performances, exclusive footage and so much more to screens of any size", with each day "celebrating the spirit of Download Festival", and the evenings of June 12-14 bringing two-to-three hours of "tailormade programming where Downloaders can tune in and rock out".

The first night will see KISS replay standout moments from their epic 2015 headline set, while Iron Maiden will deliver "something very special to your screens, with nostalgic performances, Legacy Of The Beast snippets, and something just for Download TV" on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, Download will walk fans through System Of A Down's historic performances from 2005, 2011, and 2017.

Other bands joining in across the weekend are (in alphabetical order): Alestorm, Alter Bridge, BABYMETAL, Baroness, Black Futures, Black Veil Brides, Bowling For Soup, Bush, Creepe, Deftones, Disturbed, Employed To Serve, Fozzy, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Funeral For A Friend, Gojira, Holding Absence, Killswitch Engage, Korn, Lacuna Coil, Loathe, Mastodon, Motionless In White, Periphery, Poppy, Powerwolf, Skillet, Steel Panther, The Darkness, The Hara, The Offspring, The Pretty Reckless, The Wildhearts, Theory, Twin Temple, Volbeat, Wage War and Wayward Sons.

On top of all that, Download have a bunch of daytime activities planned, from live artist Q&As, lockdown performances, tutorials, mindfulness sessions and more.

"Downloaders are encouraged to put tents up in the garden, wear Download merch, dress as your favourite hero, send in photos and videos – the weekend is about the fans and celebrating the Download community," they say, encouraging how festival-goers can participate away from the hallowed grounds of Donington. "Download Festival would like to remind everyone to stay safe, stay home and save lives – practice safe social distancing and follow government guidelines."

Bring it on.

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