Download Festival Australia is happening in 2018
It’s finally here! The news everyone’s been waiting for. Download Festival is coming to Australia! There have been rumours of the festival visiting these shores swirling around the internet since Soundwave went bust in late 2015, but nothing much eventuated. Recently, keen punters noticed the official website had gone live, apparently accidentally, showing just a white screen, with the incorrectly spelled Melborne 2018 in the header.
But now it’s official! Download Festival Australia will happen in Melbourne on Saturday 24th March. Unlike the UK version, Download Australia will be just a single day event. There will be four stages with 29 bands, with a lineup announcement this Thursday 9th November.
While there are still a few days to wait until the official lineup announcement, rumours and fake posters are everywhere. One of the more credible rumours though is Limp Bizkit and Korn, after Wes Borland told NME “I think Bizkit and Korn are doing Australia in March” in an interview published 23rd October. Other names in the more believable rumour list include Prophets of Rage and NOFX. Download Melbourne event producer Nigel Melder told triple j that the festival will be "delivering bigger and bigger names that sit on par with the UK event."
One act to be in contention for headliner would have to be Metallica. Having released their latest album Hardwired... to Self-Destruct in late 2016, the band are due for a tour to this part of the world. Around the time of that album’s release, former Soundwave boss AJ Maddah hinted that the band would be here in 2017, tweeting “start saving your pennies Australia! #Metallica #2017”. In July this year, in response to a fan question, he updated that by tweeting “Metallica will be next year. DL looks promising. They’re talking to 2 amazing headliners from what I hear”.
But now it’s official! Download Festival Australia will happen in Melbourne on Saturday 24th March. Unlike the UK version, Download Australia will be just a single day event. There will be four stages with 29 bands, with a lineup announcement this Thursday 9th November.
While there are still a few days to wait until the official lineup announcement, rumours and fake posters are everywhere. One of the more credible rumours though is Limp Bizkit and Korn, after Wes Borland told NME “I think Bizkit and Korn are doing Australia in March” in an interview published 23rd October. Other names in the more believable rumour list include Prophets of Rage and NOFX. Download Melbourne event producer Nigel Melder told triple j that the festival will be "delivering bigger and bigger names that sit on par with the UK event."
One act to be in contention for headliner would have to be Metallica. Having released their latest album Hardwired... to Self-Destruct in late 2016, the band are due for a tour to this part of the world. Around the time of that album’s release, former Soundwave boss AJ Maddah hinted that the band would be here in 2017, tweeting “start saving your pennies Australia! #Metallica #2017”. In July this year, in response to a fan question, he updated that by tweeting “Metallica will be next year. DL looks promising. They’re talking to 2 amazing headliners from what I hear”.
Caught in the Mosh is prepared to go out on a limb and suggest Rammstein may well be the festival’s other headliner, as Australia appears on their current world tour t-shirt. The band are busy finishing up their seventh (and possibly last, according to guitarist Richard Kruspe) record, which may be out in time for the festival. It’s often been said that a festival would be required to cover the costs of touring a band like Rammstein, so appearing at Download would make sense.
So is that the two headliners? Metallica and Rammstein? Let’s hope so!!!
While Download is only appearing in Melbourne in 2018, that’s not always going to be the case. Nigel Melder told triple j the plan is “to grow Download at a sustainable pace over the coming years, to a nationally touring festival for the long term... We’re developing a five-year plan to make sure we have a solid future for the festival in Australia.”
While making up for the gap in big summer festivals, Download is not trying to copy Soundwave. Melder says they’re “starting from scratch, as opposed to working backwards from someone else’s model.” Unlike Soundwave, with upwards of 60-70 bands leading to inevitable clashes, Download is going for a lineup that “minimises the amount of clashes on the day so fans can look forward to what they want to see as opposed to being bummed on what they are missing out on.”
Get ready! The big announcement happens this Thursday!
Download Festival Australia
Sat 24th March - Melbourne, Flemington Racecourse
More info to come...
So is that the two headliners? Metallica and Rammstein? Let’s hope so!!!
While Download is only appearing in Melbourne in 2018, that’s not always going to be the case. Nigel Melder told triple j the plan is “to grow Download at a sustainable pace over the coming years, to a nationally touring festival for the long term... We’re developing a five-year plan to make sure we have a solid future for the festival in Australia.”
While making up for the gap in big summer festivals, Download is not trying to copy Soundwave. Melder says they’re “starting from scratch, as opposed to working backwards from someone else’s model.” Unlike Soundwave, with upwards of 60-70 bands leading to inevitable clashes, Download is going for a lineup that “minimises the amount of clashes on the day so fans can look forward to what they want to see as opposed to being bummed on what they are missing out on.”
Get ready! The big announcement happens this Thursday!
Download Festival Australia
Sat 24th March - Melbourne, Flemington Racecourse
More info to come...